they take a pill, a drink, they try to escape. If they can't get relief right away, their bad situation turns easily into despair. Every- body has to learn to cope with disappointment and even trag- ic happenings. It's part of living. "If someone we love doesn't un- derstand this, it's up to us to con- vince them. There is no greater mitzvah (commandment or good deed) than to save a life." In his book, Dr. Gordon asserts that the most important suicide- prevention rule for parents is to maintain communication with their children, "no matter what they do." He offers the following advice to parents of teen-agers suffering from depression who suspect their child may be thinking of suicide or who have been alerted to the possibility by a sibling or friend of the young- ster: • Take the warning seriously. Do not trust your own judgment about whether the warning is se- rious or not. Many suicides are committed after the depression . has lifted and the youngster has regained the energy to go through with the act. The "calm period" must be treated with ur- gency. • It is crucial to understand that suicidal intent is always temporary. It can be reversed. • Don't argue with the teen- ager or attempt to prove that thinking about suicide is silly. Almost all suicides are preventable. • Talk about the problem and don't be afraid to ask questions about suicidal intent. Try to find out what is troubling the young- ster. Direct sympathetic discus- sion about suicide does not provoke suicidal behavior. • If the crisis is urgent, seek the assistance of a counselor, minister, rabbi, suicide preven- tion clinic or whatever support system is available. If the child refuses to meet with anyone, call for help anyhow — secretively if necessary. Treatment For MS From Israeli Company Jerusalem (JTA) — A drug un- der development by Israel's Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has been found to reduce the rate of relapses in certain cases of mul- tiple sclerosis. The promising findings, based on clinical tests conducted in the United States, were announced in San Francisco, where they were presented to the annual meeting of the American Neuro- logical Association. The results of the tests were discussed at an international news conference broadcast Tues- day and viewed by reporters in Israel and Europe. The findings are being hailed as a breakthrough in the treat- ment of the crippling neurologi- cal disease, 75 percent of whose victims are women. There are an estimated 350,000 victims of the disease in the United States, roughly one- third of whom stand to benefit from the new drug, called copoly- mer 1. In Israel, 1,500 people suf- fer from the disease, about 500 of whom could benefit from the drug. Scientists do not know exact- ly what triggers the auto-immune disease and they say no cure is expected in the foreseeable fu- ture. Copolymer 1, being developed by Teva, Israel's largest phar- maceutical company, was dis- covered at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. It was clinically investi- gated at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem and at the Albert Ein- stein College of Medicine in New York. The drug, also known as Co- paxone, has been found to help in cases of what is known as re- lapsing-remitting multiple scle- rosis, in which unpredictable attacks often leave the victims in- creasingly disabled. Patients treated with the drug daily over a two-year study suf- fered 24 percent fewer relapses than patients who took a place- bo, announced Dr. Kenneth John- son, professor and chairman of the Department of Neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and chief in- vestigator in the study. Those who took the drug also experienced a decrease in the amount of disability they suffered over the same period. Adverse side effects were "very short-lived," said Dr. Johnson, who said the drug had an "excel- lent" safety profile. 'These promising findings con- firmed our hopes of developing an entirely new treatment for this devastating disease," said Dr. Johnson. Dr. Stephen Reingold, vice president of research and med- ical programs for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in the United States, said the "society is highly encouraged by these promising results." LOOK YOUNGER Vitality and youthful appearance. Things successful men strive for. You're working out, eating right . . . but because of your hair loss, you look older and tired. Now, regain that competitive edge . . . with Tru-Fit. Our experienced professional staff has 25 years behind them, to design the perfect new image for you. Call today for a FREE, private consultation. 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