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For most of us, the transition to adulthood is not a seamless process we ease into gradually. No, it’s more like a brick in the face when one day we look at ourselves in the mirror and think “By God, I’m just like my parents now”. Of course, others have no problem with reaching maturity, in spite of the fact that it’s less fun to work a 9 to 5 shift and do the same thing over and over again when you get home.

To each his own, but to paraphrase the famous baseball player Chili Davis, you can grow old without actually growing up. Now, these are indicators that you might have joined the ranks of the adult armada and if you find yourself in more than 4 of the following 10 descriptions, you should probably be worried!

1. News bulletins present a lot of interest all of a sudden

As a kid or an adolescent (one who’s not trying to impress girls with his exhaustive knowledge of the political circus), you would rarely pay any attention to what a certain prime minister said about the tensions in the Middle East or the fluctuations in the value of foreign currency. The only piece of news that might present an interest concerns the attempts to censor the internet, but that’s as far as it goes. When you notice that you fervently watch a certain news bulletin – or worst, you gather your info from additional sources to ensure it is unbiased – then your childhood is hanging by a thread.

2. You deposit money in a savings account and establish a weekly budget

The only financial paradigm that you should follow as a child/adolescent states that you should try to avoid wasting your money on stuff you don’t really need. That’s it! No savings accounts, no budgets to work around, no penny-tracking systems. During this period, you can always fall back on the money you borrow from your friends or even your parents and the best part is that you don’t really care. If you support the 401k (or even know what it means), you can calculate your income-to-debt ratio or you can balance your checkbook, then I have bad news for you.

3. Handshaking a person you’ve never met before is your second nature

Handshakes don’t come instinctively, they are learned from experience. For example, look at how uncomfortable a child feels when an adult is trying to shake hands! Throughout high school and later on in college, the repetition of this gesture seeps through the cracks of the subconscious and shrewdly implements itself within the instinctual behavior. How do you make acquaintance with someone?

4. You can’t drink more than a couple of beers without getting a hangover the next day

Not that I’m condoning heavy drinking here, but I’m pretty sure that at some point you could party all night long with your friends and wake up fresh as a daisy the next day. It’s not exactly clear why hangovers become a normal occurrence after you reach a certain stage of life, but they do. And the worst part is that you don’t need more than a couple of brew-skies to get the mother of all headaches and a tongue that feels like #50 grit sandpaper. Sad but true.

5. 11 P.M. is the latest you go to sleep on weeknights

You suddenly care about getting a good night sleep and you definitely prefer it to “wasting” your nights with your friends painting the town red. Of course, I mean who could actually perform well at his 9 to 5 job if he didn’t get enough sleep? Well, sleep didn’t use to be your main concern in college and high school was it?

Not all women experience pregnancy the same way – while some mothers-to-be notice the signs very early, others may not experience many of the symptoms throughout their entire pregnancy. In the eventuality that you are worried – or you actually hope – that you might be pregnant, the best approach comprises of confirming or infirming it with a pregnancy home test.

In case the test results are positive, then you should contact your physician right away to back up the pregnancy home test and make a decision regarding the course of actions to be followed. Without further ado, let’s review the early symptoms that you are most likely to experience if you are pregnant.

1. Overwhelming fatigue

Because your body is focused on producing higher amounts of progesterone as well as delivering oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, you will start feeling more tired, even though you were not engaged in exhausting activities. In general, physicians agree that this is the first symptom of pregnancy and you will most likely experience it until the 12th week or until the placenta is fully formed.

2. You feel constantly bloated

The high levels of progesterone found in a pregnant woman’s body will affect the muscles and one of the functions of the hormone is to relax the muscular and smooth tissue. Progesterone will have a significant impact on the digestive tract and it is known to slow down digestion. Consequentially, the slower digestion process will favor abdominal discomfort and chances are you will be feeling bloated most of the time, especially after a large meal.

3. Abdominal pressure and frequent cramps

The slowing down of the digestion as well as the plethora of changes that are taking place in the abdominal region will typically cause cramps and mild to moderate abdominal discomfort. This symptom will usually kick in rather early, sometime between 6 to 12 days after the ovulation and their severity has been often described as resembling the period or PMS cramps.

4. You will urinate more often and feel constipated

As the uterus experiences several changes in order to accommodate the fetus, it will exert pressure on the organs located in its proximity and mostly on the bladder. Therefore, pregnant women are known to urinate rather frequently. At the same time, the pressure of the uterus as well as the bodily changes happening during pregnancy is the two factors known to lead to constipation.

5. Breast tenderness

In the eventuality that you notice your breast are swollen or are becoming tender, then that might constitute the first clue that you are pregnant, particularly since this symptom starts manifesting soon after the conception. The level of discomfort you feel in the area is usually caused by the high levels of hormones and the fact that your breasts are undergoing important modifications, such as developing milk-producing cells and creating mild ducts that you need in order to breastfeed your newborn. The good news is that the pain will eventually subside once your body adjusts to the new levels of hormones. However, until that point, you should consider wearing a professionally fitted bra to reduce the discomfort experienced.

