Sober Sources Network

The Recovery Place Treatment Center

2010-02-23T17:00:00.001-08:00

The Recovery Place avoids generic treatment plans with great success
One size fits all? Absolutely not. Especially not when it comes to overcoming substance abuse and addiction.

Successful drug and alcohol recovery requires a therapeutic and compassionate approach that includes all aspects of the addict or alcoholic seeking help: physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, and that of being an active participant in life. Humans are unique in so many ways; it is unreasonable to think that a single, homogenized treatment plan would lead to recovery for anyone.
The Recovery Place’s most successful principle of care is treating patients as individuals, with dynamic and different needs.

Every person has a complicated history. For this reason, the patient and their loved ones are included from the start of the treatment planning phase at The Recovery Place. Patients may be entering rehab for the first time, or are trying again after falling back into an addiction lifestyle.
At The Recovery Place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, patients and families enter a program that seems to fit their general needs, and then individualized therapy makes the programs tailor-made. Each care plan is specific to the person it is designed for, no exceptions.

General programs include Traditional Addictions, Dual Diagnosis, Family Programming, Trauma, and a Christian Addiction Program. Group and individual therapies, as well as addiction education, are integrated into every program. Medical management is also included.

Patients at The Recovery Place have several options on how intensively therapy should be approached, including 24 hour residential care in our sober living housing. This is an excellent option for those who are resistant to treatment or who live far away from The Recovery place, and may need the availability and support of staff at all hours.

The ability to spend time after hours in the home-like setting of our sober-living apartments, gives our patients ample opportunities to share experiences and struggles with others who are attending our programs. There are also quiet garden benches to sit upon and reflect, and a pool and BBQ where you can practice the simple enjoyments of daily life, without the specter of drugs or alcohol being present.

For those who have a healthy family situation and are located close to The Recovery Place, we offer both intensive and graduated outpatient programs. For patients who have progressed successfully through the intensive inpatient program, assistance can be provided to help them remain in the area so that they can continue receiving support as an outpatient.

Staying only within the boundaries of The Recovery Place isn’t part of the overall treatment plan. As our clients learn new coping and life skills, they need a chance to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather and ocean that are part of the Ft. Lauderdale area. There are great opportunities here just to enjoy feeling good again, without the artificial aid of drugs or alcohol. The beach, local churches and other spiritual support activities, parks and sports activities are encouraged. This is another important way that The Recovery Place team fosters each person as a unique individual, with interests and talents that are suddenly being enjoyed again as rehab progresses.

Distance isn’t an issue when family members need to be included in the rehab process. The Recovery Place clinical and support staff have on-site family programs, as well as utilizing the internet and telephone for those who live far away from the treatment center.

No patient leaves The Recovery Place without a solid relapse prevention plan in place. Aftercare is also ongoing, depending on the needs of the person and their family.

If you are looking for a drug and alcohol rehab center that honestly and openly sees you, your loved one, or your client as a flawed-but-unique-and-worthwhile-person, then call The Recovery Place. You aren’t just “another addict” to us. We can help.

Drug Addiction Treatment

2009-11-07T14:23:00.000-08:00

Drug Addiction Treatment - Availability of Different Options

Finding the right drug addiction treatment is the most important thing you would want to do if you want to treat your friend or relative who is going through severe addiction and or drug abuse. If you don’t want your loved one to suffer the consequences and drawbacks in a long run, you would have to make the right decision as soon as possible. Finding the right drug addiction treatment for an individual can be perplexing and it can be a challenge for you because it is a major decision to take because life of person is attached with this one big decision. You should know of all the options you can take into account before taking any further step or making any final decision.

Choosing a drug addiction treatment can either work with the situations and circumstances you have or it can completely go wrong for you if you don’t make a wise decision. It is advisable that you must go with a drug addiction treatment which suits the situation of the addict and is especially designed for treating specific types of addiction.

You can consider relapse prevention treatments as a drug addiction treatment. It is a procedure that was originally designed for the alcohol addicts and survivors but this option is considered to work well for the cocaine addicts as well. In this type of drug addiction treatment, the person learns how to adopt better behaviors and thoughts. He or she gets an idea of what the world is like and how they have to face things differently instead of harming themselves. This therapy teaches them how to control yourself in a specific situation and what will be your behavior while confronting a daunting or tough situation.

Matrix model deals with the problems of addicts that are addicted to the stimulants or never transmitters. The drug addict in this situation learns how to manage their fears and how to overcome their withdrawal symptoms. The therapist will introduce several self-helping methods testing the person on regular basis with blood and urine samples making sure if he or she is still consuming drugs or not. The main motive is to boost up the self-esteem and confidence of the individual.

Support expressive therapy is another option you can go with as a drug addiction treatment. The addict is provided with an environment that would make him or her feel better. The therapists also make sure that they are applying the conversation and discussion activities on the addicts to make them realize that they are completely normal and can live their lives without the dependency of different drugs.

The Addicts Guide

2009-05-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

The Addicts Guide

Do you hate your addiction? Are you ready to kick it for good? Do you have no clue where to start? The Addicts Guide is here to help you kick your addiction for good. While The Addicts Guide was originally written for readers who had difficulty with alcohol, it's information can be applied to many other addictions, especially with drugs.

Millions of people have suffered from addiction in the past one hundred years. Luckily, with the methods included in The Addicts Guide you no longer have to be one of those suffering. There are simple ways that you can stay sober and live a perfectly normal life. However, to begin real sobriety, the type that will last more than a few weeks, you need to be willing to take the next step. Just thinking that you want to quit is not enough, your alcohol addiction needs serious treatment, and it will require serious effort on your part.

Emotions are a huge part of your addiction. Whether your addiction was to a substance that made you feel on top of the world, or at the bottom of the gutter, you can control your emotions with several techniques that are in The Addicts Guide. Experts have helped pour their professional careers into The Addicts Guide in order to assist you with the emotional impact of your addiction.

Physical reactions to addiction are often the hardest part of an addiction to overcome. Not only will you feel like you need the substance you are addicted to, you will feel constant cravings and desire to go back to your addiction for years, if not for the rest of your life. The Addicts Guide lists some great tips on how to suppress cravings and manage your addiction.

Six years of blood, sweat and tears have been poured into The Addicts Guide in order to help you get the information that you need about becoming sober. An addiction recovery plan, which is necessary in order to fully recover from your addiction is also key to The Addicts Guide. Drug addiction recovery is not done in one day, or even one month. You will need to work at your addiction treatment for many years to come. The Addicts Guide will give you hundreds of helpful tips that will make sure you stay on the right path while you are recovering from your addiction.

There is help out there for addicts. Whether you are addicted to alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, or heroin The Addicts Guide is here to help you. Through expert knowledge, and helpful advice you can conquer your addiction. The Addicts Guide also provides plenty of support for you after you have beat your addiction, to prevent you from ever relapsing! Get The Addicts Guide today to save yourself and your loved ones from further pain and suffering from your addiction.

Recovery Dating Online

2009-04-08T17:35:00.000-07:00

Yes-there are dating sites with one little area to check that says “I don’t drink”. But who is going to come right out and say “I’m an alcoholic” or “I’m a recovering drug addict” or even “I’m ok now, but in the past I’ve had (“fill in the blank”) issues” on all those other sites? -Well, the answer is NOT MANY. In fact, for millions in Recovery or entering Recovery, the question is “When do I tell HIM or HER about my past problem and how will they take it?”

On RecoveryMatchfor2.com people don’t have to be afraid to be THEMSELVES! People can meet as on other dating sites, but because RecoveryMatchfor2 is specialized, they may form relationships which empower them to not only stay on the path of Recovery – RMF2 hopes to help them find their Match!

People in Recovery no longer have to be afraid to be themselves! They can meet others like themselves –who are those that most understand them and finally find the lifelong support they have been looking for. People are looking for belonging and togetherness in these tough times. For the millions in Recovery, RecoveryMatchfor2.com is THE on line place to be for dating, help, discussions, forums and related information.

Sober Sources YouTube

2009-02-12T19:19:00.001-08:00

Stages of Alcoholism

2009-01-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

The effects of alcohol use intensify as the use and abuse progesses. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and the American Society of Addiction Medicine recently presented a revised definition of alcoholism: "Alcoholism is a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, most notably denial...

Experts illustrate the progression of the disease by outlining four basic stages of alcohol use as follows:

I. STAGE ONE - Although there may be no outward behavioral changes caused by the casual use of alcohol, such use can not be considered "safe" for young people. Young people are particularly susceptible to the effects of alcohol. Alcohol is considered to be a gateway drug since use and abuse of alcohol often leads young people to use other mind-altering drugs.

II. STAGE TWO - This stage involves more frequent use of alcohol as the person actively seeks the euphoric effects of a mind-altering drug. At this point, the user usually establishes a reliable source, and may add mid-week use of alcohol to previous habits of weekend use at parties.

III. STAGE THREE -In this stage, there is intense preoccupation with the desire to experience euphoric effects. Daily drinking, depression, and thoughts of suicide are common. Family troubles increase. Problems with the law may also become evident.

IV. STAGE FOUR -Those who have reached this stage need increasing levels just to feel OK. Physical signs such as damage to the heart, liver, and brain, malnutrition,and lower resistance to pneumonia, and blackouts are common. Family life is a disaster.

For more information about the effects of alcohol and other drugs, please contact us today.

Advice for Helping Your Alcoholic/Addict Family Member

2008-12-18T14:00:00.000-08:00

What are some ways to help an alcoholic/addict?

As you can imagine, everything has been tried before. Some stuff actually helps. Most things that we try, however, do not. Therefore, sometimes it can be useful to know what not to do. So, let’s take a look at what generally does not work:

1) Giving them money

Never give an alcoholic money if they are still actively drinking. Even if they need it for a “good purpose,” such as to buy food for their family, you should not do it. It’s always more manipulation on their part; money that they did spend on booze should have been spent on food, and if you give them money then you are telling them that it is OK to drink.

In short, never bail them out. Doing so only perpetuates their drinking.

2) Bargaining with them or threatening them

When it comes to dealing with the alcoholic, talk is cheap. Anything you say is completely worthless unless it is firmly backed up by action. So idle threats or trying to persuade them to back off in some way is completely ineffective. The only thing that matters is action.

One bargaining chip that people often play is to get them to drink less. Most people eventually figure out that this is a hopeless idea, even if the alcoholic genuinely agrees to try. Their condition prevents it. It is either abstinence or all-out drunk.

3) Helping them avoid the consequences of their drinking

Don’t do it. You’re actually hurting them. If they get a drunk driving and end up in jail, leave them there. Do not bail them out. If you deny them the consequences of their drinking, then they will definitely keep drinking. The only way that they might stop eventually is if they feel enough pain as a result of their drinking. Don’t ever deny them their pain.

This doesn’t mean you need to intentionally hurt them. They will do that on their own. Just don’t bail them out of situations that they have created by their excessive drinking. An alcoholic will not make this huge change if everything is going good in their life. People quit drinking when things get bad enough. If you prevent them from getting bad then the alcoholic will never change.
Now let’s take a look at what actually helps

Here are some ways to help an alcoholic that are actually beneficial:

1) Stop enabling them

This is probably the number one thing that you can do to help an alcoholic. When you enable them, you allow them to continue to keep drinking comfortably. You make it so that the easier path is to just continue to drink.

When we stop enabling someone, we make it so that the easier path is to take a look at their drinking. We do this by not bailing them out of jams and letting them experience the natural consequences of their drinking. Other things we can do to stop enabling them would include:

- No longer drinking or using drugs with them, ever.

- No more covering for them in order to help them out if their drinking is going to get them into trouble.

- No more making excuses for them

- Practice detachment by separating yourself from emotional turmoil that they create. Choose to not be a part of the chaos.

2) Set healthy limits and boundaries

Setting healthy limits is about deciding what is acceptable behavior to you. This is not about pointing the finger at the alcoholic and telling them what they should or should not be doing. Instead, you are going to decide for yourself what you will no longer put up with.

For example, if the alcoholic in your life typically comes home in a drunken rage, this might be something that you decide is unacceptable to you. So you set a limit. Then you communicate that limit and the consequences of that limit. You might say something like: “If you come home drunk again, I’m taking the kids and we’re going to go stay somewhere else for the night.”

Notice the following things about setting this boundary:

- It is communicated clearly

- There is a consequence that is also clearly explained

- The consequence is enforceable and is not a hollow threat

Never set a boundary that you do not intend to keep. Never threaten a consequence that you don’t intend to follow through with. If you do this will create problems and only perpetuate further drinking.

3) Practice detachment

Detachment is the goal of anyone in your position. The idea of detachment is to separate the person themselves from their disease of drinking. Making this clear separation in your mind will help you to change your behavior in such a way as to help the alcoholic.

Detachment is the idea that you can love the person and hate their disease of alcoholism. What you are detaching from is the emotional chaos and turmoil that their drinking creates. The idea is to remove yourself from that part of their life on an emotional level. Thus detachment is about freedom, for you. You are liberating yourself from their chaotic life.

Of course this is much easier said than done. Detachment takes practice. We have to analyze situations and ask ourselves if we are getting angry at the person or if we are getting angry at their alcoholism. If we are angry at the disease, then we need to stop ourselves and attempt to remove ourselves emotionally from that situation. This is detachment.

4) Encourage treatment

Finally, it can be worthwhile to encourage treatment for the alcoholic. It’s not worth making this into your life mission, but it can still be a useful effort on your part.

Encourage treatment without insisting, as we are almost never in a position to really insist anyway.

Encourage treatment without badgering, even though we probably think that we deserve to badger the alcoholic who has caused us so much grief.

Let them know that the option is there, when they are ready to get help. Do not let this idea of treatment turn into your only hope. Many alcoholics get sober without treatment. Others will find their own path. Remember that you can not do it for them.

When they are ready to change they will either change or ask for help. That is the time to act. That is the time to put forth a full effort in helping them. Not before then. Your efforts before this point of surrender are largely wasted.

To read replies to this post visit the Sober Village.

Liver Transplants

2008-10-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

The pain is debilitating. The only option: smoking medical marijuana. That's the reality for many hepatitis C patients whose road to health includes a liver transplant. Although Canadian transplant centres are more willing than those in the United States, not everyone says yes to liver patients who smoke marijuana, and a University of Alberta researcher says that decision-making process is unacceptable.

Karen Kroeker, along with three other students at various universities, sent out surveys to a number of transplant clinics across the United States and Canada. Results found that the difference between the two countries were obvious in some patient groups: around 60 per cent of Canadian centres would either do the surgery or consider it for a liver transplant patient who smoked marijuana, while 70 per cent of U.S. transplant programs said absolutely not. Kroeker also found that patients in both countries, who have no social support - meaning they have no family, friends or a social worker - aren't likely to receive the organ they need.

The problem Kroeker has with these results: the lack of literature to support the surgeons' decision. As a result of her findings, which will be published in the November issue of Liver International, Kroeker says physicians need to determine eligibility criteria for liver-transplant patients that pertains directly to the likelihood of a patient rejecting the organ and is based only on empirical medical evidence.

When a patient is being reviewed for eligibility, whether they smoke marijuana shouldn't be a factor, she says. "If we have evidence to say the patients don't do well, then I think that's a reason to exclude people," Kroeker said.

She cites alcohol use as an example. When transplants first began to be performed, those who drank alcohol weren't eligible for a new liver. Kroeker's study found, however, that surgeons conducted studies on the topic of abstinence and liver health and, as a result of that research, transplant rules changed. If the patient has been sober for six months, 94 per cent of the clinics in North America will now consider transplantation.

The same goes for HIV-positive patients. "When they first started transplanting, HIV was an absolute contraindication. No one even considered transplantation because the disease was a death sentence at that time." Kroeker adds that's no longer the case and that there is research being conducted on post-transplant HIV-patients that will help determine the viability of transplants in HIV-positive patients.

In reference to her findings, Kroeker said, "I think there should be a large-scale study," because too-little research is available on post-transplant patients whose eligibility may currently be in question.

"Unless you actually perform transplants for those people, how would you know how they do?"

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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Source: Quinn Phillips
University of Alberta

Alcoholism and Genetics

2008-10-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

ScienceDaily (Mar. 9, 2007) — A genetic variant of a receptor in the brain's reward circuitry heightens the stimulating effects of early exposures to alcohol and increases alcohol consumption, according to a new study by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Conducted in rhesus monkeys, the study extends previous research that suggests an important role for a similar brain receptor variant in the development of human alcohol use disorders. A report of the findings is published in the March, 2007 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

"Although the pathway to alcoholism is influenced by many factors, our findings affirm that individuals who possess this receptor variant may experience enhanced pleasurable effects from alcohol that could increase their risk for developing alcohol abuse and dependence," notes Markus Heilig, M.D., Ph.D., NIAAA Clinical Director and the study's senior author.

Molecules known as opioid peptides bind to opioid receptors in the brain to signal experiences of reward and reinforcement, as well as the euphoria and other positive subjective effects produced by alcohol. Previous studies have shown that, among the brain's various subtypes of opioid receptors, the mu-subtype is most likely responsible for transmitting alcohol's positive effects.

"We also know that there are several genetic variants of the human mu-opioid receptor," notes first author Christina Barr, V.M.D., Ph.D., a lead investigator in NIAAA's Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies and Laboratory of Neurogenetics. "One of these, designated 118G, has a greatly enhanced ability to bind opioid peptides. People who have this variant of the receptor have reported increased euphoria following alcohol consumption."

Drs. Barr, Heilig, and their colleagues note that recent studies have linked the 118G mu-opioid receptor with alcohol dependence in humans. In the current study, the researchers explored the link between genetic variants of mu-opioid receptors and alcohol-related behaviors in a group of 82 rhesus monkeys.

"A mu-opioid receptor variant that is functionally similar to the human 118G variant occurs in these animals," explained Dr. Barr. "That is, it also has a greatly enhanced ability to bind opioid peptides. We hypothesized that monkeys that had the gene for this receptor variant would experience enhanced alcohol stimulation and, therefore, consumption.

Groups of monkeys had access to both alcoholic and non-alcoholic solutions for one hour per day for a period of six weeks. Researchers measured the animals' alcohol intake and post-intake activity, and determined which monkeys carried the gene for the mu-opioid receptor similar to the human 118G receptor. Activity measures are commonly used in animal studies to assess alcohol's pleasurable effects.

As predicted, the researchers found that monkeys with the variant gene showed increased activity following alcohol consumption. They also found that male animals with the variant had a clear preference for the alcohol solution and consumed on average almost twice as much alcohol as other animals. Males with the variant also became intoxicated on almost 30 percent of testing days, while other animals did so only on an average of 8 percent of testing days.

"The male-restricted effect of this gene is interesting, and parallels other recent evidence that opioid transmission may play a greater role in alcohol problems among some males than among females," explained Dr. Heilig. This information also complements recent data suggesting that alcohol-dependent people with the gene for the 118G receptor have a better therapeutic response to medications that block opioid receptors. More broadly, the finding underscores the important role that the pleasurable and stimulating initial effects of alcohol play in the subsequent development of alcohol problems."

Why Do Kids Use Alcohol? A Look at High-Risk Teens

2008-09-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

Alcohol - Whats a Parent to Believe? (The Informed Parent)
by Stephen Biddulph

It is unfair and often untrue to paint a high-risk kid as a drug or alcohol abuser or a troubled kid who goes around hating and fighting and causing trouble. Many high-risk teens—even those who are addicted or involved with serious abuse of alcohol or other drugs—are sensitive, feeling people. It is equally wrong to say that a teen who is addicted to alcohol or another drug is a troublemaker, dangerous, or criminally minded. I must say that almost every teen I've counseled is—down deep—a good kid. High-risk teens are simply teens who are at higher risk than a normal teen for certain problems—in this case, alcohol abuse and addiction. High-risk teens are kids whose system has failed them or who have somehow failed to adapt in a positive way to their system.

