It gets very challenging when one's beloved goes into a cycle of addiction. We want only the best for our loved ones; therefore, finding the right treatment facility is the key to aiding recovery and facilitating their healing.

Let's dive into the most crucial aspects to consider when choosing rehab for a loved one, helping you make an informed decision to give them the best chance of recovery.

Individualised Treatment Plans

Rehabs should be able to measure every individual's physical, mental, and emotional health so that a course of treatment can be formulated for the individual needs of each patient. This typically covers all involved causes and offers more specific client-centred treatment in a facility, making success rates higher in the long term.

Evidence-Based Therapies

A rehabilitation centre should incorporate evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Motivational interviewing. The best rehabs blend scientifically validated therapies and complementary treatments. These therapies help assist individuals with discovering negative thought patterns and their remedies, as well as working towards factors that will motivate individuals to remain sober. A good rehabilitation centre would also go about incorporating holistic approaches, such as yoga, meditation, and the healing mantra of sound to heal the body and mind.

Experienced and Certified Staff

A staff who will take care of your loved one will be important in recovery. Thus, make sure that the rehab has licensed, experienced professionals who have a speciality in addiction treatment.

Aftercare and Support Programmes

A good treatment center should have aftercare and relapse prevention programs like follow-up therapy sessions, or even alumni programs. Aftercare services enhance continued guidance and accountability so that people may stay on course as they leave rehab and avoid relapse.

Calming Atmosphere

Getting addicted thrives in noisy circumstances, so peaceful surroundings are important for rehab settings. Nature locations, quiet, whether a seaside, mountain, or greenery, create an environment and a place for individual self-reflection and recovery.

Comfort Amenities

A lot of rehabs offer private rooms, gourmet meals, and fitness spaces that make conditions more comfortable and stressful conditions less of a burden. They can help your loved one feel cared for in their stay and also make the experience more positive in the rehab.

Family Psycho-Education and Support

It is not only the patient who suffers but also the family. Identify rehab centers that provide family psycho-education and counselling programs. Such sessions equip the family with knowledge on addiction, hence enabling families to embrace effective communication and provide better support to their loved ones.

Success Rate and Reviews

One should care about checking up on the success rate and reviews the rehab has. Of immense value is hearing from those who are previously patients or reading online reviews on how effective they have been. Finding the right rehab means finding a treatment facility that provides personal care, professional staff, a supportive environment, and continued support. These factors help your loved one step towards a healthier life free from addiction.

The right rehabilitation, therefore, is essential in building the foundation for your loved one's journey towards full recovery. A rehab offering tailored treatment programs, various forms of therapies, staff who are highly professional, and aftercare when appropriately discharged may be life-saving. Ensure that your loved one feels comfortable, well cared for, and clearly understood throughout the process. Recovery from addiction is difficult so it is necessary to make the right decision in choosing a rehab Center.

World AIDS Day is marked across the globe every year on 1 December to draw attention to HIV and AIDS. In India, the day is observed through awareness drives and community-level programmes held nationwide. The National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), which functions under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, leads these efforts and brings people together to support the ongoing battle against the illness.

This year, the government reported a strong decline in HIV cases, noting 49 per cent fewer new infections since 2010, an 81 per cent fall in deaths linked to AIDS, and a 75 per cent drop in mother-to-child transmission between 2010 and 2024.

The update, shared on Sunday for World AIDS Day 2025, also underlines how myths continue to harm people living with HIV. Misconceptions remain widespread, including the belief that the virus spreads through simple physical contact.

What is HIV/AIDS?

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) harms the body by attacking helper T-cells, which are vital for immunity. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) develops when these cells fall to very low levels, leaving the body exposed to infections and diseases, as described by the Mayo Clinic.

Common HIV Myths That You Should Know About

• It is a myth that HIV spreads through coughing, touching or shaking hands. Routine contact or a cough does not transmit the virus. Transmission can occur only when the skin has open sores or breaks that allow the virus to enter.
• It is a myth that a person diagnosed with HIV will survive only a short time. With proper treatment that keeps the virus suppressed, people with HIV can live for many years.
• It is a myth that every child born to an HIV-positive mother will also have HIV. With antiretroviral therapy, a planned C-section and other precautions, the chance of passing the virus to the baby can be reduced to below 2 per cent.
• It is a myth that HIV, being a viral infection, cannot be linked to the use of antibacterial or antifungal medicines. Since HIV weakens immunity, those living with it may be prone to common bacterial and fungal infections and may need such medicines for long periods.
• It is a myth that there is no risk when two or more HIV-positive partners are intimate. Unprotected sex can still allow tougher or drug-resistant strains of the virus to evolve and spread.
• It is a myth that people who do not show symptoms cannot have HIV. It can take years for signs to appear, and the only way to confirm the infection is through testing.
• It is a myth that taking medicines before intercourse can fully prevent HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis lowers the risk but does not remove it entirely.

World AIDS Day, observed each year on December 1, is a time to pause, acknowledge and renew our commitment. It pays respect to those who lost their lives to AIDS-related illnesses, offers support to people living with HIV and reminds the world that prevention, treatment and rights-based care remain essential. The theme for 2025, “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response”, urges countries to build stronger systems, widen access to services and uphold the dignity of all communities affected by HIV.