Computers are addictive with the introduction of messenger, social media websites and other applications that get people roused up. People should be aware of signs and should stop while they still can.

1. Washroom breaks with computer:

Many people cannot live without the computer. It only becomes a problem once you need the computer when you go to the washroom. As you sit on the toilet, you play a game on Facebook, check your emails and maybe chat with friends. There are some individuals who do work inside the washroom as well.

2. Falling asleep at the computer:

One person who got interviewed said she is a procrastinator. She would spent hours studying and using the computer for everything imaginable. She would often fall asleep on the keyboard, leaving marks on her face.

3. Neglect:

Shannon Johnson was charged for neglecting her 13 month old son who was taking a bath in the bathroom. She was too busy playing CafeWorld on the computer. It looks like the life of her own child was worth less than a game on Facebook.

4. Playing Games:

I know one individual who played a game called World of Warcraft every chance he got. He would skip school, in order to build on his mastery skills at the game. Sadly, mastering the skills on computer will not help anyone find jobs in the real world.

5. Watching porn:

Married men who utilize the computer to increasingly watch porn are also computerholics in my book. For example, a recent article was written about a churchgoing chauffeur who is 62 and married for 38 years. He used the computer to access porn that crashed his computer. Oops.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a psychological disorder which causes individuals to have thoughts and fears in their minds, in the form of obsessions. These excessive thoughts and fears are mitigated by compulsions, prompting individuals to excessively do things in a certain way. Here are 10 signs one needs to look for in order to better judge the situation.

1. Excessive Confessions:

This is caused by a fear of doing something wrong. I never knew this was a sign and so I put it as #1 to see if readers would agree.

2. Excessive Sexual Thoughts:

We all have sexual thoughts, but those with OCD have excessive thoughts which intrude into daily activities. This is a type of obsession and many people would use a compulsion listed below to mitigate it.

3. Washing hands repeatedly:

This is a form of compulsion. This is usually done to stop obsessions and images of contamination from popping into their minds.

4. Checking things too much:

People who are obsessive-compulsive have a tendency to check things too much. This again is used to mitigate obsessive thoughts. In this situation, people may be afraid and obsessed about intrusions, so they repeatedly check if they locked all the doors.

5. Arranging:

This is an example of an obsession. Those with OCD have an obsession with symmetry and numbers. If someone misplaces their belongings or place it the wrong way, people with OCD get easily frustrated.

When you buy a gift for someone special, you often make mistakes. Some people miss signs which point towards just that. Here are 10 signs no one should ignore.

1. Shock:

Many people are shocked when bought a gift they never expected. That shock is sometimes mixed in with disappointment, especially in children.

2. Yelling:

Many people would yell if they are unsatisfied with the right gift. Others feel it undermines the relationship and are thus disappointed. This is usually a cue to return gift and buy the right one.

3. Ask for Price:

Many start asking the cost of the gift. This is usually done to find out whether the person was cheap or not. They also may not see the value or the worth of the gift given or traded.

4. Poker Face:

Some try to put on a poker face. There usually is no reaction when the improper gift is given. If you do not get a warm response that usually means that you have not passed the test. Be careful, poker face usually is coupled with other things on this list.

5. Physical:

Many people become physical as soon as they learn of your deceit. They will kick and hit until they get what they want. If you are wondering what this is about, go on Youtube and watch a clip called ‘Merry Christmas bitch’.

Bullying is a major issue nowadays. Many schools have adopted the restorative approach, which has the bully and the student being bullied sitting in a room, discussing their issues. Neither one can leave the room if there is no resolution. If you see any of the following signs of bullying, report them to the appropriate people. If you do not, you will become a part of the bullying problem.

1. Scars:

2. Isolation:

When a child is bullied, they don’t feel the need to talk to anyone but themselves. They can stay in their room for hours and hours without realizing that they are alone. The child may neglect their own friends and not make any new ones. If you ask them why they don’t have any friends, they may say, “Because I don’t need any friends.” The child may also be isolated from their family as well. In this situation, a pet such as a cat or a dog may be useful. The pet may be the only friend the child can really confide too.

3. Anger:

In times of bullying, a child may feel angry all the time. A child would never smile and would get angry at the smallest of things, such as their mother asking if they want food. The child may come home from school and without even a “Hi, how are you?” storm to their room.

4. Slipping Grades:

Children who are bullied often do not care about school work. They avoid it because even when they are in class, they think about the time they are abused, physically or emotionally. At home, they cry and therefore, have no time to open any books and notebooks. They never listen to what a teacher has to say in class. Make sure you always know how your child is doing at school, once every 2 months at the most, because a lot could happen in those two months.

5. Denial:

Children often deny they are being bullied. Reason may be that they are embarrassed because they can’t take care of the situation themselves, or they feel it will go away by itself. Even if you have your child talk to a social worker, they may not say anything to them, especially if you are in the room with them. Make sure you talk to your child’s teachers and classmates to ask whether they see there is something different about your child’s behavior, and whether they think someone is hurting your child.

You can check out if you are obsessed with the hit series Lost. Jorge Garcia, known as Hurley in Lost, presents the top 10 signs of this obsession. Only for true fans!