High-risk kids are those who do not recognize or realize their inherent worth. They face challenges in their lives that form a crust around their inner beauty and potential. The outer crust of the rock is made by the outside influences of nature and weather. Similarly, the outside crust of a troubled teen is formed by outside influences that cover up his beauty, worth, and potential. Being illiterate; feeling ugly; having poor social skills; or living with chronic illness, troublesome psychological problems, poverty, serious family dysfunction, neglect, or abuse can prevent the development of a beautiful nature.

As a teen advocate and addiction consultant I highly recommend this article for parents. You may view the rest of this article here.
C. King, M.Ed.

The Cleaner

2008-09-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

Each week THE CLEANER follows Benjamin Bratt as William Banks, a recovering addict who helps others get clean by any means necessary as he struggles to maintain his own rocky personal life. William works with an eclectic team. Swenton is a wily smart aleck who is great undercover and always jealous of Akani, the beautiful, manipulative, and mysterious woman who always seems to get the best assignments and might just have a romantic past with William. Darnell is the newest member of William's crew. Darnell is deeply indebted to William for helping his younger brother get clean, but he must balance his deep religious convictions with the kind of work required as part of William's team.

Together with this eclectic group, William works week-in and week-out to bring addicts of all kinds to the point where they are ready and willing to get help and begin the difficult process of getting clean. With every success and every failure, William wrestles with his own demons through an unusual relationship with God. He's a man caught between an unwavering commitment to his work, deep love for his family, and the ghosts of his own addictions. Bad for his personal life, perhaps, but these are the tensions that make William the one you want helping a troubled loved one, the one you trust to do whatever is necessary, the man you want by your side in your darkest hour. In the face of tragedy and addiction, William Banks will risk everything to be The Cleaner.

For more information about this new inspiring television series visit
http://www.aetv.com/the-cleaner/about/index.jsp

Learning to Be Happy

2008-08-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

Happy as You Want to Be

Almost everyone have heard the hit single 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' by Bobby McFerrin. The song has a very catchy way of conveying its message of being happy to everyone. Bobby Mcferiin's simple message surely made a lot of people by telling them not to worry. When it comes to addiction issues, you to can find a happy way of living.

Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful, and is also good for your health. Being happy actually protects you from the stresses of life. Stress is linked to top causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.

One of the better things ever said is - 'The only thing in life that will always remain the same is change', nothing changes if nothing changes and in our life we have the power to make the necessary changes if we want to. Even if we find ourselves in an unbearable situation we can always find solace in the knowledge that it too would change.

Social networks or relationships are essential to happiness. People are different, accept people for who or what they are, avoid clashes, constant arguments, and let go of all kinds of resentments. If arguments seem unavoidable still try and make an effort to understand the situation and you might just get along with well with

Happiness is actually found in everyone, increasing it is a way to make a life more wonderful and also more healthy.

To be happy is relatively easy, just decide to be a happy person. Abraham Lincoln observed that most people for most of the time can choose how happy or stressed, how relaxed or troubled, how bright or dull their outlook to be. The choice is simple really, choose to be happy.

There are several ways by which you can do this.

Being grateful is a great attitude. We have so much to be thankful for. Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and thank the guy who cleans your windows. Also thank the mailman for bringing you your mails, thank the policeman for making your place safe and thank God for being alive.

News is stressful. Get less of it. Some people just can't start their day without their daily dose of news. Try and think about it, 99% of the news we hear or read is bad news. Starting the day with bad news does not seem to be a sensible thing to do.

A religious connection is also recommended. Being part of a religious group with its singing, sacraments, chanting, prayers and meditations foster inner peace.

Manage your time. Time is invaluable and too important to waste. Time management can be viewed as a list of rules that involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things to do and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.

Laugh and laugh heartily everyday. Heard a good joke? Tell your friends or family about it. As they also say -'Laughter is the best medicine'.

Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you. They will most likely reciprocate your actions. Try not to keep pent up anger of frustrations, this is bad for your health. Instead find ways of expressing them in a way that will not cause more injury or hurt to anyone.

Working hard brings tremendous personal satisfaction. It gives a feeling of being competent in finishing our tasks. Accomplishments are necessary for all of us, they give us a sense of value. Work on things that you feel worthy of your time.

Learning is a joyful exercise. Try and learn something new everyday. Learning also makes us expand and broaden our horizons. And could also give us more opportunities in the future.

Run, jog, walk and do other things that your body was made for. Feel alive.

Avoid exposure to negative elements like loud noises, toxins and hazardous places.

These are the few simple things you can do everyday to be happy.

And always remember the quote from Abraham Lincoln, he says that, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

Drug Addiction Affects Everyone

2008-08-04T17:28:00.000-07:00

It was a sentencing regime forged by fear and tinged with racism.

But local drug expert Herb Delaney said the decision earlier this year to bring crack cocaine sentencing guidelines in line with long-standing guidelines governing sentencing for powder cocaine offenses makes sense and is about two decades overdue.

Delaney, director of Kankakee's Duane Dean Prevention and Treatment Center, said public hysteria whipped up in the middle 1980s over the arrival of crack cocaine on America's streets prevented calmer voices from stepping up to say "let's see how much truth there is to this.

"I remember when watching some of the documentaries on crack cocaine, the allegation that an individual became addicted after the first use of crack cocaine -- while it does happen, it sometimes doesn't. It depends on the psychological makeup of the person," said Delaney. "I think some very influential politicians pushed it pretty hard."

But civil liberties groups and some judges claimed, correctly, that the vast majority of those catching the stiffer crack cocaine trafficking sentences were black, rousing the worry that crack cocaine penalties were self-evidently racist.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission's recent decision to bring crack trafficking sentences in line with powder cocaine trafficking sentences removes that taint, but Delaney said the problem of addiction remains a community-wide concern -- one that knows no color barrier.

"Some personal observations of mine: In driving through areas in Kankakee, I see pushers. They have their turf, so to speak. They're minorities, mostly. But what I also see is that the greatest number of their clients are young, white, middle-class people.

"But when you talk to the community at large about addiction, there seems to be an attitude that drug use and addiction is only a problem in certain parts of the city," said Delaney.

To come close to solving a community's drug woes, said Delaney, it's necessary to "work across those lines, between the sellers and the users of drugs, and not just those who sell drugs."

Without an even-handed approach, Delaney warned, politicians may continue to confect laws that are "skewed" in ways that impact most heavily on minority communities.

Street names

Cocaine goes by the street names of coke, snow, flake, blow and many others.

Statistics & trends

In 2006, six million Americans ages 12 and older had abused cocaine in any form and 1.5 million had abused crack at least once in the year prior to being surveyed.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse-funded 2007 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 2 percent of eighth-grade students, 3.4 percent of 10th-graders, and 5.2 percent of 12th-graders had abused cocaine in any form, and 1.3 percent of eighth-graders, 1.3 percent of 10th-graders and 1.9 percent of 12th-graders had abused crack at least once in the year prior to being surveyed.

Sources: National Survey on Drug Use and Health; www.samhsa.gov/. Monitoring the Future www.monitoringthefuture.org/, cocainedrugaddiction.com/

Getting Sober-What to Expect on the Road to Recovery

2008-07-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

Getting Sober: What To Expect, is a book with personal experience attached written from first hand experience of a recovering alcoholic. I know all to well that fear of sobriety when thinking about getting sober. Just the idea in itself wants to make you keep drinking! It doesn't have to be as bad and generally isn't based on what you are thinking, there’s 2 years of research in this book explaining what the majority of alcoholics go through when recovering in the early days of alcoholism.

In this book you will have all those questions about what to expect when getting sober answered and more! It is my hope that knowing what to expect when getting sober will make that decison all the easier. Getting Sober: What to Expect was written with your best interests in mind. I hope this book makes that decision easier for you once you know what to expect.

Good luck and I wish you the very best on your road to recovery!

Please visit www.sobertime.net to get your copy of Getting Sober: What to Expect.

The Best In Alcoholism Treatment

2008-07-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

According to professionals, alcoholism pertains to any condition that result in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages without considering the negative personal and social consequences. Hence, an alcohol addict is someone that indulges in alcoholic beverages despite the accompanying negative consequences.

Many forms of alcoholism addiction treatment exist out there. But the best alcoholism addiction treatment can be found within the walls of a treatment centre. Hey, wait before run away. You've got to hear me out on this. I know you have gone through something like this elsewhere but I want to say something you may not have gone through anywhere else. Why did I say the treatment centre is the best form of treatment?

Read more...

Descending into ADDICTION as a Spiritual Disease

2008-07-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Descending into ADDICTION as a Spiritual Disease

Below is a description of how a person descends into alcoholism.

1. Drug/Alcohol sedates value system, which gets indifferent, confused

2. Grandiosity, perfectionism, pride

3. Intolerance of others, suspicion, disgust, argues

4. Religion getting sick, rigid, arrogant, unrealistic, disenchantment with childish idea of God

5. Loses interest in life, "Blues"

6. Guilt feelings, not "at ease" with God

7. Stops daily prayer, attends church out of habit or pretense

8. "Nobodiness" -- feels estranged, alienated, lonely

9. Immaturity, some irresponsibility

10. Life has no meaning

11. Anxiety, indefinable fears

12. Resentments: Angry with God, hostile to mention of religion, projects fear into concept of God as a tyrant

13. Moral deterioration: Dishonest, selfish

14. Loss of faith: Consciously rejects God, unconsciously longs for Him, a "sick love" relation

15. Remorse: Depression, suicidal thoughts, impaired thinking

16. Vague spiritual desires

17. Gropes for spiritual meaning

HITS BOTTOM (USES DRUGS/ALCOHOL TO COPE WITH PROBLEMS OF USING

Ascending Aspects of Alcoholism Recovery

ADMISSION THAT HELP IS NEEDED (ALLOWS TREATMENT TO MOVE FORWARD

This is a list of how a person can ASCEND into alcoholism recovery.

1. In spiritual fog

2. Honest desire for help

3. Vague notion of Higher Power

4. New faith: "Came to believe"

5. Hope dawns: Can be restored to sanity

6. Thirst for God examined (hard struggle for some)

7. Second BOTTOM: Existential crisis

8. Acceptance (surrender, turnabout)

9. Conversion: "Let go and let God"

10. Trust: "Thy will be done"

11. Appreciates possibility of new way of life

12. Patience: "One day at a time"

13. Forgiveness: Not "Why did I?" but "forgive me"

14. Reconciliation: personal relationship "at ease" with God just

15. Humbly asks God to remove shortcomings

16. False ego deflated

17. Return of self-esteem (God not a rescuer)

18. Honesty: Makes amends

19. Promptly admits when wrong

20. Courage. Optimism, new freedom

21. Rebirth of ideals

22. Appreciation of spiritual values

23. Gratitude

24. Increased tolerance of others

25. Serenity, peace of soul, joy

26. Prayer and meditation

27. Growth in proper concept of God

28. Deeper relation to God as a loving God

29. Unselfish: Goes to others because God loves them

30. "Weller than Well" -- higher than believed possible

Alcoholism Recovery Successful!

Ned Wicker is the Addictions Recovery Chaplain at Waukesha Memorial Hospital Lawrence Center He author's a website for alcoholism support:
This article was taken in part from the original source at:
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ned_Wicker

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

2008-06-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat.

Signs & Symptoms
People with PTSD have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to. They may experience sleep problems, feel detached or numb, or be easily startled. More about

Treatment
Effective treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder are available, and research is yielding new, improved therapies that can help most people with PTSD and other anxiety disorders lead productive, fulfilling lives. More about Treatment »
Getting Help: Locate Services

Locate mental health services in your area, affordable healthcare, NIMH clinical trials, and listings of professionals and organizations. More about Locating Services »http://www.nimh.nih.gov

What Is Addiction? Know About Its Causes and Rehabilitation

2008-06-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

What is addiction?
Addiction is commonly referred as the attachment or dedication or devotion. But nowadays this is used for attachment for any illegal activities like drug addiction or alcohol addiction. It is a complex behaviour. There are many factors such as genetic, biological and social that influence in addiction.

What are the causes of addiction?
Addiction is caused due to many reasons. For instance, when a person uses a drug like heroin for the first time, he/she will experience a feeling like he/she has never experienced before. This usually drives the person to use it again and again. So, eventually the person will get addicted to the drug. The person will develop a physical and psychological dependence. The human nervous system plays a vital role in
addiction. This will produce the physical dependence. Now the brain produces withdrawal symptoms which are usually strong. This leads to heavy addiction and frequently leads to depression.

Addiction can happen in different forms and activities like gambling, drug, computers, pornography, exercise and religion. The real reason for a person to get addicted is that he/she has a moral weakness, but this definition is no longer accepted by professionals.

What are the problems associated with addiction?
Addiction can be blamed for a number of problems such as health, financial and many more. Moreover it causes discomfort not only to the addict but also to the people and society around him. The financial and health problems will be far more than affordable. The health problems might go beyond repair. Addiction might lead the person to become unstable psychologically and sometimes physically. It becomes so difficult even for holding a job. Addictions are usually very expensive and it may lead the addicts to do illegal things for the money. Addictions can cause lots of problem in terms of financial and psychological to his/her families and the people around that person.

What are the ways to recover from addiction?
The best choice is to consult a good doctor to seek advice. Nowadays there are many counseling centres and treatments available to treat addiction. The usual treatment is by the use of thyroid hormones. Opiates are also used in treating the withdrawal symptoms which creates acute pain. The addict person can attend counseling and rehabilitation programs. These programs are nowadays arranged by the government itself. It has a good scope and widely accepted among people. Moreover, the real addiction lies within the person’s psychology apart from the physical dependence.

Above all the method such as counseling and treatment, the most important thing is the deepest and strongest desire of the addict to quit addiction. It can be achieved only by hard work and purest determination.

Wellness: The Missing Dimension in Recovery

2008-06-20T14:59:00.000-07:00

As you may be aware, you are not the only one who has ever hidden empty wine bottles from your spouse, missed out on a good job due to failing a drug screening or fallen into a pattern of constantly covering up for the irresponsible behavior of an alcoholic spouse or partner. An estimated 5 to 10 percent of Americans are addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs, and patterns of multiple substance abuse are now the norm. Untreated chemical dependency is a major contributing factor to child and spousal abuse, family breakups, unemployment and traffic fatalities-the leading cause of death for people under age twenty-five.

Unfortunately, alcoholics and addicts whose diseases go untreated also eventually suffer major health consequences-including severe damage to their livers, hearts and other vital organs-and often die decades before their time. What you may not be aware of is the fact that millions of people in recovery-perhaps the majority-also shortchange themselves of years of joyful living as a direct result of nicotine addiction, compulsive overeating, junk food addiction and/or other self-destructive behaviors they carry with them into recovery. If you are currently suffering from these or other toxic behavior patterns, you may have acquired these habits as a substitute for your primary addiction to drugs and alcohol. Fortunately, you can free yourself from this vicious cycle-and this book will show you how.

Like most people recovering from addictive disorders, you will need to focus your energy and be disciplined about repairing the damage that years of excessive drinking and drugging have done to your body. As part of a holistic approach to recovery, you must also work on releasing the “baggage” associated with self-defeating mind-sets and behaviors. Instead, you will need to replace that baggage with a life-affirming belief system and a health-conducive lifestyle that fully support your goals in recovery. The good news is that embracing a wellness-oriented lifestyle and working your recovery program go hand in hand.

In his classic bestseller Positive Addiction, psychiatrist William Glasser expounds on the benefits associated with replacing negative addictions, or ingrained self-destructive behaviors, with “positive addictions.” Examples of positive addictions include regular physical exercise, yoga or meditation, developing an artistic talent, or pursuing a fulfilling hobby. In contrast to negative addictions, such as alcohol or drug addiction, which tend to foster unhealthy dependencies and decreased self-esteem, positive addictions contribute to improved quality of life, heightened self-esteem and increased feelings of independence. One of Glasser's key points is that positive addictions are very effective tools for freeing ourselves from the grips of our negative addictions.

In this book, you will learn about the numerous positive addictions associated with a wellness-oriented lifestyle and how to embrace them as integral components of a truly holistic approach to recovery. Equally important, you will learn to appreciate how a healthy lifestyle can help you successfully navigate the various stages of recovery and safeguard against relapse.

The Importance of Wellness to Your Recovery

If you completed a chemical dependency treatment program, you most likely learned about the benefits of physical exercise and sound nutrition in repairing the damage done to your body by excessive use of alcohol and drugs. You probably also received an introduction to the importance of basic stress management skills in maintaining day-to-day sobriety and guarding against relapse.

Primary treatment, or the initial phase of treatment, generally focuses some attention on basic wellness concepts. Unfortunately, these concepts often receive less than adequate attention during the critically important, yet oft-neglected continuing care phase of treatment. This sad state of affairs is a reflection of what I call the neglected stepchild syndrome. In today's health-care environment, with its overriding emphasis on cost containment, mental health services have become the neglected stepchild of medical care. Chemical dependency treatment has become the neglected stepchild of mental health, and continuing care, which should form the cornerstone of ongoing recovery maintenance, tends to be severely shortchanged.

Another reason wellness lifestyles often receive less than adequate emphasis in treatment stems from the failure of many treatment professionals to take good care of themselves. Far too many treatment professionals suffer from a variety of lifestyle imbalances, including nicotine and caffeine addiction, obesity, lack of exercise and compulsive workaholism. As such, they are in a poor position to serve as role models in motivating their clients to adopt wellness-oriented lifestyles.

Yet another obstacle to living well stems from the conflicting demands and time pressures that all of us experience in today's fast-paced society. In recovery, we often feel overwhelmed by the overlapping demands of earning a living, engaging in family life, going to meetings, studying the steps and doing the million and one other things that creep into our overly crowded lives. In the context of such a pressure-cooker environment, our well-intentioned plans to launch an exercise program, bring our diet into balance, give up smoking or take up meditation all too often fail to materialize.

As you can see, many influences conspire to work against our devoting appropriate attention to living healthy during recovery. The net result is that millions of people in recovery neglect this critically important area. Predictably, they end up paying the price in terms of unwittingly setting themselves up for relapse, as well as for heart disease, emphysema, various forms of cancer and a host of other devastating illnesses that can often be prevented.

The good news is that you have a choice. In many respects, by virtue of demonstrating the courage and commitment that has taken you this far in working your recovery program, you have a leg up on most Americans in terms of embracing a healthy lifestyle. Just as you have learned to work your core recovery program step by step, you can likewise learn to embrace a wellness-oriented lifestyle and effectively integrate it into your recovery program-simply by taking “one step at a time.”

Wellness Defined

Wellness can be defined as the dynamic process of taking charge of your health and programming yourself to attain optimal health and well-being. As this book demonstrates, you are in the driver's seat. You set your own goals and priorities, design and implement your wellness program, and determine how far you want to go toward claiming your birthright to optimal health, longevity and self-fulfillment.

You are about to embark on an exciting journey that will truly transform your life. In a nutshell, this book will show you how to:

• Supercharge your recovery by integrating a wellness-oriented lifestyle into your 12-step program.

• Inventory your strengths and weaknesses regarding health and wellness, with particular reference to lifestyle influences.

• Identify the wellness goals that are most important to you-including your optimum life expectancy and the immediate wellness benefits you would like to enjoy-and implement an action plan for achieving these goals.

• Launch your personal quest for uncovering and expressing your unique sense of purpose in life-zeroing in on those core values and goals that are truly important to you-and channeling your focused energy into transforming your dreams into reality.

• Gain increased self-esteem, energy, alertness and confidence as you pursue your pathway to greater health.

• Learn how taking care of yourself will enable you to give much more to your friends, family and other people in recovery!

About the Author

John Newport, Ph.D., is a wellness counselor and freelance writer based in Santa Ana, California.

Suboxone for Opiate Dependency

2008-06-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

When you hear the word drug abuse or opiate dependency, pot sessions in dimly lit rooms and drug dealers illicitly selling their merchandise from half closed doors would immediately come to mind. You would never think that these drug addicts can and are getting their daily fix from the neighborhood pharmacy.