Ludwig Minelli, 92, died on Saturday just days before his 93rd birthday, which would have been on December 5. He was the founder of Swiss right-to-die organization Dignitas. He has died by assisted suicide.

The members of organization paid tribute to him and said that he had always led a "life for freedom of choice, self-determination, and human rights".

Right-To-Die By Minelli

Minelli founded Dignitas in 1998, which has helped many people to choose how they wish to die with dignity. He however began his career as a journalist and worked as a correspondent for the German news magazine Der Spiegel. He then studied law and that is when his interest in human rights took off.

Throughout his life, he campaigned for the right to die and gave Dignitas the slogan: "dignity in life, dignity in death".

"I am persuaded that we have to struggle in order to implement the last human right in our societies. And the last human right is the right to make a decision on one's own end, and the possibility to have this end without risk and without pain," he said in a 2010 BBC interview.

He founded Dignitas after he split from an older Swiss assisted dying organization, Exit, because he said the rules felt too restrictive.

The reason for Dignitas to become famous was because the way it operated. Dignitas offered assisted suicide to non-Swiss citizens who travel to Switzerland because assisted dying is not permitted in their own countries. In a 2008 interview to Der Tagesspiegel, he said that Dignitas assisted 840 people to die, and 60% of them were Germans.

Also Read: Supreme Court Steps In For 31-year-old's Passive Euthanasia Plea Who Has Been In Vegetative State For 10 Years

His Life Amid Criticism And Legal Battles

While he devoted his life for a cause, he was not spared from criticism. He was often criticized for an alleged lack of transparency over the financial dealings of the organization. He was further criticized for offering assisted dying options to those who were not terminally ill, but wanted to end their lives. He also faced numerous legal battles, and many of which were also appealed to Swiss apex court.

The Wins He Made

As per Dignitas, his work had a lasting influence. In 2011, the European Court of Human Rights announced the right of a person capable of judgment to decide on the manner and the time of their own end of life.

While in his own country, assisted dying was permitted under Swiss law since 1942, under strict condition, of course, Euthanasia still remains illegal there.

The main difference is that in Switzerland, a physician cannot administer a lethal injection, which is what euthanasia is. However, a physician can provide the means for a person to end their own life, and the individual must perform the final act themselves.

The legality of assisted suicide is based on Article 115 of the Swiss Criminal Code from 1942, which prohibits assistance only if motivated by selfish reason. The conditions for assisted suicide includes that the assistance must not be for selfish motives and must be provided to someone of sound mind who has made a self-determined and enduring decision to die. The person must also be suffering from an unbearable and uncontrollable condition.

The shape of your gluteus maximus, the largest muscle in your backside, may offer surprising clues about your likelihood of developing diabetes. New research suggests that the contours of this major muscle change with age and health conditions, helping scientists better understand how fitness, muscle health, and metabolism are connected.

Ageing, Weight, and Diabetes: What We Already Know

For years, the NHS has warned that ageing and excess weight increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. However, this new study goes beyond traditional measures, proposing that the shape of the gluteus maximus itself shifts as people age or develop conditions such as osteoporosis or diabetes. These subtle muscular changes could provide valuable information about a person’s metabolic health.

Why the Gluteus Maximus Matters

Researchers from the University of Westminster highlighted that the gluteus maximus plays a key role not just in movement but also in metabolic regulation. Healthy, well-maintained muscles can improve blood sugar control and reduce the burden on organs involved in glucose processing.

Dr Marjola Thanaj, co-author of the study from the university’s Research Centre for Optimal Health, explained, as reported by Independent: “People with higher fitness, as measured by vigorous physical activity and hand grip strength, had a greater gluteus maximus shape, while ageing, frailty and long sitting times were linked to muscle thinning.”

Mapping the Muscle

To understand these differences, researchers used advanced MRI 3D mapping to create a detailed anatomical model of the gluteus maximus. By analyzing more than 61,000 MRI scans from the UK Biobank database, they discovered that the shape, not the size, of the muscle varied significantly between individuals with diabetes and those without it.

What the Study Found

The MRI analysis revealed distinct, sex-specific patterns linked to Type 2 diabetes. Among male participants living with the disease, those classified as “frail” showed widespread muscle shrinkage across the gluteus maximus, indicating a loss of muscle quality and strength.

Women with diabetes, on the other hand, had enlarged muscle shapes — not because of increased muscle strength, but because of fat infiltrating the muscle tissue. This type of fat infiltration often signals declining muscle function and poorer metabolic health.

Dr Thanaj said these patterns underline a crucial point: men and women can experience the same illness in very different biological ways, which may influence diagnosis and treatment strategies in the future.

Why Maintaining Muscle Mass Matters

Beyond appearance or strength, muscle health is essential for long-term wellbeing. Maintaining muscle mass supports blood sugar regulation, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, and lowers the likelihood of developing fatty liver disease, all conditions closely linked to metabolic health.

Professor Louise Thomas, senior author of the study, told The Times: “Maintaining muscle mass as we age is one of the most important things we can do for our long-term health. If people understand how important their muscles are, and make small changes to keep them healthy, that could have a huge impact on disease across the population.”

Small Steps to Strengthen Your Glutes

Improving glute muscle health doesn’t require intense gym sessions. Simple actions such as taking the stairs instead of the lift, adding squats or lunges to your routine, or breaking up long periods of sitting can help tone and strengthen the gluteus maximus.