Percodan, Oxycontin, Lortab and Vicodin are opium based pain killers. These medications are usually prescribed to patients after undergoing a surgery. These pain killers are also given to patients suffering from arthritis and any other ordinary aches and pains. But after the surgical wound have healed… after the pains is gone, the patients find themselves with a new problem. They have become dependent to the
drug that is supposed to heal them. Any attempt to break away from the dependency would cause cravings for the drug and severe discomfort. These accidental addicts would find it very hard to break free from the dependency.

This opiate dependency may be treated with detoxification. However, severe withdrawal symptoms associated with this treatment have caused many patients to give up. The success rate of detoxification is very discouraging. 85% to 90% of drug addicts who have tried detoxification as a means of breaking free from addiction have relapsed.
If you have been a pain pill addict for years, most probably you have tried drug dependency treatments. You may have detoxified several times to no avail. Suboxone is another treatment for your drug dependency. Why is suboxone dubbed as miracle pill by medical doctors and by drug addicts? Chiefly because of the agonist effect-meaning this drug sets off a response by combining to specific cell receptors that result in a ceiling effect. A higher dose will still have the same 4 mg opiate effect. Suboxone will also eliminate the drug cravings.

When a craving for the drug hits a drug addict, he or she will do anything and everything to get a fix not withstanding the effect it will have on his/her personality. Suboxone is well tolerated by those that are drug dependent. After a few days of treatment the patient will feel normal. This is the reason for the high success rate of this treatment. Without the drug cravings and the withdrawal symptoms, the drug dependent will have no reason to long for the addicting pain pills.

If your dad, your mom, a family member or a friend is an opiate dependent and you know that all the other drug dependency treatment have failed to eliminate the remission, don’t you think it is high time to find a doctor with a Suboxone treatment program? This may be the ultimate treatment that will finally enable you to say “He/She is back”!

The Brain on (Lots of) Marijuana

2008-06-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

By Sarah Baldauf
Posted June 2, 2008

Marijuana's effect on the brain is far from understood, but Australian research published Monday in the Archives of General Psychiatry suggests that very heavy long-term smoking might be associated with structural changes in two areas of the brain rich in receptors to the drug. The hippocampus, believed to regulate emotion and memory, and the amygdala, which plays a role in aggression and fear, were smaller—12 percent and 7 percent, respectively—in a group that smoked at least five joints daily for at least the past 10 years (and, on average, 20 years) when compared to a nonsmoking group.

Users also showed more signs of sub-threshold psychotic symptoms compared with those in the group that abstained. And on tests of memory and verbal ability, they performed more poorly. "Our findings suggest that everyone is vulnerable to potential changes in the brain, some memory problems, and psychiatric symptoms if they use heavily enough and for long enough," says lead author Murat Yucel of the ORYGEN Research Centre and Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre at the University of Melbourne. Pot has been in the news lately for other reasons, too: a government report on a possible connection between pot smoking and depression and also the possible link between heart disease risk and marijuana use.

But it's way too early for parents to conclude that pot deteriorates the brain, cautions Scott Swartzwelder, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University whose own research focuses on substance abuse and the adolescent brain. "Scientifically, it's a very limited set of data," he says. The study was tiny—it covered only 15 pot smokers and 16 abstainers—and looked at extreme behavior, so "I'm not sure how relevant it is to the general public," says Swartzwelder, who is coauthor of Just Say Know: Talking to Kids About Drugs and Alcohol and Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs From Alcohol to Ecstasy (an updated third edition is being released in August). An earlier U.S. News story looked at some of the science on pot and how it relates to the developing brain.

Yucel acknowledges that the size of the group is an issue, noting the difficulty of finding subjects who smoked a lot of pot but didn't also do other drugs or have medical or psychological issues. Another unanswered question, says Swartzwelder, is the importance of the size of a person's hippocampus and amygdala. "It's tempting to say smaller is worse, but that's a trap. You don't know with any degree of certainty that these pot smokers didn't have smaller brain structures to begin with—maybe they have smaller hippocampus and amygdala, and that's what motivates them to smoke pot in the first place."

An important unaddressed question from parents' point of view is whether the brain differences were a result of how long the men had smoked or how young they were when they began smoking regularly. "We know the younger brain is still maturing and therefore generally more susceptible to the harmful effects of drugs," Yucel says. Emerging research about marijuana, says Swartzwelder, suggests that the drug may have far more powerful effects on the teenage brain than on that of an adult.

Holistic Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment

2008-06-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

G&G Holistic Addiction Treatment Program center is situated in the North Miami Beach. The gentle warmth of sun’s rays and the tropical winds help to keep the patients mentally prepared for the treatment. The center is nationally recognized for drug and alcohol rehab.

The mind and body are to be treated carefully with equal importance. Our mind plays an important role especially in the field of addition treatment programs. So, keeping this in our mind, we have developed mind- body – holistic health program for addiction rehabilitation programs.

The patient’s mind is corrected with positive mood using various cognitive approaches. The holistic addiction center offers diet that contains rich protein and low carb. Yoga classes help to relax your mind deeply. Whirlpool, steam, saunas and Karate are some other methods to relax and rebuild your body and mind.

People from allover the world and from most of the states of United States are being benefited by G&G Holistic Addiction Treatment Program treatment center.

For More Information on Holistic Addiction Treatment please visit www.holisticdrugrehab.com

Increased Risk Of Smoking, Substance Abuse In Bipolar Adolescents Confirmed

2008-06-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

ScienceDaily (Jun. 4, 2008) — A study from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) supports previous reports that adolescents with bipolar disorder are at increased risk for smoking and substance abuse. The article appearing in the June Drug and Alcohol Dependence -- describing the largest such investigation to date and the first to include a control group -- also indicates that bipolar-associated risk is independent of the risk conferred by other disorders affecting study participants.

"This work confirms that bipolar disorder (BPD) in adolescents is a huge risk factor for smoking and substance abuse, as big a risk factor as is juvenile delinquency," says Timothy Wilens, MD, director of Substance Abuse Services in MGH Pediatric Psychopharmacology, who led the study. "It indicates both that young people with BPD need to carefully be screened for smoking and for substance use and abuse and that adolescents known to abuse drugs and alcohol -- especially those who binge use -- should also be assessed for BPD."

It has been estimated that up to 20 percent of children and adolescents treated for psychiatric problems have bipolar disorder, and there is evidence that pediatric and adolescent BPD may have features, such as particularly frequent and dramatic mood swings, not found in the adult form of the disorder. While elevated levels of smoking and substance abuse previously have been reported in young and adult BPD patients, it has not been clear how the use and abuse of substances relates to the presence of BPD or whether any increased risk could be attributed to co-existing conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder or anxiety disorders.

The current study analyzes extensive data -- including family histories, information from primary care physicians, and a detailed psychiatric interview -- gathered at the outset of a continuing investigation following a group of young BPD patients into adulthood. In addition to 105 participants with diagnosed BPD, who enrolled at an average age of 14, the study includes 98 control participants of the same age, carefully screened to rule out mood disorders.

Incidence of each measure -- alcohol abuse or dependence, drug abuse or dependence, and smoking -- was significantly higher in participants with BPD than in the control group. Overall, rates of substance use/abuse were 34 percent in the bipolar group and 4 percent in controls. When adjusted to account for co-occurring behavioral and psychiatric conditions, the results still indicated significantly higher risk in the bipolar group. Analyzing how the onset of bipolar symptoms related to when substance abuse began, revealed that BPD came first in most study participants.

The data also indicated that bipolar youth whose symptoms began in adolescence were more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol than were those whose symptoms began in childhood. "It could be that the onset of mood dysregulation in adolescence puts kids at even higher risk for poor judgement and self-medication of their symptoms," Wilens says. "It also could be that some genetic switch activated in adolescence turns on both BPD and substance abuse in these youngsters. That's something that we are currently investigating in genetic and neuroimaging studies of this group."

He adds that clarifying whether bipolar disorder begins before substance abuse starts could have "a huge impact. If BPD usually precedes substance abuse, there may be intervention points where we could reduce its influence on drug and alcohol abuse. Aggressive treatment of BPD could cut the risk of substance abuse, just as we have shown it does in ADHD." Wilens is an associate professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

The National Institute of Mental Health is supporting the long-term study of bipolar youth of which this report is one phase. Co-authors of the Drug and Alcohol Dependence article are Joseph Biederman, MD, Joel Adamson, Aude Henin, Stephanie Sgambati, Robert Sawtelle, Alison Santry and Michael Monuteaux, ScD, MGH Pediatric Psychopharmacology; and Martin Gignac, MD, University of Montreal.

Health Effects Of Alcohol

2008-06-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

Drinking alcohol is a very big problem in many social groups, such as college age kids. If you don't drink than you are considered 'not cool', so most kids give in to drinking alcohol just so they can fit into the cool crowd. As the years go by, there are many other social circles to be a part of, each also pressuring you to drink alcohol.

While you may think the best thing to do is drink like everyone else, maybe knowing the health risks involved with alcohol will help you realize you are better off on the outside looking in.

The first thing to keep in mind as you read on is the longer that you indulge in this unhealthy drink the more it will effect your health.

There are a lot of ways that alcohol will affect your health.

The first health effect of alcohol is a hangover. When you have had too much alcohol then you can count on having a hangover. Drinking more than your limit of alcohol will cause you to experience things like headache, nausea, vomiting and body aches. These problems are normal conditions of a hangover. Contrary to popular belief no amount of coffee will cure a hangover. The only cure for a hangover is time and sleep, as your body tries to repair the damage you have done through impairment.

Weight gain is another side effect of alcohol. Have you ever heard the phrase 'beer belly'. This came about because beer has a lot of calories and when you drink a lot of beer you will gain weight. Weight gain can also cause other problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Can drinking cause you to get sick more? The answer is yes. This is because alcohol weakens your immune system. That makes you susceptible to getting sick more frequently. With a weak immune system you can catch whatever is going around, whether it is just a cold or whether it is the flu, Once you have it you will make the rest of your family more vulnerable since you are carrying a contagious infection.

Believe it or not, when you drink a lot of alcohol over your lifetime you are at a higher risk of developing cancer. It is believed that two to four percent of all cases of cancer have been caused by alcohol (directly or indirectly). You may be saying you have never heard of alcohol being a carcinogen, and you would be wrong. While it is lesser known carcinogen, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has found enough evidence to prove that alcohol can have a carcinogenic effect on humans.

Additionally, alcohol is being called a cocarcinogen. That means alcohol seems to boost the properties of other carcinogens, such as nicotine, that are in your system.

Liver disease is a commonly know side effect of alcohol. Alcohol can eat away at your liver over time, as it tries to break down all those drinks you have been taking in.

While you may just think about the short-term effect of alcohol on your body, the morning after, when you have a few drinks, you should think beyond that, and consider what life-altering, and possibly life-ending risks you are taking

Rahul Nag is the London, England based former problem drinker who was drinking too much but gave up and now found he has an even better time than before. He has developed a resource to help other people achieve the same. He has written a free report on 'The Effects of Alcohol' which are available for you to download for free at http://www.alcoholfreesociallife.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rahul_Nag

Recovering From Addiction

2008-06-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

By LIM WEY WEN
The memory of the high when they use is the greatest hurdle for recovering addicts. This understanding may be the key to long-term recovery.

AT 30, Hafizi Harun can still remember in detail how he took heroin when he was in his teens.

“It is difficult to forget the art of taking drugs – the way you roll the foil, the way you light up, or the way you search for a vein to inject,” says Hafizi.

Listening to this without judgment, it occurred to me that he is just describing something that is most pleasurable to him at a point in his life. Just as my mother would describe, in detail, the way her dough rises in the oven when she bakes.

“You miss the ritualistic behaviour that comes with drugs,” says Hafizi. But spending a year in Pengasih rehabilitation centre had changed Hafizi’s life. Even though memories of his life as an addict come back, he has learnt the art of talking himself out of it.

“Overcoming the wanting or craving is the most difficult hurdle for drug addicts who want to stop their habits,” says Mohd Yunus Pathi, President of Persatuan Pengasih Malaysia – a non-profit organisation initiated by reformed drug users in 1987.

Even after stopping drugs for 10 years, it takes only one time of drug use to cause a relapse, says consultant in addiction medicine, Dr Mahmud Mazlan.

“No addict in the whole world wants to be addicted, but all addicts want to use drugs once in a while. That’s why they often experience relapses,” he continues.

But understanding and admitting the possibility of going into a relapse might be the key to Hafizi’s success in keeping clean for about 10 years now.

“I applied what I learnt in Pengasih and used the techniques to overcome my craving,” says the Persatuan Pengasih Malaysia training manager.

Suboxone Dependency Study

2008-05-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

Due to the high volume of phone calls The Waismann Method has received this year, we developed a voluntary study for all visitors to our Web site in order to better understand the steady growth in the use of Suboxone ®, a drug replacement therapy for opiates, as prescribed by physicians. This study also examined the long-term side effects of Suboxone in patients. Through our work with Suboxone dependent patients, we have generated a serious concern with the lack of education and mis-information given by physicians to their patients when prescribed Suboxone ® as an alternative “treatment” to an opiate dependency such as OxyContin ®, Vicodin ®, Lortab ®, and Fentanyl, among others.

Studies conducted in March of 2007, revealed an increase in interest in Suboxone ® as a result of a dependency to the prescription drug. In 2007, The Waismann Method treated an alarming number of patients with Suboxone dependency. Among our findings, the most alarming was that many patients who believed Suboxone to be a “quick fix” suddenly found themselves physically dependent to the drug after a very short amount of time. Additionally, in outreach we conducted to managers of sober-living homes across the country that condone Suboxone ®, the majority of them indicated they were unaware Suboxone ® is actually an opiate itself.

People with opiate dependencies who seek treatment from detox centers are, in many instances, discharged with a Suboxone prescription in order to help them maintain a life free of opiates. It is the position of The Waismann Method that in these instances, patients are not being detoxed but are receiving drug replacement therapy. We fear that patients are being misled into believing they are being treated in these situations.

The Waismann Method believes professionals within the industry should share knowledge and understanding of what one another offer in order to refer patients to a center that is most appropriate for each individual. The more choices available to people with opiate dependencies, the more successfully patients will be treated in the way that best suits them.

We understand that a patient desires to be free of opiates and not to replace one with another. Therefore, if The Waismann Method determines that it is in the best interest of the patient to undergo rapid detox, we will move forward with treatment. It is our hope that our colleagues will view treatment in the same light. Furthermore, as professionals, we have the social responsibility to understand the potential outcomes and consequences of what we have been given the authority to prescribe as well as educate our patients of these outcomes to the best of our ability.

Study Report: Waismann Method Survey Reveals Dependency Risk for People Using Suboxone

Pain Meds Reformulated to Prevent Addiction

2008-05-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

With addiction to prescription painkillers rising sharply, some drug makers are looking for ways to deliver effective pain relief with less risk of dependence, the Associated Press reported March 18.

A recent meeting on prescription drug addiction organized by the National Institute on Drug Abuse included information on Remoxy, an abuse-resistant version of oxycodone being developed by Pain Therapeutics Inc. Remoxy is a gelatin version of the drug that, unlike OxyContin, can't be crushed and then snorted or injected. The drug is currently in late-stage clinical trials.

Researchers also are looking at combining oxycodone with naltrexone, an anti-craving drug, to prevent abuse.

http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2007/pain-meds-reformulated-to.html

Stop Drinking Now - Useful Tips To Quit Drinking Alcohol

2008-05-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

The intake of alcohol is damaging to both your physical and mental health. It could end up ruining your personal relationships as well as your career. There are so many ways to assist you to stop drinking alcohol.

The first task that needs attention is to actually identify the main reasons why you have the desire to give up drinking. These reasons will general on the whole, but there will also be some more specific to you personally. You may require the assistance of a close friend or family member in order to complete the list.

This most important list should always be kept handy for personal reference in order to keep your commitment on track. It might be a good idea to make photocopies of the list and have them visible in several key locations such as the fridge and the bathroom mirror and keep one in your wallet too.

Normally the more hardened or chronic drinkers can stop drinking completely from one day to the next, although an easier alternative is to reduce quantity on a gradual basis. A laid out day by day plan showing daily reductions will help to get to the final goal of quitting completely.

A constant progress evaluation would be advised over a 4 week period until the new behaviour pattern becomes a habit itself. You will begin to feel better and make a note of these changes but you may encounter negative feelings too. If you do stumble on the way, pick yourself up immediately and always share your experiences with others and learn from them too.

On occasions these self-help programs just don't work out, but don't loose heart. Remember that alcoholism is a disease and could have made serious roots into organism provoking certain chemical alterations in your biological system.

This disease can lead to seriously damaging our body organs such as the liver, the pancreas, the heart, the kidney or the digestive system. These complications will require medical therapy which can overcome the addiction of alcohol. So don't hesitate in asking for medical assistance as this terrible habit really does need professional supervision.

You will always find obstacles on your path towards success and important decisions in you life will have to be taken. The most important one is the friends you wish to be with and you may even have to change your lifestyle in order to avoid any contact with alcohol. A good tip would be to substitute alcohol for something healthy like fruit juice and chewing gum is a great ally too.

There are a number of rehab centers including AA and AVERT which are internationally renowned for helping alcoholics. The members include many x-alcoholics who give valuable support and tips based on their own experiences. These people are really understanding and are always there if you get into deep trouble.

The great thing with these groups is that your identity will always remain anonymous. You can find similar groups online in your town that will be more than willing to draw up a personalised plan that will suit you for cutting out alcohol from your life.

It will be very difficult to turn down old friend's invitations for a good night out, but you must be firm and polite in refusing the invite. Stay strong to your word and don't falter so early on in what will be a tough road to success. Become active by taking up sport or a new hobby and spend more time with your family and friends who support you. Diversion is the name of the game and you must always reward yourself for every objective you meet and every hurdle you get over.

Discover how to Stop Drinking Alcohol In 21 Days - Guaranteed. by expert Ed Philips

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eddie_Philips

Study Relates AA Membership to Lower Murder Rate

2008-05-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

Noting the relationship between drinking and violent crime, a new study suggests that increased membership in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) could actually lower the murder rate in a community, Reuters reported Sept. 25.

Researchers from the University of Toronto and Dalhousie University studied AA membership in Ontario between 1968 and 1991 and noted that as more problem drinkers joined the group, the murder rate in the province dropped. Authors Robert Mann and Mark Asbridge calculated that for every increase of one AA member per 100,000 residents, the Ontario murder rate fell 0.3 to 0.5 percent.

"Our study showed that total and male homicide rates in Ontario were strongly related to average levels of alcohol consumption," the University of Toronto's Mann said. "These observations confirm previous research showing that alcohol is a leading contributor to violence, as well as violence-related mortality."

The findings applied to men only. "Males drink more often, more heavily and consume more beer and spirits than females," said Asbridge, of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. "Moreover, the nature of the link between alcohol consumption and violence is more readily a male experience, for example, drinking heavily in bar settings leads to aggression and violence."

The study was published in the October 2006 issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Alcoholism vs. Alcohol Abuse

2008-05-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

Alcoholism is a disease involving uncontrollable physical dependence and emotional reliance on alcohol. The sufferer is unable to stay away from drink even when faced with dire consequences in all areas of his life - marriage, work, financial health. It is a chronic disease and often progresses to the point, if untreated, it becomes fatal.

The term "alcohol abuse" is used to describe a state less severe than true alcoholism. As an alcohol abuser, you may drink to excess and suffer social and health consequences, but never completely lose your control over the substance as you would in full-fledged alcoholism.

Just because it's not as bad as alcoholism, abuse is by no means a safe way to use alcohol. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence says 18 million Americans abuse alcohol. Alcohol plays a part in almost half of all traffic fatalities in the United States. The loved ones of these victims put very little stock in the difference between an alcohol abuser and an alcoholic when the driver at fault drank more than he should have.

Although it's not always easy to diagnose the true alcoholic, there are indications that can be recognized. Not everyone suffering from alcoholism suffers all these symptoms. In addition, because they tend to be secretive about it, it will be difficult to discover in another. Here's what to watch for:

1. Keeping drinking secret from friends and family; drinking alone a lot; hiding the alcohol in unusual places.

2. Being unable to stop drinking once started.

3. Experience full or partial "blackouts," where your memory of events while drinking isn't complete.

4. Becoming annoyed when a regular drinking ritual, like having a drink after dinner, is interrupted.

5. Leaving behind former hobbies and pleasurable activities.

6. Drinking becomes a compulsion or a need.

7. The more time without a drink, the more signs irritability are shown.

8. Gulping strong drinks to achieve the drunk feeling as fast as possible.

9. Tolerance levels are reached making it necessary to drink even larger amounts to achieve the needed feeling.

10. Relationships, work, financial troubles increase, sometimes involving legal actions.

11. When no alcohol has been consumed for a while for whatever reason, experiencing symptoms of physical withdrawal - shaking, sweating, and nausea.

If you haven't reached the stage of true alcoholism, but are instead an alcohol abuser you may suffer some of the same symptoms, with the exception of the compulsion to drink and the withdrawal symptoms when not drinking. Alcoholism is also more suspected when a tolerance to alcohol has been built up and when an inability to stop drinking is observed.

Have you ever wondered if your own alcohol consumption has crossed the line into either alcohol abuse or alcoholism? Ask yourself the following:

- What's the first thing you think of when you get up in the morning? If having a drink ranks in the top 1 or 2, there could be problem.

- Do you feel guilty enough to hide how much you drink from those who care about you? From your boss?

- Do you often think about how you should cut back on the amount of drinking you do? Have you made failed New Years' Resolutions to stop?

- Do you get annoyed when others mention or, heaven forbid, criticize your special relationship to alcohol?

A yes answer to any of these questions could indicate at least alcohol abuse and possibly even alcoholism. Seek help!

Michael Russell

Drug Addiction-It's treatable

2008-05-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

Drug Addiction and Alcoholism; A Treatable Illness

Drug addiction and alcohol addiction are comparable to chronic illnesses like diabetes, asthma, and hypertension, and should be treated as such,according to an article published in a year 2000 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Authors Thomas McLellan, Ph.D., and Herbert D. Kleber, M.D., conducted a literature review of those illnesses, revealing that there are underlying similarities between drug addiction, alcohol addiction and chronic diseases. Yet, say the researchers, drug addiction is typically treated as if it is an acute condition. Altering perceptions to think of drug addiction as a chronic illness may change the way it is treated and insured.

The researchers found that drug addiction and alcoholism shares many of the characteristics of other chronic illnesses. In the area of genetic heritability, for example, studies of monozygotic and dizygotic twins have found heritability estimates of .25 to .50 for hypertension; .80 for type 2 and .30 for type 1 diabetes; and .36 to .70 for asthma. Heritability estimates for the drug addictions are similar, ranging from .34 for heroin dependence, .55 for alcoholism, .52 for marijuana dependence, and .61 for dependence on cigarettes.

Typically, both medical professionals and the general public view drug abuse as voluntary activities. That people choose to use drugs seems to set drug addiction and alcohol adidiction apart from other chronic illnesses. Yet, there are many chronic illnesses in which voluntary choice affects initiation and maintenance of disease. Salt sensitivity, obesity, stress level, and physical inactivity, all within voluntary control, are important factors in the development of hypertension.

Drug addiction and alcoholism also resembles other chronic illnesses in regard to treatment response. The course that an drug addiction takes if left untreated is an important issue in this regard. Studies comparing treated and untreated populations of addicts have typically shown that untreated, addictions do not remit.

Painkiller Patches Abused by Addicts

2008-05-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

Addicts in Canada have figured out how to get around the new safety features of narcotic pain patches so they can use the drugs to get high, the National Post reported May 5.

Researcher Benedikt Fischer of the B.C. Center for Addictions Research and colleagues said that misuse of fentanyl pain patches, sold under the brand name Duragesic, has been linked to dozens of overdose deaths. To help prevent misuse, drug maker Ortho-McNeil replaced the fentanyl gel in the patches to storing the drug in a plastic matrix. But some users have learned that they can add vinegar and water to the patch and then soak or heat it to draw the drug out of the matrix in liquid form.

"This is bad news in many ways and ... I don't think anybody has a clear idea what to do about it," said Fischer.

The study found that more than half of the 25 street addicts studied in Toronto had injected fentanyl within the past three months.

The research was published March 31, 2008 in the journal Drug and Alcohol Revi

Understanding Alcoholics Anonymous

2008-05-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

Understanding Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholism can be defined as the person’s uncontrollable urge to drink alcohol. Alcoholics feel that they cannot live without drinking booze. For normal people, water is a vital drink to live; where as for alcoholics, liquor, booze, beer, (whatever name you call it) is their “h20 in life.” Alcoholism is made up of four elements:

A strong craving for a drink
Physical Dependence wherein withdrawal symptoms are demonstrated: anxiety, shakiness, nausea, and sweating once drinking has stopped for quite a period of time
The inability of the person to stop himself/herself from drinking once the said person has started
Alcohol Tolerance wherein the person feels that drinking is needed to be able to feel better or to be “happy.”

There is still hope for alcoholism to be eradicated little by little. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was developed for this purpose. It is a society that holds informal meetings among alcoholics for them to have all the help they can get in order to attain sobriety as well as help other people like themselves become sober. Here, the members share their experiences as well as give hope to one another and strengthen themselves from the temptations of drinking through their so called twelve step program.

Alcoholics Anonymous was founded by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith who were both alcoholics who found sobriety through spirituality. Alcoholics Anonymous became known through word of mouth. As soon as the count of members reached a hundred, the twelve-step program was included in a book that was published, speaking about the program and the main stages of the treatment and they are: admitting that one has become powerless, moral inventory, and recognizing that there is a higher power where people should ask help from.

An AA survey made in the year 2004 covering more than 7500 members based in the United States and Canada showed that the average sobriety rate for members is eight years and most of the members who became sober received counseling and spiritual therapies from the outside and that these outside treatments helped them stay sober.

A newly developed network for alcoholics that is similar to Alcoholics Anonymous is the Sober Sources Network which was established just last year (2007). It is a network that gives support to alcoholic people and those with harmful addictions. It was a response to the forums developed (The Sober Village and the Sober Teens Online) discussing and giving information to the said topics.

The Sober Sources Network was formed through the observation that there are only a number of websites that give complete information and resources that are extremely useful to people wanting help for their addictions.

It is good that Alcoholism can be treated even though at a slow rate through Alcoholics Anonymous. It is also amazing that the Sober Sources Network has been designed to give quick and easy online support to alcoholics and drug addicts who wouldn’t really know where to ask help from especially because of the fact that alcoholism and substance abuse is a delicate subject. Sober forums are also there not only to give support to the alcoholics but also to give vital information and support to parents, family members and friends who are affected when a loved one is under the power of alcoholism.

Copyright 2008 C.King, M.Ed., Sober Sources Network- may be reproduced with proper acknowledgments.

VR Environments Therapeautic For Addicts

2008-04-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

Article Date: 29 Apr 2008

Patients in therapy to overcome addictions have a new arena to test their coping skills - the virtual world. A new study by University of Houston Associate Professor Patrick Bordnick found that a virtual reality (VR) environment can provide the climate necessary to spark an alcohol craving so that patients can practice how to say "no" in a realistic and safe setting.

"As a therapist, I can tell you to pretend my office is a bar, and I can ask you to close your eyes and imagine the environment, but you'll know that it's not real," Bordnick said. "In this virtual environment you are at a bar or at a party or in a real-life situation. What we found was that participants had real-life responses."

Bordnick, of the UH Graduate College of Social Work, investigates VR as a tool for assessing and treating addictions. He studied 40 alcohol-dependent people who were not receiving treatment (32 men and eight women). Wearing a VR helmet, each was guided through 18 minutes of virtual social environments that included drinking. The participant's drink of choice was included in each scene. Using a game pad, each rated his or her cravings and attention to the alcohol details in each room. Each then was interviewed following the experience.

"What we found was that the VR environments were real enough that their cravings were intensified. So, now we can develop coping skills, practice them in those very realistic environments until those skills are working tools for them to use in real life," Bordnick said.

His VR environments, developed with a company called Virtually Better, feature different scenarios that an addict may find challenging: a bar with imbibing patrons, a house party with guests drinking and smoking, a convenient store with cigarettes and alcoholic beverages within reach, a designated smoking section outside of a building or a room with an arguing couple. The environments use actors in each scene as opposed to computer-generated characters. In addition, the study added another layer of realism. A device sprayed the air with scents the participant may encounter in the various scenarios - cigarette smoke, alcoholic beverages, pizza or aromas associated with the outdoors.

"This study shows us the value of using virtual reality as a tool for assessing and treating addictions. Future studies should explore the importance of environmental settings and other cues on cravings and relapse," Bordnick said.

His study is available online in the journal Addictive Behaviors.

Need online support now? Get support now!

Bordnick also has VR environments to help soldiers from Iraq, those with a fear of flying, fear of public speaking and fear of heights.

He is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institutes for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

For more information on the UH Graduate College of Social Work, visit http://www.sw.uh.edu/main/home.php.

Source: Marisa Ramirez
University of Houston

Treatment

2008-04-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

Residential treatment centers usually offer a multi-faceted approach in assisting clients in their recovery from active addiction. The therapeutic and structured environments found in residential treatment centers can facilitate the important first stages of detoxification and withdrawal, setting the stage for a cleared mind to be able to absorb new ideas and concepts in healthy living, relapse prevention, behavioral changes, etc...

Depending upon your insurance coverage, many of the centers in the mid and high range may become affordable. You can contact the customer service department at your insurance company and check your covered benefits. In-network benefits can be as high as 80 - 100%, out of network benefits are often 50%.
Although each residential treatment center operates under different philosophies, certain general approaches are likely to be found in most. Among those are:

* Detoxification
* Drug and alcohol education
* Relapse prevention
* Family program
* Individual and group counseling
* Twelve-step recovery
* Anger Management
* Dual Diagnosis Education
* Self Harm Reduction
* Community Re-Integration

When people drink themselves silly.

2008-04-25T09:01:00.001-07:00

The urge to binge mindlessly, though it can strike at any time, seems to stir in the collective unconscious during the last weeks of winter. Maybe it’s the television images from places like Fort Lauderdale and Cabo San Lucas, of communications majors’ face planting outside bars or on beaches.

Or perhaps it’s a simple a case of seasonal affective disorder in reverse. Not SAD at all, but anticipation of warmth and eagerness for a little disorder.

Either way, researchers have had a hard time understanding binge behavior. Until recently, their definition of binge drinking — five drinks or more in 24 hours — was so loose that it invited debate and ridicule from some scholars. And investigators who ventured into the field, into the spray of warm backwash and press of wet T-shirts, often returned with findings like this one from a 2006 study: “Spring break trips are a risk factor for escalated alcohol use.”

Or this, from a 1998 analysis: “The men’s reported levels of alcohol consumption, binge drinking and intoxication were significantly higher than the women’s.”

In fact, the dynamics of bingeing may have more to do with personal and cultural expectations than with the number of upside-down margaritas consumed. In their classic 1969 book, “Drunken Comportment,” recently out in paperback, the social scientists Craig MacAndrew and Robert B. Edgerton wrote that the disconnect between the conventional wisdom on drunken behavior and the available evidence “is even now so scandalous as to exceed the limits of reasonable toleration.”

They detailed the vast differences in the way people from diverse cultures behave after excessive alcohol. In contrast to nearby tribes, for example, the Yuruna Indians in the Xingu region of Brazil would become exceptionally reserved when rendered sideways by large helpings of moonshine. The Camba of eastern Bolivia would drink excessively twice a month. Sitting in a circle, they would toast one another, more lavishly with each pop.

In a Japanese island village, Takashima, people knew a drinking occasion had gone completely off the dials if villagers began to sing or, wilder still, to dance. Aggression, sexual or otherwise, was unheard of during these sessions.

Western cultures are more likely to excuse binge drinking as a needed mental vacation. “An awful lot of cultures have institutionalized bingeing as a kind of time out like Mardi Gras or New Year’s Eve, a culturally recognized period where a certain amount of acting out is acceptable,” said Dwight Heath, emeritus professor of anthropology at Brown.

Not to say that would-be bingers, when ordering that first tray of Irish car bombs for the table, think about discharging a cultural tradition. They have their own reasons. And those, too, shape subsequent drunken behavior.

In a series of studies in the 1970s and ’80s, psychologists at the University of Washington put more than 300 students into a study room outfitted like a bar with mirrors, music and a stretch of polished pine. The researchers served alcoholic drinks, most often icy vodka tonics, to some of the students and nonalcoholic ones, usually icy tonic water, to others. The drinks looked and tasted the same, and the students typically drank five in an hour or two.

The studies found that people who thought they were drinking alcohol behaved exactly as aggressively, or as affectionately, or as merrily as they expected to when drunk. “No significant difference between those who got alcohol and those who didn’t,” Alan Marlatt, the senior author, said. “Their behavior was totally determined by their expectations of how they would behave.”

In a repeat of the session performed for a coming documentary, one participant insisted that she could not have been drinking because alcohol always made her flush.

“We told her that, yes, in fact she was drinking it,” Dr. Marlatt said. “She immediately flushed.”

Somewhere between personal preferences and social custom, moreover, the peer group asserts itself. In a recent study, public health researchers in New Zealand conducted extensive interviews with teenage girls in one of two cliques at a high school. Both groups associated drinking with uninhibited behavior — and that is what they exhibited. But one group considered being uninhibited to include making out, and the other considered it to include far more.

In their discussion, Dr. MacAndrew and Dr. Edgerton acknowledged that Western societies, and certainly the United States, send multiple signals on bingeing. At times, the signals cross, as when movies show spring-break binging as sunburned, sexy fun, while health pronouncements make it look like an orgy of near-criminal behavior.

At other times, cultural expectations and personal preferences reinforce each other. The hope that a wild session might “reveal new things about myself” or “allow me to act completely out of character” is widely echoed in literature, pop culture and drinking lore. If the research is a guide, those hopes should be self-fulfilling at some level.

Unless, that is, the binge goes beyond any reasonable definition of excess. Then the amount of tequila consumed matters very much — and poison is poison in any culture.
http://www.nytimes.com

Talking To Veterns when in Despair

2008-04-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — Nancy Nosewicz was busy fielding calls at the new national veterans hot line on a recent afternoon when someone from the Department of Veterans Affairs in Topeka, Kan., phoned. He had a 55-year-old Army veteran from the Northwest on the line who had called to complain about his benefits, but now the guy, drunk and crying, was talking about not wanting to live. Could Ms. Nosewicz pick up?

n a slurred voice, heavy from weeping, the veteran, named Robert, told her that he was homeless and wanted to “just lay down in the river and never get up.”

Ms. Nosewicz, a social worker, listened. Then in a voice firm and comforting like a big sister, she said: “We don’t want you to either. Today we’re not thinking about the alcohol or the housing, Robert. Today it’s about keeping you safe.”

She gave an assistant Robert’s phone number to find his address and alert local police to stand by. The chain of care resembled a relay race, with one runner trying not let go of the baton until the next runner had it in hand.

The veterans hot line is part of a specialized effort by the Department of Veterans Affairs to reduce suicide by enabling counselors, for the first time, to instantly check a veteran’s medical records and then combine emergency response with local follow-up services. It comes after years of criticism that the department has been neglecting tens of thousands of wounded service men and women who have returned from war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On Monday, a class action suit brought by veterans groups opened in San Francisco charging a “systemwide breakdown,” citing long delays in receiving disability benefits and flaws in the way discharged soldiers at risk for suicide had been treated. Kerri J. Childress, a department spokeswoman, said Monday that there were an average of 18 suicides a day among America’s 25 million veterans and that more than a fifth were committed by men and women being treated by Veterans Affairs.

Up and running since August, the hot line tries to respond to at least some of those in crisis. Over eight months, it has received more than 37,200 calls and made more than 720 rescues — sending out, from a narrow office here in upstate New York, emergency responders all over the country to find someone on a bridge, with a gun in his hand, with a stomach full of pills.

Paul Sullivan, the director of Veterans for Common Sense, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit, said of the department: “I’m pleased they’re responding. However, much more needs to be done so vets aren’t turned away from health care and don’t have to wait for benefits.”

Mr. Sullivan says suicidal patients have not been able to get care promptly; he cited the case of Jonathan Schulze, who was turned away twice from a Veterans Affairs hospital before he killed himself in January 2007.

“More than 600,000 veterans are waiting, on average, more than six months for disability benefits,” said Mr. Sullivan, who worked at the department monitoring benefits.

Experts agree that veterans are more likely, perhaps twice as much, to commit suicide as people who have never served in the military. Meanwhile, a study released last week by the RAND Corporation estimates that roughly one in five veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan has symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, which heightens the risk of suicide.

Yet whatever larger failings may exist, the staff of social workers, addiction specialists and nurses who keep the hot line running — 24 hours a day, seven days a week — can count at least some victories by the end of each shift.

Unique about this hot line, said Janet Kemp, the national suicide prevention coordinator with the department, is that now the counselors have medical information at their fingertips, which they use to connect vets with counseling near their homes. The model evolved from a new research program on suicide prevention paid for by the department.

“For years people thought that asking questions about suicide put the thought in people’s mind, but now we know that’s not true,” said Dr. Kemp, who travels throughout the country training V.A. staff.

The department is spending about $3 million to start and operate the hot line during its first year, said a spokesman, Daniel Ryan, and another $2.9 million on a mental health research center at the sprawling red-brick V.A. Medical Center in Canandaigua. Referring to the hot line’s relay model, Kerry Knox, the director of the new research center, said, “You don’t want them to fall through the cracks.”

With Robert, for example — whose last name was not provided for confidentiality — Ms. Nosewicz gradually nudged him to agree to be taken to a hospital and to give his name and Social Security number so she could check his file and put him in contact with the department’s suicide prevention coordinator in his area.

Meanwhile, Denise Slocum, a health assistant, relayed questions from the local police dispatcher. “The police are asking if you’re near an elementary school,” asked Ms. Nosewicz, who then nodded her head at Ms. Slocum.

“No, no, no — no handcuffs,” Ms. Nosewicz reassured Robert. “You’re going to go to the hospital.”

“Do you have a tissue to blow your nose? Then use your sleeve.”

“When they come in, you put them on the phone with me, and I’ll tell them to treat you with respect.”

Twenty minutes later, Ms. Slocum called the police again to confirm that Robert had been taken to a hospital. Ms. Nosewicz alerted the prevention coordinator. One is at each of the department’s 156 health centers.

Robert’s name was added to a board near the doorway so that the staff could follow up to ensure a local counselor actually met with him.

Of course, sometimes a crack is unavoidable.

“He’s going to do it. He’s really going to do it,” said Terri Rose, a counselor who was working the noon-to-midnight shift. She was wiping her red-rimmed eyes. A caller from Texas, who said he was 65 and a helicopter gunner in Vietnam, said he had a suicide pact with his friend, but the friend had gone off and killed himself. Now he, too, was ready to die, saying he had even found a coffin for $150, said Ms. Rose, who is an Air Force veteran herself. The veteran hung up and had stopped answering her calls.

Sometimes veterans have a lot of trouble asking for help, said Jacalyn O’Loughlin, a counselor. “They keep saying, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ ” Ms. O’Loughlin said. “Especially marines. They feel they’re weak if they reach out.”

Mr. Ryan said about half the calls to the hot line — 1-800-273-TALK (8255) — were from veterans, split fairly evenly between Vietnam and Iraq. Family members and friends also frequently call. About 30 percent of the veterans are women.

A couple of months ago, Ms. O’Loughlin said, a distraught woman called from Oregon who was driving to the woods and then threatened to “walk and walk and walk and never come back.” Ms. O’Loughlin rang the tiny silver bell on her desk to signal the health technician. The health tech checked the area code and phoned the closest Veterans Affairs health center.

“And lo and behold, that suicide prevention coordinator knew her just by her first name,” Ms. O’Loughlin said. The tech called the police and the coordinator called the woman’s husband, getting the car’s make and model. Ms. O’Loughlin kept her on the line; when she hung up, Ms. O’Loughlin called her back. “This went on for hours,” she said. “I could hear her getting out of the car. I could hear the rustling from the leaves.”

Meanwhile, the police and her husband were driving up and down roads. They spotted the car, dashed through the trees and found her. She had a bottle of pills in her hand but had not yet swallowed them.

Sometimes, the victories are smaller but no less satisfying. That morning, Ms. Nosewicz spoke to a veteran whose house was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina; he had been relocated to a different state.

“He called crying because he can’t find a job, saying ‘my teeth are so rotten and my mouth stinks,’ ” Ms. Nosewicz said.

Dental referrals are not exactly part of the job description, but Ms. Nosewicz tried dental schools in his area until she found a school to do the work. “He was crying on the phone,” she recalled, “and said, ‘Thanks so much. Thanks so much.’ ”

All in all not a bad day’s work, Ms. Nosewicz said, as she got ready to leave. “Three rescues, four consults and one set of teeth.”
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/

Alcohol Abuse in Soldiers

2008-04-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

Alcohol Abuse in Soldiers

A lot of soldiers returning home from wars have become alcoholics. It is true that the loneliness as well as the pressure while out in the battle field makes soldiers resort to drinking sprees, alcohol dependency and sometimes drug dependency.

Soldiers should remember though that the abuse of alcohol as well as the misuse of medications or drugs can result to harmful and risky behaviors that include but are not limited to pub fights, spousal abuse, even unexpected deaths so it is a must to engage in responsible drinking. Below are some tips that would help one drink responsibly:

Before drinking and in the course of drinking, make sure that your stomach has food because eating food with starch and high protein will slow down the rate of the effects of alcohol hitting you.

Drink slowly but surely as fast drinking will make the drinker more intoxicated. Drinking no more than one drink every hour will result to the drinker not being drunk fast

Try drinking non alcoholic drinks in between your intake of alcoholic drinks as this will result to alcoholic drinks not having a greater effect on you.

Remember this HALT! This is easy to remember and stands for “Never Drink if you have the following feelings: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.”

And of course, let us not forget (though it may be a cliché, it can save lives). Do not drink and drive. Always make sure that the person who will be driving the vehicle is sober, otherwise, just take a cab or any other public transportation.

Following these tips will help you (soldiers) avoid alcohol abuse as well as symptoms or ailments partnered with alcoholism such as: PTSD. PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder when coupled with alcoholism will automatically cause a lot of trouble. It is a type of anxiety disorder that usually results from trauma that comes from physical injury, a serious threat of death or the death of someone close. As early as the 6th century BC, PTSD has been observed in war veterans.
It has been observed that people with PTSD have a greater risk of developing alcoholism and most alcoholics are even diagnosed with the said disease. Around eighty percent of war veterans undergoing treatment for PTSD have been detected with alcohol abuse disorders. These people have a tendency to commit suicide once they become depressed especially if they are over the age of 65. Binge drinking is also a frequent activity in soldiers/veterans as it is used as a tool to forget traumatic memories for a short period of time.

Alcoholism also disrupts your relationship with your partner and may lead to violence as it is evident in spousal abuse committed by intoxicated soldiers. Aside from conflicts, problems in intimacy have also been observed. PTSD symptoms are stimulated more with alcoholism. The effects of PTSD treatments are also lessened by alcohol abuse.
Soldiers amongst all professionals have the great responsibility of avoiding alcoholism. It is a must to follow tips in avoiding too much drinking not only for your safety but also for the safety of your loved ones and the people who look up to you.

Need help with alcohol abuse?

Moderate Drinking Increases Breast Cancer Risk

2008-04-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

Even moderate alcohol consumption increases the risk of a common form of breast cancer in post-menopausal women, according to research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 2008 annual meeting in San Diego.

The study, reported by UPI April 14, found that even one or two drinks per day increased risk of developing ERplus/PRplus breast cancer, and the more a woman drank, the higher her risk. ERplus/PRplus is a form of breast cancer classified as positive for both the estrogen and progesterone receptors.

"Our study shows that not only does a small amount of alcohol significantly increase the risk of breast cancer, it increases the risk of the most common type of breast cancer, responsible for around 70 percent of cases," said lead researcher Jasmine Lew, from the National Cancer Institute.

The data show as much as a 51 percent increased risk of breast cancer in women who drank three of more glasses of alcohol daily compared to women who did not drink at all.

"This suggests that a woman should evaluate consumption of alcohol along with other known breast cancer risk factors, such as use of hormone replacement therapy," Lew stated.

Learning the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous

2008-04-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

Treatment centers and 12-step programs offer counseling, psychotherapy, support groups, and family therapy.3 These 12-steps consist of:
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol--that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.3
In addition, medications can also aid in suppressing withdrawals or cravings and in blocking the effects of drugs.

The National Intervention Referral process gives an example of a step-by-step approach to how intervention works. First, contact and intervention facility and speak to a staff member. Second, set up a meeting with an intervention specialist to discuss the history and circumstances of the person in crisis. Third, before the actual intervention occurs, the intervention specialist will meet with the family and friends to discuss each person’s role in the intervention, their boundaries, and the consequences for the substance abuser if he or she does not follow through with the intervention. Fourth, conduct the intervention. Fifth, after the intervention has taken place, the intervention specialist will continue to spend time with the abuser and provide transportation to an arranged-in-advance treatment center. Sixth, once the individual is undergoing treatment, the intervention specialist will continue to keep contact with him or her. The intervention specialist will remain active in the recovery process and act as a liaison between the family and the recovering patient.1 According to National Treatment Referral; the treatment centers with the greatest success rate are those treating the whole person. These treatment centers are offering physical and psychological assistance, education and training.4

In conclusion, a drug and alcoholism intervention can and will save the life of a loved who is addicted to drugs and alcohol. Families and friends must choose to not look the other way but to proactively seek help for themselves and the substance abuser.
Source: addictionsearch.com

Choosing the right mental health therapist

2008-04-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

Why is this choice so important?

Therapy is a collaborative process, so finding the right match-someone with whom you have a sense of rapport-is critical. After you find someone, keep in mind that therapy is work and sometimes can be painful. However, it also can be rewarding and life changing.

Can a therapist share what I have said during therapy?

You can rest assured that all mental health professionals are ethically bound to keep what you say during therapy confidential. However, therapists also are bound by law to report information such as threats to blow up a building or to harm another person, for example.

What are the steps for choosing a therapist?

1. See your primary care physician to rule out a medical cause of your problems. If your thyroid is "sluggish," for example, your symptoms-such as loss of appetite and fatigue-could be mistaken for depression.
2. After you know your problems are not caused by a medical condition, find out what the mental health coverage is under your insurance policy or through Medicaid/Medicare.
3. Get two or three referrals before making an appointment. Specify age, sex, race, or religious background if those characteristics are important to you.
4. Call to find out about appointment availability, location, and fees. Ask the receptionist:
* Does the mental health professional offer a sliding-scale fee based on income?
* Does he or she accept your health insurance or Medicaid/Medicare?
5. Make sure the therapist has experience helping people whose problems are similar to yours. You may want to ask the receptionist about the therapist's expertise, education, and number of years in practice.
6. If you are satisfied with the answers, make an appointment.
7. During your first visit, describe those feelings and problems that led you to seek help. Find out:
* What kind of therapy/treatment program he or she recommends;
* Whether it has proven effective for dealing with problems such as yours;
* What the benefits and side effects are;
* How much therapy the mental health professional recommends; and
* Whether he or she is willing to coordinate your care with another practitioner if you are personally interested in exploring credible alternative therapies, such as acupuncture.
8. Be sure the psychotherapist does not take a "cookie cutter" approach to your treatment-what works for one person with major depression does not necessarily work for another. Different psychotherapies and medications are tailored to meet specific needs.
9. Although the role of a therapist is not to be a friend, rapport is a critical element of successful therapy. After your initial visit, take some time to explore how you felt about the therapist.
10. If the answers to these questions and others you come up with are "yes," schedule another appointment to begin the process of working together to understand and overcome your problems. If the answers to most of these questions are "no," call another mental health professional from your referral list and schedule another appointment.

What is the difference between psychiatrists and clinical social workers?

Two kinds of therapists warrant special note: psychiatrists and clinical social workers. Psychiatrists are medical doctors and can prescribe medication. Clinical social workers are trained in client-centered advocacy and can assist you with information, referral, and direct help in dealing with local, State, or Federal government agencies. As a result, they often serve as case managers to help people "navigate the system." Clinical social workers and many other mental health professionals cannot write prescriptions. However, nurse practitioners that specialize in psychiatry and mental health can prescribe medication in most states. And, under a new law, psychologists in New Mexico can prescribe medications after receiving training (New Mexico State Legislature, 2002).

Source: SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center

Cultivating Belief in you Goals

2008-04-06T14:53:00.000-07:00

By: LeeDavidhcz

The Belief That You Can Do It and more importantly, That You Will!

First, You must choose one goal and commit to it's achievement. It seems that this is always the starting point isn't it? It must be something that you feel you can not live without, or you must develop that feeling for it to work. Remember, reasons first, then action.

Did you choose one? Are you commited to making it a reality in your life? Did you decide that you must have it and absolutely will have it? Is it do or die? Are your reasons for having it, strong enough to propel you forward right now and compel you to action when you may not 'feel' like it? If not, then choose another one, this is no time to waste your energy on something you are not serious about.

Aggressively research and brainstorm all the ways you can get this goal. Do not consider any negative thoughts at this time. There is another time for that. Write them down quickly as you think of more. Use shortforms and abbreviations if you have to, but keep the flow of thought going for as long as it takes. This is a tremendously important part of the process.

Remember those negatives that kept coming up throughout the above? What challenges or problems will come up when you start taking action? What do you see happening or preventing you from getting what you want? Write these down also. Be honest with yourself, if you think it, write it down. There is no such thing as unimportant thought. It is all important, vitally important!

Next, come up with solutions that will take care of these problems. Write down multiple answers to each problem. Stay positive and focused on your target. Write down everything that comes to mind. All those things that could keep you from succeeding, come up with tons of ways to deal with them. This will give you unstoppable confidence in your ability to have what you want.

Break down your solutions into action steps, into small workable tasks that you can complete quickly. Break each step down into 5 smaller actions. Then break those down into 5 smaller ones. Keep breaking down tasks until you have absolute belief in yourself that you can and will do it, right now, today!. In fact, Break them down until they are ridiculously simple!

Small, simple actions are easy to accomplish, and when these particular actions are put together, they equal the goal result that you want. Belief becomes automatic because you "know" that there is nothing standing between you and your goal.

All that is left is to work your plan. You created it, you are commited to it, you must do it, so just do it, and go get your goal. Start with the first step and complete it right now, today. So what are you waiting for? Go For It!

Are you still here? Go get that goal! LOL!

No plan is perfect so there will inevitably be obstacles and distractions, little things which will stand in your way for temporary periods of time. When this happens, just break these down. And start again . . . and again. Stay flexible and adjust your approach when these occur. Believe, and have faith in the long term.

Adjust your plans and actions as necessary until you have what you want. The result is in the bag, it is a sure thing, all that will change are the strategies, and the timing. You will prevail. This is true. If this is a major complex goal, you will want to work it backwards through smaller goals, and then break them down into action steps.

Focus on the solution instead of the fear or doubt. This strategy will work for any goal you pick. Focus on what you want continuously, with passion, and with absolute faith, knowing that you have absolutely done everything necessary. Act with that level of belief, and certainty that causes miracles to happen! Go make your miracle!

Article Source: http://article2008.com

Yale Study Suggest Evolutionary Source of Alcoholisms Accidental Enemy

2008-04-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

Some change in the environment in many East Asian communities during the past few thousand years may have protected residents from becoming alcoholics, a new genetic analysis conducted by Yale School of Medicine researchers suggests.

The study by Hui Li and others in the laboratory of Kenneth Kidd, professor of genetics, psychiatry and ecology & evolutionary biology, will be released April 2, in the journal PloS One.

Scientists have long known that many Asians carry variants of genes that help regulate alcohol metabolism. Some of those genetic variants can make people feel uncomfortable, sometimes even ill, when drinking small amounts of alcohol. As a result of the prevalence of this gene, many, but not all, communities in countries such as China, Japan and Korea have low rates of alcoholism.

Last year Kidd's team reported evidence that recent natural selection in East Asia had caused one particular variant of the alcohol-regulating gene to become common. In this new paper Li and others in Kidd's team analyzed this variant in the DNA of individuals in many different population groups in several more East Asian countries.

They uncovered evidence that the variant became widespread through natural selection in only some of those East Asian populations - specifically, the Hmong- and Altaic-speaking groups. Those genetic clues, say the scientists, suggest that something was different in the environment of those populations and that the genetic difference assisted survival in that environment. The researchers have not yet identified that environmental difference and say the genetic change could be triggered by any number of factors, such as the emergence of some new parasite.

That these populations turn out to be less prone to the ravages of demon rum, says Kidd, "is just a serendipitous event'' of evolution. "What this finding does is highlight that something important in recent human history has affected the genetic composition of many East Asian populations," he notes.

Kidd's team was studying a variant of one of a set of related genes that code for alcohol dehydrogenases, enzymes that help in metabolism of alcohols, including ethanol. Variants of those enzymes have been known for many years to protect the individuals carrying them against alcoholism.

The particular gene studied, a variant of the ADH1B gene, is very common in some East Asian communities, as high as 90 percent in some areas.

But he also noted that lower rates of alcoholism in many of the Asian communities may well be due to cultural as well as genetic causes.

"If a large part of the people got sick after they ate one particular food or drank a particular drink, you would not find many social situations where that food was served,'' Kidd said.

The study will be available online April 1 at http://www.plosone.org/doi/pone.0001881.

http://www.yale.edu

Drug Overdose Deaths

2008-04-01T16:00:00.001-07:00

According to a little noticed January report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), drug overdoses killed more than 33,000 people in 2005, the last year for which firm data are available. That makes drug overdose the second leading cause of accidental death, behind only motor vehicle accidents (43,667) and ahead of firearms deaths (30,694).

What's more disturbing is that the 2005 figures are only the latest in such a seemingly inexorable increase in overdose deaths that the eras of the 1970s heroin epidemic and the 1980s crack wave pale in comparison. According to the CDC, some 10,000 died of overdoses in 1990; by 1999, that number had hit 20,000; and in the six years between then and 2005, it increased by more than 60%.

http://stopthedrugwar.org/files/naloxone.jpg
naloxone, the opiate overdose antidote
"The death toll is equivalent to a hundred 757s crashing and killing everybody on board every year, but this doesn't make the news," said Dan Bigg of the Chicago Recovery Alliance, a harm reduction organization providing needle exchange and other services to drug users. "So many people have died, and we just don't care."

Fortunately, some people care. Harm reductionists like Bigg, some public health officials, and a handful of epidemiologists, including those at the CDC, have been watching the up-trend with increasing concern, and some drug policy reform organizations are devoting some energy to measures that could bring those numbers down.

But as youth sociologist and long-time critic of the drug policy establishment's overweening fascination with teen drug use Mike Males noted back in February, the official and press response to the CDC report has been "utter silence." That's because the wrong people are dying, Males argued: "Erupting drug abuse centered in middle-aged America is killing tens of thousands and hospitalizing hundreds of thousands every year, destroying families and communities, subjecting hundreds of thousands of children to abuse and neglect and packing foster care systems to unmanageable peaks, fostering gun violence among inner-city drug dealers, inciting an epidemic of middle-aged crime and imprisonment costing Americans tens of billions of dollars annually, and now creating a spin-off drug abuse epidemic among teens and young adults. Yet, because today's drug epidemic is mainly white middle-aged adults -- a powerful population that is "not supposed to abuse drugs" -- the media and officials can't talk about it. The rigid media and official rule: Drugs can ONLY be discussed as crises of youth and minorities."

The numbers are there to back up Males' point. Not only are Americans dying of drug overdoses in numbers never seen before, it is the middle-aged -- not the young -- who are doing most of the dying. And they are not, for the most part, overdosing on heroin or cocaine, but on Oxycontin, Lorcet, and other opioids created for pain control but often diverted into the lucrative black market created by prohibition.

Back in October, CDC epidemiologist Leonard Paulozzi gave Congress a foretaste of what the January report held. Drug death "rates are currently more than twice what they were during the peak years of crack cocaine mortality in the early 1990s, and four to five times higher than the rates during the year of heroin mortality peak in 1975," he said in testimony before the House Oversight and Investigations Committee.

"Mortality statistics suggest that these deaths are largely due to the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs," Paulozzi continued. "Such statistics are backed up by studies of the records of state medical examiners. Such studies consistently report that a high percentage of people who die of prescription drug overdoses have a history of substance abuse."

But there is more to it than a mere correlation between increases in the prescribing and abuse of opioid pain relievers and a rising death rate, said Dr. Alex Kral, director of the Urban Health Program for RTI International, a large nonprofit health organization. Kral, who has been doing epidemiological research on opioid overdoses for 15 years, said there are a variety of factors at work.

"There hasn't been a big increase in heroin use," he said. "What's changed has been prescription opiate drug use. Oxycontin is probably a big part of the answer. The pharmaceutical companies have come up with good and highly useful versions of opioids, but they have also been diverted and used in illicit ways in epidemic fashion for the past 15 years."

But Kral also pointed the finger at the resort to mass imprisonment and forced treatment of drug offenders as a contributing factor. "What happens is that people who are opiate users go into prison or jail and they get off the drug, but when they come out and start using again, they use at the same levels as before, and they don't have the same kind of tolerance. We know that recent release from jail or prison is a big risk factor for overdose," he said.

"The last piece of the puzzle is drug treatment," Kral said. "Besides the tolerance problems for people who have been abstaining in treatment, there has been an increase in the use of methadone and buprenorphine, which is a good thing, but people are managing to overdose on those as well."

There are means of reducing the death toll, said a variety of harm reductionists, and the opioid antagonist naloxone (Narcan) was mentioned by all of them. Naloxone is a big part of the answer, said the Chicago Recovery Alliance's Bigg. "It's been around for 40 years, it's a pure antidote, and it has no side effects. It consistently reverses overdoses via intramuscular injection; it's very simple to administer. If people have naloxone, it becomes much, much easier to avoid overdose deaths."

"Naloxone should be made available over the counter without a prescription," said Bigg. "In the meantime, every time a physician prescribes opioids, he should also prescribe naloxone."

"For a couple of years now, we've been talking about trying to get naloxone reclassified so it's available over the counter or maybe prescribed by a pharmacist," said Hilary McQuie, Western director for the Harm Reduction Coalition. "The problem is that you don't just need congressional activity, you also need to deal with the FDA process, and it's hard to find anyone in the activist community who understands that process."

Harm reductionists also have to grapple with the changing face of drug overdoses. "We're used to dealing with injection drug users," McQuie admitted, "and nobody really has a good initiative for dealing with prescription drug users. In our lobbying meetings about the federal needle exchange funding ban, we've started to talk about this, specifically about getting naloxone out there."

But while the overdose epidemic weighs heavily on the movement, no one wants to spend money to bring the numbers down. "This is a very big issue, it's very present for harm reduction workers," said McQuie. "But we haven't done a lot of press on it because there is no funding for overdose prevention. We have a very good program in San Francisco to train residential hotel managers and drug users at needle exchanges. It's very cheap; it only cost $70,000, including naloxone. But we can't get funders interested in this. We write grants to do this sort of work around the state, and we never get any money."

Perversely, the Office of National Drug Control Policy also opposes making naloxone widely available -- on the grounds that it is a moral hazard. "First of all, I don't agree with giving an opioid antidote to non-medical professionals. That's No. 1," ONDCP's Deputy Director of Demand Reduction Bertha Madras said in January. "I just don't think that's good public health policy."

But even worse, Madras argued that availability of naloxone could encourage drug users to keep using because they would be less afraid of overdoses. And besides, Madras, continued, overdosing may be just what the doctor ordered for drug users. "Sometimes having an overdose, being in an emergency room, having that contact with a health care professional is enough to make a person snap into the reality of the situation and snap into having someone give them services," Madras said.

"The drug czar's office argues that if you take away the potential consequences, in this case, a fatal overdose, you facilitate the use, but betting someone's life on that is just cruel and bizarre," snorted Bigg.

RTI's Kral noted that there are now 44 naloxone programs run by community groups across the country. "It would be wonderful if there were more of them, because they are staving off a lot of deaths, but they are controversial. The ONDCP says they condone drug use, but you can't rehabilitate a dead drug user."

While battles over naloxone access continue, said Bigg, there are other things that can be done. "We need to engage people, and that means overcoming shame," said Bigg. "Every couple of months, I get a call from a family that has lost a member to drugs and I ask them if they're willing to come forward and talk to reporters to stop it from happening again, and they say 'let me think about it,' and I never hear from them again.

Another means of reducing the death toll would be to start local organizations of people whose friends or family members have died or are still using and at risk. "We could call them 'First Things First,' as in first, let's keep our folks alive," he suggested.

"When people found out naloxone is out there, that it's this medicine that has no ill effects -- it has no effect at all unless you're using opioids -- and that it can't be abused, and that their family member could have had it and still be alive, that's a hard thing to realize," said Bigg. "Everyone who has lost a loved one wants him back, and to think he could still be alive today if there were naloxone is a bitter, bitter pill to swallow."

Despite the apparent low profile of drug policy reform groups, they, too, have been fighting on the overdose front. "We worked to pass groundbreaking overdose prevention bills in California and New Mexico," said Bill Piper, national affairs director for the Drug Policy Alliance. "We're working to advance overdose prevention bills in Maryland and New Jersey. We had a bill in 2006 in Congress that would have created a federal grant program for overdose prevention," he said, pointedly adding that not a single federal dollar goes to overdose prevention. "We've tried to introduce that in the new Congress but can't find someone to take a lead. To be frank, few politicians care about this issue. Their staff care even less."

A massive public education campaign is needed, said Piper, adding that DPA is working on a report on this very topic that should appear in a few weeks.

In the meantime, while politicians and drug war bureaucrats avert their gaze and deep-pocketed potential donors keep their purses tightly closed, while the nation worries about baseball players on steroids and teenagers smoking pot, the bodies pile up like cordwood.
Drug War Issues Overdose Prevention
Politics & Advocacy ONDCP - Congress

Advice Pregnant Women Should Get About Alcohol Consumption

2008-03-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

he National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health have today (26 March 2008) issued newly updated advice on the care that should be offered to women during their pregnancy. This advice is an update of the original document published in 2003, revising areas where new information has become available. It recommends that midwives and doctors provide women with evidence-based information about a range of key issues such as the risks and benefits of screening tests and lifestyle advice so they can make decisions that are right for them and their baby.

The guideline includes recommendations for doctors and midwives on the advice they should give to pregnant women about drinking alcohol. These recommendations are consistent with the advice issued in 2007 by the UK Chief Medical Officers. The NICE recommendations are that:

-- Pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant should be advised to avoid drinking alcohol in the first 3 months of pregnancy, because there may be an increased risk of miscarriage.

-- Women should be advised that if they choose to drink alcohol while they are pregnant they should drink no more than 1-2 UK units once or twice a week There is uncertainty about how much alcohol is safe to drink in pregnancy, but at this low level there is no evidence of any harm to their unborn baby.

-- Women should be advised not get to drunk or binge drink (drinking more than 7.5 UK units of alcohol on a single occasion) while they are pregnant because this can harm their unborn baby.

Further recommendations from the guideline include:The Sober Village can help with alcohol problems.

-- All women should be informed at the booking appointment about the importance for their own and their baby's health of maintaining adequate vitamin D stores during pregnancy and whilst breast feeding. Women may choose to take 10 micrograms of vitamin D per day.

-- Screening for sickle cell diseases and thalassaemias should be offered to all women as early as possible in pregnancy (ideally by 10 weeks).

-- The 'combined test' should be offered to screen for Down's syndrome between 11 weeks 0 days and 13 weeks 6 days.

-- Screening for gestational diabetes using risk factors is recommended in all women. At the booking appointment, the following risk factors for gestational diabetes should be determined: a) body mass index above 30 kg/m2 b) previous macrosomic baby weighing 4.5 kg or above c) previous gestational diabetes d) family history of diabetes e) family origin with a high prevalence of diabetes such as south asian, black caribbean and middle eastern.

Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer says: "I welcome this updated NICE guidance as it further strengthens the advice from the UK CMO's that pregnant women or women trying to conceive should avoid drinking alcohol. NICE's guidance highlights this is most important at the beginning of pregnancy, when there may be an increased risk of miscarriage, and again reinforces that if they do choose to drink, to protect the baby, they should not drink more than 1 to 2 units of alcohol once or twice a week and should not get drunk. Pregnant women or women trying to conceive should seek further advice from their Midwives or GP."

Dr Gillian Leng, Deputy Chief Executive, and Executive Lead for this guidance says: "We recommend that doctors and midwives should advise women to avoid drinking alcohol when trying to get pregnant and during the first three months of pregnancy because there may be an increased risk of miscarriage. If they do choose to drink alcohol while pregnant, women should also be advised to drink no more than 1 to 2 UK units once or twice a week, and to avoid binge drinking during their pregnancy because this can harm their unborn baby.

"Due to changes in the evidence base and new availability of screening programmes, we have initiated this update earlier than planned. Having a baby is one of the most important times in a woman's life and healthcare professionals want to make sure this is a good and safe experience. This newly updated guideline will ensure that health professionals offer women the information and support they need to make decisions about their care that are right for them and their babies."

Dr Rhona Hughes, Lead Obstetrician and Guideline Development Group Chair says: "This guideline respects that it is a woman's right to make her own decisions about her pregnancy, based on the best available information. For example she may accept or decline tests that are offered and her healthcare team will respect the decision she makes. I recently met a family who had a baby with a learning disability - unsurprisingly they were worried that their second baby could have a similar problem but didn't know whether to accept all the screening tests they were being offered. Under the guideline, doctors would put this woman and her partner in touch with support groups and provide written information so that they can come to an informed decision about whether they want to go ahead and have screening tests."

Nina Khazeaezadeh, Consultant Midwife, Supervisor of Midwives and Guideline Development Group member: "As a midwife in one of the busiest maternity units in the country, I know that this guideline will really benefit the midwives and doctors looking after women during pregnancy, as well as the women themselves. Women are already receiving good antenatal care but this guideline will bring it up to a gold standard and ensure that all women are receiving the same high quality care. For example, it will ensure that healthcare professionals provide women with consistent information about how many antenatal appointments they will receive and what will be discussed at each of these, such as advice on breastfeeding and nutrition. By giving women good information at the right stages in their pregnancy they will be best placed to make decisions that are right for them and their baby."

Jennifer Elliott, Service User Representative and Guideline Development Group member says: "When I was pregnant with my first child I didn't really understand why tests such as those for Down's syndrome were being offered to me or even that they were being offered at all - as a result l did not feel in control of my pregnancy. This guideline firmly places women at the centre of decision making about their care - all women will be given information about why screening tests are carried out, what other decisions testing might lead to and be able to discuss their concerns and ask questions. By ensuring that women are informed about their pregnancy, they will feel less anxious and more likely to have a positive experience."

1. The guidance is available at http://www.nice.org.uk/CG62.
2. One small glass of wine = 1.5 units
3. Five small glasses of wine = 7.5 units

About NICE

1. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is the independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on the promotion of good health and the prevention and treatment of ill health.

2. NICE produces guidance in three areas of health:

-- public health - guidance on the promotion of good health and the prevention of ill health for those working in the NHS, local authorities and the wider public and voluntary sector

-- health technologies - guidance on the use of new and existing medicines, treatments and procedures within the NHS

-- clinical practice - guidance on the appropriate treatment and care of people with specific diseases and conditions within the NHS

http://www.nice.org.uk

The Effects and Remedial Measures of Crack Cocaine and Gambling

2008-03-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

Cocaine - what is it?
Cocaine is an illegal drug which is used in most inner cities. This drug is widely used. Crack cocaine and powder cocaine are the two products of cocaine. The powder cocaine is regarded as the drug of middle class families and is always associated with good money. The punishments for possessing crack cocaine is severe than that for possessing powder cocaine.

Crack cocaine - What is it?
The chemical cocaine is crack. When the cocaine is chemically processed to remove the hydrochloride it cracks or snaps due to heating and smoking so it is usually called
as crack cocaine and the name of the process is called as freebasing. Crack is usually sold in small cylindrical glass and in small quantities (300-500mg). Each of these vessels can be used for 2-4 inhalations which last for 10 to 20 minutes. Its wide availability, ease of concealment and low cost has increased its use. The powder cocaine is usually mixed with sodium bicarbonate or ammonia, which can be snorted or smoked.

What does it do?
Crack disturbs the central nervous system and the autonomic nervous system. It increases the neurotransmitter’s level which creates a heightened sense of pleasure, euphoria and increased energy.

The Human Brain and Addiction
The brain is one of the most vital organs of our body. It is the center of command. For a normal human the brain weighs about 1400gms. The brain has different centers which are designated for different purposes. Lobes which are present in the brain process the information that is sent by the sense organs for instance the occipital lobes receives information from our eyes. The thinking center is called the cerebral cortex which is at the top of the whole brain. Here all the information like language, math and strategies are processed. It is also responsible for survival, memory and things like appetite and thirst. The brain stem at the base controls the heartbeat rate, breathing, sleeping and it also does things which we can’t even think of.

How does our brain communicate?
The brain communicates through special cells called neurons. These brain cells send and receive messages. The messages are in the form of an electric impulse and it travels along the axon of the neuron. A chemical compound called neurotransmitter is released at the end of the axon and then it travels to the other neurons. Then the messages are processed and the chemical is released back, reabsorbed to the sending neurons. Our brain releases different kinds of neurotransmitter depending upon the kind of work we do.

How does drug influence our brain?
The drugs we use have similar shape and size as that of the natural neurotransmitters. These drugs inside our brain cause to start an unnatural chain reaction of electrical charges, which causes the neurons to release neurotransmitter of their own kind. Some drugs act like a pump which causes to release more neurotransmitter, which creates feelings of high pleasure.
What are the side effects and remedial measures?

The side effects of crack cocaine are deadly. Some of them are increased blood pressure, increased heart rates, increased anxiety and hyperactivity, nausea sensation and vomiting, decrease in appetite and easily vulnerable to heart attacks and strokes. When the person uses overdoses for a long period of time, the blood will have certain amount of poisonous toxics forever. Because of crack being rapidly absorbed by the blood, it induces the user to consume more. Moreover consuming this drug causes the user to be depressed and it also induces to consume more which may lead to mental instability. Crack cocaine is usually combined with a number of impurities which always makes the presence of side effects and toxicity. It’s very difficult to improve health without medical treatment. Many of the individuals who use crack cocaine experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop using it because of the addictive nature of the drug. Feelings like intense cravings, irritability, hunger and anxiety prevent the persons from stopping from using crack.

Gambling Addiction
Does genetic component have influence on gambling addiction?
There are no genetic, physical or psychological influences found for becoming an addict. It is proved from the research that no chromosomal defect has satisfactorily linked to gambling and does not run in families.

What is the treatment for gambling addiction?
There is no certain cure for gambling addiction. It may take years to get rid of gambling. The individual must attend counseling. Alcohol and smoking must be strictly prohibited. They should be treated with drug therapy. Moreover pure determination and strong desire of the individual himself to stop his activities can be the only cure.

A major lifestyle change is required to prevent the worst behavior to re occur.
What are the addiction treatments available for crack cocaine?
The crack cocaine is a powerful addictive drug and even with a short time usage the individuals become so addictive that they start to experience withdrawal symptoms like depression and irritability when they stop using it. The individuals are unable to improve their health without medical help. The person must undergo counseling for a long time to come out of addiction.

The Surprising Truth About Addiction

2008-03-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

The Surprising Truth About Addiction

By PsychologyToday.com
Change is natural. You no doubt act very differently in many areas of your life now compared with how you did when you were a teenager. Likewise, over time you will probably overcome or ameliorate certain behaviors: a short temper, crippling insecurity.

For some reason, we exempt addiction from our beliefs about change. In both popular and scientific models, addiction is seen as locking you into an inescapable pattern of behavior. Both folk wisdom, as represented by Alcoholics Anonymous, and modern neuroscience regard addiction as a virtually permanent brain disease. No matter how many years ago your uncle Joe had his last drink, he is still considered an alcoholic. The very word addict confers an identity that admits no other possibilities. It incorporates the assumption that you can't, or won't, change.

But this fatalistic thinking about addiction doesn't jibe with the facts. More people overcome addictions than do not. And the vast majority do so without therapy. Quitting may take several tries, and people may not stop smoking, drinking or using drugs altogether. But eventually they succeed in shaking dependence.

Kicking these habits constitutes a dramatic change, but the change need not occur in a dramatic way. So when it comes to addiction treatment, the most effective approaches rely on the counterintuitive principle that less is often more. Successful treatment places the responsibility for change squarely on the individual and acknowledges that positive events in other realms may jump-start change.

Consider the experience of American soldiers returning from the war in Vietnam, where heroin use and addiction was widespread. In 90 percent of cases, when GIs left the pressure cooker of the battle zone, they also shed their addictions—in vivo proof that drug addiction can be just a matter of where in life you are.

Of course, it took more than a plane trip back from Asia for these men to overcome drug addiction. Most soldiers experienced dramatically altered lives when they returned. They left the anxiety, fear and boredom of the war arena and settled back into their home environments. They returned to their families, formed new relationships, developed work skills.

Smoking is at the top of the charts in terms of difficulty of quitting. But the majority of ex-smokers quit without any aid—neither nicotine patches nor gum, Smokenders groups nor hypnotism. (Don't take my word for it; at your next social gathering, ask how many people have quit smoking on their own.) In fact, as many cigarette smokers quit on their own, an even higher percentage of heroin and cocaine addicts and alcoholics quit without treatment. It is simply more difficult to keep these habits going through adulthood. It's hard to go to Disney World with your family while you are shooting heroin. Addicts who quit on their own typically report that they did so in order to achieve normalcy.

Every year, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health interviews Americans about their drug and alcohol habits. Ages 18 to 25 constitute the peak period of drug and alcohol use. In 2002, the latest year for which data are available, 22 percent of Americans between ages 18 and 25 were abusing or were dependent on a substance, versus only 3 percent of those aged 55 to 59. These data show that most people overcome their substance abuse, even though most of them do not enter treatment.

How do we know that the majority aren't seeking treatment? In 1992, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism conducted one of the largest surveys of substance use ever, sending Census Bureau workers to interview more than 42,000 Americans about their lifetime drug and alcohol use. Of the 4,500-plus respondents who had ever been dependent on alcohol, only 27 percent had gone to treatment of any kind, including Alcoholics Anonymous. In this group, one-third were still abusing alcohol.

Of those who never had any treatment, only about one-quarter were currently diagnosable as alcohol abusers. This study, known as the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey, indicates first that treatment is not a cure-all, and second that it is not necessary. The vast majority of Americans who were alcohol dependent, about three-quarters, never underwent treatment. And fewer of them were abusing alcohol than were those who were treated.

This is not to say that treatment can't be useful. But the most successful treatments are nonconfrontational approaches that allow self-propelled change. Psychologists at the University of New Mexico led by William Miller tabulated every controlled study of alcoholism treatment they could find. They concluded that the leading therapy was barely a therapy at all but a quick encounter between patient and health-care worker in an ordinary medical setting. The intervention is sometimes as brief as a doctor looking at the results of liver-function tests and telling a patient to cut down on his drinking. Many patients then decide to cut back—and do!

As brief interventions have evolved, they have become more structured. A physician may simply review the amount the patient drinks, or use a checklist to evaluate the extent of a drinking problem. The doctor then typically recommends and seeks agreement from the patient on a goal (usually reduced drinking rather than complete abstinence). More severe alcoholics would typically be referred out for specialized treatment.[note: I volentaraly (and desperatly) signed into a six week place upstate, I was not "referred" (just another example of how it really comes down to the individual} A range of options is discussed (such as attending AA, engaging in activities incompatible with drinking or using a self-help manual). A spouse or family member might be involved in the planning. The patient is then scheduled for a future visit, where progress can be checked. A case monitor might call every few weeks to see whether the person has any questions or problems.

The second most effective approach is motivational enhancement, also called motivational interviewing. This technique throws the decision to quit or reduce drinking—and to find the best methods for doing so—back on the individual. In this case, the therapist asks targeted questions that prompt the individual to reflect on his drinking in terms of his own values and goals. When patients resist, the therapist does not argue with the individual but explores the person's ambivalence about change so as to allow him or her to draw his own conclusions: "You say that you like to be in control of your behavior, yet you feel when you drink you are often not in charge. Could you just clarify that for me?"

Miller's team found that the list of most effective treatments for alcoholism included a few more surprises. Self-help manuals were highly successful. So was the community-reinforcement approach, which addresses the person's capacity to deal with life, notably marital relationships, work issues (such as simply getting a job), leisure planning and social-group formation (a buddy might be provided, as in AA, as a resource to encourage sobriety). The focus is on developing life skills, such as resisting pressures to drink, coping with stress (at work and in relationships) and building communication skills.

These findings square with what we know about change in other areas of life: People change when they want it badly enough and when they feel strong enough to face the challenge, not when they're humiliated or coerced. An approach that empowers and offers positive reinforcement is preferable to one that strips the individual of agency. These techniques are most likely to elicit real changes, however short of perfect and hard-won they may be.

No matter what approach in recovery you are taking it's always important to have a network of support. If you need help with addiction and would like to have some support please visit us at The Sober Village, where we do recover and will support you in your efforts.

Drug Addiction and Alcohol Abuse

2008-03-24T07:34:00.001-07:00

For help with drug addiction and alcohol abuse please visit the sober forums at The Sober Village

A drug addiction alcohol abuse is very complex and normally comes with life-threatening issues. For families and friends who suffer on this kind of abuse by their loved ones usually get confused in the process of how they will proceed on the treatments.

Majority of the people is very unfamiliar with chemical dependencies, drug addictions and alcoholism. Because of this, people end up making inappropriate choices of not getting the best help possible or even worse. Detoxification is the initial step in the rehab process of a drug addiction alcohol abuse.

Let's go over to some drug addiction alcohol abuse principles that you can learn and get yourself familiarize with.

There is no single drug addiction alcohol abuse treatment that is appropriate for all individuals. Complementing the several drug abuse settings, interventions, and services to each individual's particular problems and needs is very critical to their ultimate success in returning to the productive functions in the society, workplace and family where you belong.

Drug addiction alcohol abuse treatments are needed to be readily available as individuals who are addicted to drugs may be uncertain about entering the treatment as well as taking advantage of the opportunities when they are ready for rehabilitation.

An effective rehabilitation attends to different needs of the individual in accordance to drug used. To be effective, it must address the individual's drug use and any associated legal, vocational, social, psychological, and medical problems. An individual's plan must be evaluated continually and modified if necessary to ensure that the plan meets the changing needs of the person.

An individual may require varying combinations of services and rehabilitation components during the course of recovery of drug addiction abuse. It is a very critical approach to be appropriate to the individual's gender, age, culture and ethnicity. Staying in rehabilitation for a period of time is critical for drug abuse treatment effectiveness. Some research indicates that for most individual, the edge of important improvements is reached in about three months in drug abuse treatment. After this edge is reached, there would be additional drug abuse treatments for producing further progress towards recovery of the individual.

Most people often leave drug abuse treatment pre-maturely because there are programs that include strategies to keep and engage patients in drug abuse treatment. Counseling, whether it's group or individual and other behavioral therapies are the essential components of effective drug addiction alcohol abuse treatments.

Help with Drinking Online

2008-03-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

If you found your way to this article it's probably due to a curiosity, an uncertainty, or simply information. If you or someone you know needs help with alcohol or substance abuse there is help online. There is a vast network of resources to help you find your answers and solutions.

Because of the many information resources provided by the world wide web many individuals or seeking help and information online before consulting with anyone face to face. Be it at an AA meeting where that is just to scary to think about or even the shame of discussing your problems with alcohol or other substances with a doctor or just unfathomable to many. If you need help with alcohol or drug abuse or have a family member or friend that you are painfully watching slip into the depths of addiction please visit many of the recommended sites of the Sober Sources Network.

Help is only a click away!
Sober Source Network
The Sober Village
Sober Teens Online!

Alcoholism Self-Help

2008-03-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

Alcoholism self help

Addiction basically means to get immune of some thing, some thing with out which a person does not get satisfied and he needs that element of addiction at every time of his life. Addiction can fall in to many categories, it could be for drugs, which may include medicines, cocaine, or it could be for television, sleep, travel, eating, or drinking.

When use of anything exceeds more then your needs and when a person would want to reduce the need of that addicted thing, this becomes very difficult. That is why it is known as addiction.
In case of alcoholism, it has a lot of disadvantages, which are physical and psychological.

Alcoholism makes a person alcohol dependant and for which there might be reasons like physical, mental, emotional and spiritual and at the same time all these reasons become the consequences for the addict. There are several rehabs for these kind of people so that they can get rid of these drinking problems, but the problems lies in the fact that the body of that particular person gets so much addicted to the percentage of alcohol that he can not stop his habits of drinking.

As the self help is the only concept which makes a person successful in every regards of life, weather is its money related, happiness involved or any other thing. In the similar manner self help can serve as the cure for this problem.

Any person who is an alcohol addict or alcoholic, he himself will be held responsible for being in that position, because this is a free world, where a person can do what ever he wants to, so if a person had reach to a point where he can not stop his habits which are harmful for him, there must be a definite start to all those habits, which for sure is initiated by man himself, on the basis of self help.

People start using alcohol, they enjoy it , they try it every day, and then there comes a day in there life when they realize that there is no way out without this, tough there are rehabs present to make people get rid of their addiction. But when a body gets addicted to certain percentage of alcohol, it becomes very difficult, even for rehab programs to bring that person back on track, unless the person himself have the courage to do so. So in this matter the concept of self help would be the only thing which could help that person out, as it has helped the man ever since.

Anxiety and Alcoholism

2008-03-12T06:01:00.000-07:00

ScienceDaily (Mar. 5, 2008) — Doctors may one day be able to control alcohol addiction by manipulating the molecular events in the brain that underlie anxiety associated with alcohol withdrawal, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center report in the March 5 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

"The association of anxiety with increased alcohol use is a key factor in the initiation and maintenance of alcohol addition," says Dr. Subhash Pandey, UIC professor of psychiatry and director of neuroscience alcoholism research, the lead author of the study.

Previous research has shown that people with inherently high levels of anxiety are at an increased risk of becoming alcoholics. In addition, withdrawal of alcohol in chronic users is often accompanied by extreme anxiety.

"Alcoholics may feel a need to continue to drink alcohol in an attempt to self-medicate to reduce their anxiety and other unpleasant withdrawal symptoms," said Pandey.

Pandey and his colleagues have discovered the molecular basis for the link between anxiety and alcohol addiction, which may help in identifying new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of alcohol addiction.

The researchers found that a protein within neurons in the amygdala -- the area of the brain associated with emotion and anxiety -- controls the development of alcohol withdrawal symptoms and drinking behaviors in laboratory animals by changing the shape of the neurons. This change in shape affects the communication between neurons, leading to changes in behavior.

Neurons communicate by sending signals through branches called dendritic spines. The researchers found that short-term alcohol exposure increased the number of dendritic spines in certain regions of the amygdala, producing anti-anxiety effects. Alcohol-dependent animals eventually developed a tolerance to the anxiety-lowering effects of alcohol.

The researchers traced the anti-anxiety effect to the production of a particular protein, Arc, in response to a nerve growth factor called BDNF that is stimulated by alcohol exposure. BDNF is vital in the functioning and maintenance of neurons.

When alcohol was withheld from animals that had been chronically exposed, they developed high anxiety. Levels of BDNF and Arc -- and the number of dendritic spines -- were decreased in the amygdala. But the researchers were able to eliminate the anxiety in the alcohol-dependent animals by restoring BDNF and Arc to normal levels.

Pandey suggested that an initial easing of anxiety may encourage people to begin to use alcohol, while for chronic users, a lack of alcohol provokes high anxiety, creating a need to continue drinking to feel normal.

The researchers blocked Arc production in normal rats by injecting a complementary sequence to Arc gene DNA into the central amygdala. They found that when levels of Arc in the central amygdala were lowered, the spines decreased and anxiety and alcohol consumption increased. When levels of Arc were returned to normal three days post-injection, anxiety and alcohol consumption also returned to normal. In a previous study, researchers found that lowering BDNF in amygdala promoted anxiety and alcohol drinking.

"This is the first direct evidence of the molecular processes occurring in the neurons that is responsible for the co-morbidity of anxiety and alcoholism, which we believe plays a major role in the addictive nature of alcohol," said Pandey.

"This offers the possibility of new therapeutic target -- BDNF-Arc signaling and associated dendritic spines in the amygdala -- or new drug development."

"These observations by Dr. Pandey's research group provide an insight into the link between alcohol and anxiety and could be used to identify new targets for developing medications that alleviate withdrawal-induced anxiety and potentially modify a motivation for drinking," said Antonio Noronha, director of neuroscience and behavior research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

The work was supported by grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Huaibo Zhang, Rajesh Ugale, Anand Prakash, Tiejun Xu and Kaushik Misra of the UIC College of Medicine and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center also contributed to the study.

Adapted from materials provided by University of Illinois at Chicago, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Depression Self-Test

2008-03-06T13:18:00.000-08:00

Take A Depression Self Test

Answer yes or no to the following questions:

1. When confronted with a problem, do you normally feel helpless to resolve it?

2. Have you skipped personal hygiene (bathing, brushing teeth, etc.) more than 5 days in the last month?

3. In the last month, have you spent at least one whole day in bed because you just didn't feel like getting up?

4. Have you lost interest and stopped doing your normal housekeeping routines (dishes, yard work, laundry, etc.) for more than 2 weeks?

5. Within the last 3 months, have you cut or hurt yourself out of frustration or to ease your emotional pain?

6. Do you regularly have trouble concentrating while making love?

7. Have you lost interest in food and eating regularly?

8. In the last year, have you missed more than 5 days work (or 5 days looking for work, if unemployed) because you just didn't feel like going in?

9. Has your employer mentioned a negative trend in your attitude, work performance or attendance?

10. In the last 3 months, have you thought of ways to commit suicide?
Depression Self Test Scoring:

A. If you answered 'yes' to any of the above questions, you should ask a close friend or family member to read Depression Treating with you and help you monitor your life to see if you are showing any symptoms.

B. If you answered 'yes' to 3 or more of the above questions, you should do 'A' above and take a copy of these questions and your answers to your doctor for a complete physical and professional opinion.

C. If you answered 'yes' to 5 or more of the above questions, you should do 'A & B' above and have the friend go with you to the doctor and be present for the diagnosis and doctor's instructions...to help see to it you follow through.

D. If you're taking this test to see if a loved one may be depressed, they may score fewer "yes" answers from your observation and still be depressed. You may be their last connection, so don't be afraid to be pushy. If they have mentioned taking their own life, ask them how they would do th

MORTALITY AND DRINKING

2008-03-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

How much and how often people drink - not just the average amount of alcohol they consume over time - independently influence the risk of death from several causes, according to a new study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"Taken together, our results reinforce the importance of drinking in moderation. In drinkers who are not alcohol dependent, the majority of U.S. drinkers, alcohol quantity and frequency might be thought of as modifiable risk factors for mortality," the researchers conclude.

"These findings underscore the importance of looking at drinking patterns when investigating alcohol-related health outcomes," says Ting-Kai Li, M.D., Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the NIH.

Rosalind A. Breslow, Ph.D., M.P.H., an epidemiologist in NIAAA's Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research, and Barry I. Graubard, Ph.D., a statistician in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute, examined data from a nationwide health survey conducted in 1988. Almost half of the nearly 44,000 people who participated in the survey identified themselves as current drinkers who had at least 12 drinks of alcohol during the previous year. By the end of 2002, more than 2,500 of these individuals had died. Drs. Breslow and Graubard compared their causes of death with the alcohol consumption patterns they reported in the survey. A report of their findings appears in the March, 2008 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

The researchers found that, in men, alcohol frequency and quantity had opposite effects on cardiovascular mortality. The greater the amount of alcohol that men consumed on drinking days, the greater was their risk for death from cardiovascular disease. For example, men who had five or more drinks on drinking days had a 30 percent greater risk for cardiovascular mortality than men who had just one drink per drinking day. Alcohol quantity was also associated with increased mortality from cancer among men. On the other hand, frequency of drinking was associated with decreased risk for death from cardiovascular disease among men -- those who reported drinking 120 to 365 days per year had about 20 percent lower cardiovascular mortality than men who drank just one to 36 days per year. The current study was not designed to determine why drinking frequency might have a protective effect. Among women, frequent drinking was associated with a significantly increased risk of cancer, while increased quantity was associated with risk for mortality from all causes.

Previous studies have linked moderate drinking with reduced risk for death from cardiovascular disease, while heavier drinking has been linked with increased mortality. Such studies have typically measured individuals' average alcohol intake. A drawback of that approach, says Dr. Breslow, is that averaging obscures potential differences between people who sometimes drink heavily and those who consistently drink small amounts of alcohol.

"Average intake makes no distinction between the individual who has seven drinks one day each week, for example, and someone who has just one drink, every day," explains Dr. Breslow. "Our study is the first to look at how both quantity and frequency components of alcohol consumption independently influence cause-specific mortality within a single cohort representing the US population."

The researchers note that the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise men to drink no more than two drinks per day and women to drink no more than one drink per day. Because women's bodies generally have less water than men's bodies, a given amount of alcohol is less diluted in a woman's body than in a man's. Consequently, when a woman drinks, the alcohol in her bloodstream typically reaches a higher level than a man's even if both are drinking the same amount.

----------------------------
Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
----------------------------

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health, is the primary U.S. agency for conducting and supporting research on the causes, consequences, prevention, and treatment of alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and alcohol problems and disseminates research findings to general, professional, and academic audiences. Additional alcohol research information and publications are available at http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - The Nation's Medical Research Agency - includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov/.

Source: John Bowersox
NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Children Nee Help To!

2008-03-03T08:27:00.001-08:00

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
www.samhsa.gov

Children Need Help Too!
Children in families experiencing alcohol
or drug abuse need attention, guidance and
support. They may be growing up in homes in
which the problems are either denied or
covered up.
These children need to have their experiences
validated. They also need safe, reliable adults
in whom to confide and who will support
them, reassure them, and provide them with
appropriate help for their age. They need to
have fun and just be kids.
Families with alcohol and drug problems usually
have high levels of stress and confusion. High
stress family environments are a risk factor for
early and dangerous substance use, as well as
mental and physical health problems.
It is important to talk honestly with children
about what is happening in the family and to
help them express their concerns and feelings.
Children need to trust the adults in their lives
and to believe that they will support them.
Children living with alcohol or drug abuse in
the family can benefit from participating in
educational support groups in their school
student assistance programs. Those age 11
and older can join Alateen groups, which meet
in community settings and provide healthy
connections with others coping with similar
issues. Being associated with the activities of a
faith community can also help.
Resources for Information and Help
There is help available in your local community.
Look in the Yellow Pages under Alcoholism
for treatment programs and self-help groups.
Call your county health department and ask
for licensed treatment programs in your
community. Keep trying until you find the
right help for your loved one, yourself and your
family. Ask a family therapist for a referral to a
trained interventionist or, call the Intervention
Resource Center at 1-888-421-4321.
Self-Help Groups
Al-Anon Family Groups
www.al-anon.org
Alateen
www.alateen.org
Alcoholics Anonymous
www.aa.org
Adult Children of Alcoholics
www.adultchildren.org
For a pastoral counseling center in your
community, visit www.aapc.org
For More Information
SAMHSA’s National Helpline
1-800-662-HELP
www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov
National Association for Children
of Alcoholics
www.nacoa.org
National Council on Alcoholism and
Drug Dependence
www.ncadd.org
Alcohol and
Drug Addiction
Happens in the
Best of Families
…and It Hurts
It doesn’t have to be that way

Mental Health Disorder in America

2008-02-25T16:20:00.000-08:00

Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 22 percent of Americans ages 18 and older—about 1 in 5 adults—suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.(1) When applied to the 1998 U.S. Census residential population estimate, this figure translates to 44.3 million people. (2) In addition, 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S. and other developed countries are mental disorders-major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder(3). Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time.

In the U.S., mental disorders are diagnosed based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV).(4)
Depressive Disorders

Depressive disorders encompass major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is included because people with this illness have depressive episodes as well as manic episodes.

Approximately 18.8 million American adults, 5 or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year, 1 have a depressive disorder. Nearly twice as many women (12.0 percent) as men (6.6 percent) are affected by a depressive disorder each year. These figures translate to 12.4 million women and 6.4 million men in the U.S. (5) Depressive disorders may be appearing earlier in life in people born in recent decades compared to the past.(6) Depressive disorders often co-occur with anxiety disorders and substance abuse.(7)
Major Depressive Disorder

Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and established market economies worldwide. 3 Major depressive disorder affects approximately 9.9 million American adults,5 or about 5.0 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. 1 Nearly twice as many women (6.5 percent) as men (3.3 percent) suffer from major depressive disorder each year. These figures translate to 6.7 million women and 3.2 million men. 5 While major depressive disorder can develop at any age, the average age at onset is the mid-20s. 4
Dysthymic Disorder

Symptoms of dysthymic disorder (chronic, mild depression) must persist for at least 2 years in adults (1 year in children) to meet criteria for the diagnosis. Dysthymic disorder affects approximately 5.4 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older during their lifetime. (1) This figure translates to about 10.9 million American adults. 5 About 40 percent of adults with dysthymic disorder also meet criteria for major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder in a given year. 1 Dysthymic disorder often begins in childhood, adolesc.ence, or early adulthood. (4)
Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder affects approximately 2.3 million American adults, 5 or about 1.2 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. 1 Men and women are equally likely to develop bipolar disorder5. The average age at onset for a first manic episode is the early 20s.(4)
Suicide

In 1997, 30,535 people died from suicide in the U.S.8 More than 90 percent of people who kill themselves have a diagnosable mental disorder, commonly a depressive disorder or a substance abuse disorder. 9 The highest suicide rates in the U.S. are found in white men over age 85. 8 The suicide rate in young people increased dramatically over the last few decades. In 1997, suicide was the 3rd leading cause of death among 15 to 24 year olds. (8) Four times as many men than women commit suicide; 8 however, women attempt suicide 2-3 times as often as men. (10)
Schizophrenia

Approximately 2.2 million American adults, 2 or about 1.1 percent of the population age 18 and older in a given year, have schizophrenia. Schizophrenia affects men and women with equal frequency.(11)
Schizophrenia often first appears earlier in men, usually in their late teens or early 20s, than in women, who are generally affected in their 20s or early 30s.(11)
Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias (social phobia, agoraphobia, and specific phobia).

Approximately 19.1 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 13.3 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have an anxiety disorder.(12) Anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with depressive disorders, eating disorders, or substance abuse.(7,13) Many people have more than one anxiety disorder.(11) Women are more likely than men to have an anxiety disorder. Approximately twice as many women as men suffer from panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, and specific phobia, though about equal numbers of women and men have obsessive-compulsive disorder and social phobia.(11,14,15)
Panic Disorder

Approximately 2.4 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 1.7 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have panic disorder. (12) Panic disorder typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood.(11) About 1 in 3 people with panic disorder develop agoraphobia, a condition in which they become afraid of being in any place or situation where escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of a panic attack.(11) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Approximately 3.3 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 2.3 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have OCD. 12 The first symptoms of OCD often begin during childhood or adolescence. (11)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Approximately 5.2 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 3.6 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have PTSD. (12)

PTSD can develop at any age, including childhood.(16) About 30 percent of Vietnam veterans experienced PTSD at some point after the war.(17) The disorder also frequently occurs after violent personal assaults such as rape, mugging, or domestic violence; terrorism; natural or human-caused disasters; and accidents.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Approximately 4.0 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 2.8 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have GAD.(12)

GAD can begin across the life cycle, though the risk is highest between childhood and middle age.(11)
Social Phobia

Approximately 5.3 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 3.7 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have social phobia.(12) Social phobia typically begins in childhood or adolescence.(11)
Agoraphobia and Specific Phobia

Agoraphobia involves intense fear and avoidance of any place or situation where escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of developing sudden panic-like symptoms. Approximately 3.2 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 2.2 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have agoraphobia.(12) Specific phobia involves marked and persistent fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation. Approximately 6.3 million American adults ages 18 to 54, or about 4.4 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have some type of specific phobia.(12)
Eating Disorders

The 3 main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.

Females are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder. Only an estimated 5 to 15 percent of people with anorexia or bulimia 18 and an estimated 35 percent of those with binge-eating disorder 19 are male. In their lifetime, an estimated 0.5 percent to 3.7 percent of females suffer from anorexia and an estimated 1.1 percent to 4.2 percent suffer from bulimia.(20)

Community surveys have estimated that between 2 percent and 5 percent of Americans experience binge-eating disorder in a 6-month period.(19,21)
The mortality rate among people with anorexia has been estimated at 0.56 percent per year, or approximately 5.6 percent per decade, which is about 12 times higher than the annual death rate due to all causes of death among females ages 15-24 in the general population.(22)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ADHD, one of the most common mental disorders in children and adolescents, affects an estimated 4.1 percent of youths ages 9 to 17 in a 6-month period.(23) About 2-3 times more boys than girls are affected(24). ADHD usually becomes evident in preschool or early elementary years. The disorder frequently persists into adolescence and occasionally into adulthood. (25)
Autism

Autism affects an estimated 1 to 2 per 1,000 people. (26) Autism and related disorders (also called autism spectrum disorders or pervasive developmental disorders) develop in childhood and generally are apparent by age 3. (27) Autism is about 4 times more common in boys than girls. Girls with the disorder, however, tend to have more severe symptoms and greater cognitive impairment.(27)
Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia among people age 65 and older, affects an estimated 4 million Americans. As more and more Americans live longer, the number affected by Alzheimer's disease will continue to grow unless a cure or effective prevention is discovered. The duration of illness, from onset of symptoms to death, averages 8 to 10 years.

Source:http://www.highlandridgehospital.com/statstics_mentalhealth.asp

Horse and Rider

2008-02-22T06:18:00.001-08:00

Horse and Rider
adapted from an original essay by Dr. Maxie Maultsby

Right after people get started in re-training their emotions, they want to know:

"How long will I have to practice?" The most accurate, honest answer is: 'you'll have to practice as long as it takes for you to get the result you want.'

At first, most people think I'm just trying to be funny when I tell them that. To get them to see that I'm sincere and that it's really helpful to keep that answer in mind, I give them this advice. Think of the thinking part of your brain (your neocortex) as being a rider; and think of the feeling part of your brain (your limbic system) as being a horse.

When you start emotional re-education, your neocortex is like a rider who has ridden his horse up and down the same straight road to work for ten years.
Until now, he could trust the hose to take him to and from work with little or no direct control But recently the rider moved to another part of town. Instead of a straight road to work, he now has to make one right turn on the way out and a left turn on the way back.

From the very first day after the move, the rider (the neocortex) remembers and makes the correct turns without mistakes. But the horse (the limbic system) doesn't. Instead, it has a strong urge to go straight down the road, just as it has for the past ten years. The horse will require time and lots of practice in being guided around the correct turns, before it learns to make them without being directed.

How long will it take before the horse learns to make the correct turns automatically? No one can say beforehand. Every horse differs in its ability to learn. Every rider differs in ability and willingness to teach his horse. The rider who gives his horse the most practice will teach his horse to make the correct turns without direction in the shortest time possible.

The same logic applies to people who are giving themselves a rational emotional re-education. Those who consistently practice the rational self-counseling method of emotional re-education will emotionally re-educate themselves in the shortest time possible. But it will still take as long as it takes.

So if you are persistent in doing what you know is the rational thing to do, even if it doesn't feel right because of old habits (cognitive dissonance, right?), it will eventually become automatic and feel right.

Gratitude

2008-02-16T07:13:00.001-08:00

It feels good to be grateful. I mean, really—It feels really good to be grateful for your life, your family, your friends, the beautiful day, whatever.

I’m sure you have known people in your life that seem to enjoy being miserable, people who can’t see the bright side of a situation even when all the sides are bright. You know the people I’m talking about, the complainers, the be-moaners, the “woe-is-me” people. I can remember a very specific “a-ha” moment when I was watching one of those people. You would have thought that her life was so awful and so sad according to her words and her countenance. But I knew her. I knew she had a pretty good life. Really, she didn’t have many problems. Of course, her life wasn’t perfect but nobody’s is. But rather than focusing on the good things in her life, she focused and remembered the parts that were perhaps not so good.

I can remember making a conscious decision to not be like that, to focus on and remember the good parts of my life. I thought, “I want to be happy, I want other people to be happy around me. I want to be grateful for the life I have instead of bemoaning the life I don’t have”. I may not always reach that goal but my consciousness is there.

So I started focusing on what I could be grateful for. There are so many things. Everybody has something they can be grateful for. There are things we all have in our life that we can be grateful for. Things like good weather, toothpaste and toilet paper. I know the last two seem mundane but if you don’t think you can be grateful for those things, think of the alternative!

Do you realize that in the United States even most of the “poor” people enjoy television sets and DVD players? You can check out almost any book in the world for 2 or 3 weeks at a time for free at your public library. There is an abundance of knowledge and wisdom, happiness and joy everywhere throughout the world. Everyone has some things to be grateful for. Think and focus on those things. Let the other things fall away.

A former acquaintance of mine used to ask me why I was so happy all the time and I told her about being grateful for the things that you have. She said that it was so hard to be grateful and I can remember being shocked. I thought it was easy, fun and it felt good. It didn’t seem hard to me. But I realized that I had made a habit of being grateful for the good things in my life whereas she had made a habit of noticing and focusing on the things she didn’t like, the things she wanted changed, the faults of everyone in her life and even her own faults. It was no wonder she was so unhappy!

I have since learned that my “Attitude of Gratitude” really helps me create the life of my dreams. And again, I am grateful for that. But I also want to express that even if gratitude didn’t help me create my life the way I want it to be, I would practice it anyway, because it feels good. Gratitude feels good and I want to be happy and feel good. Always.

Author: Karen Lynch

Places to Get Help

2008-02-13T10:06:00.000-08:00

Online message boards support communites for alcoholism, addiction and family membeersThe Sober Village

Additional Resources
Organizations
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD)
22 Cortlandt Street
Suite 801
New York, NY 10007-3128
Phone: 1-800-NCA-CALL (1-800-622-2255)
(212) 269-7797
Fax: (212) 269-7510
E-mail: national@ncadd.org
Web Address: http://www.ncadd.org

NCADD provides facts and scientific information about alcohol and drugs and related health issues, with specific resources for parents and youth. The organization also has a national intervention network and provides information about treatment programs and prevention.

Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters
1600 Corporate Landing Parkway
Virginia Beach, VA 23454-5617
Phone: 1-888-4AL-ANON (1-888-425-2666) for meeting information
(757) 563-1600
Fax: (757) 563-1655
E-mail: wso@al-anon.org
Web Address: http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/

Al-Anon is a support group and self-help program for family members and friends of people with alcohol and drug use problems. The program is based on the same principles as AA. Phone numbers for local offices are listed in area telephone books.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) World Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 459
New York, NY 10163
Phone: (212) 870-3400
Web Address: http://www.aa.org/

AA is a support group and self-help program for recovery from alcohol use problems as well as other substance abuse problems. Meetings are available in most communities at various times. Meetings can be "open" (for the person and his or her family) or "closed" (for the person only). Special groups for women, teens, and gay/lesbian people may be available in some areas. AA provides written information on the program of recovery. Phone numbers for local offices are listed in local area phone books.

National Association for Children of Alcoholics
11426 Rockville Pike
Suite 301
Rockville, MD 20852
Phone: 1-888-55-4COAS (1-888-554-2627)
(301) 468-0985
Fax: (301) 468-0987
E-mail: nacoa@nacoa.org
Web Address: http://www.nacoa.org/

This national nonprofit organization works on behalf of children of alcoholics. The mission of the organization is to raise public awareness, provide leadership in public policy, and inform and educate academic and other community systems. The organization provides videos, posters, comic books, and guides for teachers and other professionals who work with children.

Gene Found for Successful Smoking Cessation

2008-02-10T07:27:00.001-08:00

DURHAM, N.C. – Physicians may some day have a new tool for tailoring smoking cessation treatments to a patient's individual genetic makeup.

Researchers from Duke University Medical Center and the National Institute on Drug Abuse scanned the entire genetic makeup, or genome, of smokers and found that variants in 221 genes distinguished smokers who were successful in quitting from those who were not.

"The long-term hope is that identifying these genetic variables in smokers will help us determine which type of treatment would be most effective," said Jed Rose, Ph.D., director of Duke's Center for Nicotine and Smoking Cessation Research. "Knowing a smoker's genetic makeup could indicate how intensely they need to be treated. People who are having trouble quitting because of their genes might need more treatment to overcome their addiction."

The results of the research were published online April 2, 2007, in the journal BMC Genetics. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and Philip Morris USA Inc.

"We now have further evidence that there is a biological basis not only for addiction, but for a smoker's ability to successfully beat the addiction," said George Uhl, Ph.D., a neurologist and neuroscientist in the Molecular Neurobiology Branch of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Uhl's laboratory performed the genetic screening. "It is becoming clear that there is both a biological and an environmental basis to addiction and the ability to quit. Those involved in getting smokers to quit must pay attention to both factors."

The researchers screened 520,000 individual genes taken from blood samples of smokers and nonsmokers. When they compared the genes of smokers with those who had successfully given up the habit, they found clusters of positive results in 221 gene variants present only in the successful quitters.

Uhl said that researchers know the function of 187 of the 221 genes they identified, while the functions of the remaining variants are still to be determined.

"We also found that at least 30 of the genes that we had previously identified as playing roles in dependence to other drugs also contribute to nicotine dependence," Uhl said. "These findings lend further support to the idea that nicotine dependence shares some common genetic vulnerabilities with addictions to other legal and illegal substances."

Some of the specific genes identified might provide insights into why some people appear to have a susceptibility to addiction and why others are more successful in their attempts to quit.

"For example, one of the genes identified controls the production of adhesion molecules, which are crucial in guiding connections between individual nerve cells," Rose said. "Smokers whose nerve cell connections aren't working properly may be more vulnerable to addiction and may face a tougher time quitting. These findings open up new possibilities in finding specific targets for treatment."

Other identified genes play a role in controlling how people respond to stress. Uhl pointed out that one of the genes controls the production of a protein that is important in guiding learning processes in the brain.

The researchers are planning additional studies to try to correlate this new genetic information with how smokers actually respond to the many forms of cessation treatments.

Other members of the team, all from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, were Qing-Roong Liu, Tomas Drgon, Catherine Johnson and Donna Walther.

Source: http://www.dukemednews.org

Reclaiming Yourself

2008-02-05T08:48:00.000-08:00

While many resources exist for recovering alcoholics and addicts, none, so far, address the primary feature of all addictions; the state addicts would call, "aloneness"; the state emergence therapists call, "being in shock."

What does "being in shock" have to do with addictions? For one thing, "being in shock" is what puts people at risk for addictions and compulsions. For another, "being in shock" is the source of the addict's 'denial'; a kind of lie the addict believes is true. More important still, when addicts (and therapists who help addicts) see how shock and addictions connect, they gain a clear and blameless path toward "recovery" regardless of which addiction they address.

Of course, recovering from addiction is never easy, be it alcoholism, drug addiction, addiction to gambling, to food, to relationships, or to sex. Even so, when people focus on "being in shock" as the primary feature of addictions, the recovery process happens far more effectively and with greater love and gentleness than is usually thought possible. Even after years of addiction. Even for those with marginal faith.

This part of the emergence site explores additions in general; be it addition to alcohol, to drugs, to relationships, or to gambling. It also explores related conditions such as compulsive eating and dieting, as well as how shock affects risk for and recovery from all these ills. More important still, through out our discussions of these topics, we remain blameless explorers. How? By keeping our focus on the two most important things to know about addition and recovery: on how "being in shock" affects risk for addiction and compulsion. And on how emergence therapy can help people to recover.

Source: http://theemergencesite.com/Addiction-Recovery-Index.htm

Solilquuy

2008-02-02T12:42:00.000-08:00

Solilquuy

When evening comes, I meditate
on what the day has brought,
and do my best to understand
what lessons I have been taught.

For I believe the reason why
we have been given birth,
is we must meet the challenges
that we face her on earth.

Life isn't just a one-way street
where we can't lift our voices,
from birth until the day we die
we're given many choices.

I have to question, did I try
to really understand,
the needs that someone else may have
and lend a helping hand?

If I will just remember
to light one little spark,
that brightens someone else's life
that otherwise is dark.

Then I can find contentment
in doing what I can,
and knowing there's a reason
I've been chosen for His plan.

The Jigsaw Puzzle of Addiction

2008-01-29T08:48:00.001-08:00

ScienceDaily (Jan. 7, 2008) — Using an integrative meta-analysis approach, researchers from the Center for Bioinformatics at Peking University in Beijing have assembled the most comprehensive gene atlas underlying drug addiction and identified five molecular pathways common to four different addictive drugs.

Drug addiction is a serious worldwide problem with strong genetic and environmental influences. So far different technologies have revealed a variety of genes and biological processes underlying addiction. However, individual technology can be biased and render only an incomplete picture. Studying individual or a small number of genes is like looking at pieces of a jigsaw puzzle - only when you gather most of the pieces from different places and arrange them together in an orderly fashion do interesting patterns emerge.

The team, led by Liping Wei, surveyed scientific literature published in the past 30 years and collected 2,343 items of evidence linking genes and chromosome regions to addiction based on single-gene strategies, microarray, proteomics, or genetic studies.

They made this gene atlas freely available in the first online molecular database for addiction, named KARG (http://karg.cbi.pku.edu.cn), with extensive annotations and a user friendly interface.

Assembling the pieces of evidence together, the authors identified 18 molecular pathways that are statistically enriched in the addiction-related genes. They then identified five pathways that are common to addiction to four different substances. These common pathways may underlie shared rewarding and response mechanisms and may be targets for effective treatments for a wide range of addictive disorders.

Journal citation: Li CY, Mao X, Wei L (2008) Genes and (common) pathways underlying drug addiction. PLoS Comput Biol 4(1): e2. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.0040002

Adapted from materials provided by Public Library of Science

Alcoholism and Hypoglycemia

2008-01-25T09:08:00.001-08:00

Scientists at the leading Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have now disclosed the mystery how alcohol may cause exaggerated insulin secretion resulting in severe hypoglycemia (too low blood sugar). This mechanism, which is described in the latest number of Endocrinology, explains how alcohol ingestion may harm the human brain by decreasing the blood glucose concentration to inappropriately low levels.

Hypoglycemia induced by alcohol ingestion is a well known clinical problem in diabetic patients. However, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have largely remained elusive. Since insulin secretion can be rapidly tuned by changes in pancreatic microcirculation, scientists at the Stockholm South Hospital Diabetes Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, evaluated the influence of alcohol administration on pancreatic islet blood flow and dynamic changes in insulin secretion and blood sugar levels.

"We have now found that alcohol exerts substantial influences on pancreatic microcirculation by evoking a massive redistribution of pancreatic blood flow from the exocrine into the endocrine (insulin-producing) part via mechanisms mediated by the messenger molecule nitric oxide and the vagus nerve, augmenting late phase insulin secretion, and thereby evoking hypoglycemia" says lead investigator Åke Sjöholm.

According to Professor Sjöholm the discovery is very important. This novel mechanism may in part underlie the well known hypoglycemic properties of alcohol in diabetic patients or in alcoholics with hepatic failure.

Investigators note that their study might also be relevant to "the derailed metabolic situation in diabetic subjects." Alcohol intake might provoke sustained hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes patients being treated with hypoglycemic sulfonylureas, such as glibenclamide, because many of these drugs have a long biological half-life. Furthermore, many alcoholics are malnourished and/or have liver cirrhosis and might therefore be unable to mount a gluconeogenetic response to hypoglycemia, Professor Sjöholm says.
Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/93141.php

Forgiveness

2008-01-23T08:44:00.000-08:00

"Forgiveness: It Just Ain't Fair"
by Philip Yancey
Once my wife and I were having a rather animated discussion and she turned to me and said, "You know, I think it is pretty impressive that I forgave you for some of the dastardly things you have done."

I know what you probably want me to talk about. You probably want me to tell you about those dastardly things that I've done, but I am not going to do that tonight. We are not talking about sins; we are talking about forgiveness.

As I thought about my wife's comment, I realized that she had come up in the middle of a heated exchange with a rather profound theological insight. Sometimes when you say a word like forgiveness, we think it is nice and sweet. It is like spraying perfume, but forgiveness isn't like that. It's hard; it's tough. It is one of the hardest things we ever have to do. As I thought about it, I realized that even when you forgive someone it is easy to still hurt, to still feel the sting. In a real sense, forgiveness just ain't fair.

Sigmund Freud said, "One must forgive one's enemies but not before they have been hanged." That's natural. That's fair. That's how many of us feel. It is kind of a law of nature. It is what works on the National Football League playing field. It is what works in nature. You don't have cats turning around and saying to dogs who are chasing them up a tree, "I forgive you." You don't have dolphins saying to the shark, "We forgive you for eating our playmates." It is a dog-eat-dog world out there, not a dog-forgive-dog world.

If that is the world of nature and if that is kind of instinctive to us, why is it that our faith and our Bible and God ask us to make forgiveness at the core of what we believe? I've thought about this.

Many of us pray every day, as I did this morning in church, The Lord's Prayer, "forgive us as we forgive others." It's at the core of our religion and yet it is not fair. It hurts. It is not easy to do. Why would God want us to do something that is so unlike what our instinct is, that is so unfair. I came up with three reasons that I want to share with you today.

The first reason is that forgiveness is the only way to break the cycle. You are right. It is not fair. If you want a fair religion, I would suggest that you become a Hindu because the Hindus have a very clear way of taking care of everything. It is called incarnation. If you have done many things wrong, the Hindu scholars tell us, it may take as many 6,800,000 incarnations for those things to all work themselves out. You have to realize the punishment in this life is for something you did in a former life.

I have noticed that sometimes marriage is a little bit like Hinduism in that respect. A husband says to a wife, "Why didn't you remind me that it was my mother's birthday?"

The wife says, "Wait a minute. It is your mother. Why am I supposed to remind you?"

The husband says, "Yes, but you are in charge of the calendar."

They go back and forth, back and forth, tit for tat about 6,800,00 times until finally somebody says, "Stop. This can't go on. We have got to break the cycle. I am sorry. Forgive me. I know it's not fair; I know I may be wrong. Forgive me. I'm sorry."

If we don't do that, you get a situation like we are seeing right now on a national scale in Yugoslavia. If you read the words that are coming out of Yugoslavia, one group says, "We don't like the way you treated us in World War II."

That group says, "We don't like the way you treated us in the eighteenth century."

The other group says, "We don't like the way you treated us in the fourteenth century."

It goes on and on and on and on until somebody says, "Stop. I am going to break the cycle." Forgiveness is the way to break that cycle.

I saw a tremendous example of forgiveness in operation a little over a year ago when I went to Russia, which was at that time still the Soviet Union. I was privileged to be with a group of Christians and we went and visited the headquarters of the KGB. The interpreter for that group was a Christian evangelist. He is Russian by birth but his family had to leave when he was seven years old. They were chased out of the country. His uncle was killed. He had relatives who were put in a concentration camp.

Here was an older man who had his radio programs blocked for years, jammed by KGB jamming devices, who had his visas turned down for years. He couldn't visit Russia. Now he was translating for the number two man in the KGB, who was a ramrod straight army colonel.

The KGB colonel went ahead and said, "Before there can be perestroika in our country, there has to be a stage of repentance. We have done many things wrong and we must repent for them."

The interpreter, Alex Leonovich, who is a huge bear of a man, turned to him, broke his interpretation and said, "Colonel, Jesus told us how to respond when someone repents. In the name of Christ, in the name of my family, in the name of my uncle, I forgive you for what your organization did to me."

Then we saw the amazing scene of this big bear of a man, a Russian evangelist, reaching over to a ramrod straight KGB colonel and embracing him in a huge, Russian bear hug. We could see whispers going on. We didn't know what they said until later Alex told us. The KGB colonel said, "Alex, only two times in my life have I cried. Once was when my mother died and once was tonight."

That was the power of forgiveness, a way to break the chain that can go on and on and on. It's not fair, but it breaks that chain.

There is a second reason why I believe God asks us to forgive and that is it breaks the stranglehold in you and in me, not just the stranglehold on the relationship, but the stranglehold in us.

I have seen that acted out on stage, as many people have, in the most popular musical in recent times. It is a musical based on a novel by Victor Hugo, Les Miserable. In that musical, there is a wonderful story of a convict who was a hardened, mean man and had been in jail for ten years, doing hard labor in chains.

He was finally set free, but he had a convict card. He couldn't get a job; he couldn't even stay in a hotel room. He went to a bishop's house. The bishop let him stay over night. In the middle of the night when everyone went to sleep, the convict got up, stole a silver candle stick and crept out of the bishop's house and took off through the woods.

He was caught. He was caught by the French policemen. They came in the middle of the night, woke up the bishop and said, "We've got him, this lying, conniving thief. We've got him. This time we are going to put him away for life."

The bishop turned to this man cowering in chains and said, "That's no thief. That's my guest, Jean Valjean, but I gave him two candlesticks, not one. He forgot one." He reached in a drawer and gave him another silver candlestick. The police had to let him go. That experience of forgiveness for something he had done wrong, that unfair act of forgiveness seeped down inside of Jean Valjean. He kept those candlesticks for the rest of his life as mementoes of what the bishop had done.

I saw another scene of forgiveness acted out on the international stage when East Germany first started coming back together with West Germany. There was a period of time before they joined when they were not a Communist state, but they elected their parliament. Do you know what their first act as parliament was? I'll read it to you. The very first act that East Germany passed was this:

"We, the first freely elected parliamentarians of the German Democratic Republic, on behalf of the citizens of this land, admit responsibility for the humiliation, expulsion and murder of Jewish men, women and children. We feel sorrow and shame and acknowledge this burden of German history. We ask all the Jews of the world to forgive us."

That was their first act as a nation. For fifty years their leaders had been telling them, "You didn't do that. Those were your West German brothers. We weren't Nazis." We didn't do this evil, but down deep the guilt was still there. It was still a stranglehold on them. When they finally became a country freely elected, the first thing they wanted to do was to break that stranglehold, turn it back over.

There is a third reason that I think God asks us to forgive and that is because God first forgave us. It is one thing to get into a tit-for-tat war with a wife, husband, a nation. It is another thing to get into one with God because we are going to lose every time. No one of us deserves forgiveness from God.

When Jesus came to earth, He came and left a wonderful example of forgiveness. What I learned from that example was that forgiveness probably wasn't very easy for God. It was hard for Him. When Jesus was in the garden, he prayed "Lord, if there is any other way..." There was no other way but the hard way.

At the cross some of His last words were, "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they do." The Roman soldiers, the mobs yelling, people all down through the chain of history including you and me, "Forgive them for they don't know what they do." I think in some ways the cross is God's way of saying, "It is pretty impressive that I forgive you for some of the dastardly things that you have done."

I was reading the Book of Romans not long along ago and I will leave you with this verse from Romans 12:19. Paul is giving a number of commands and instructions on living and at the end he says, "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's anger, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says God. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

In the final analysis, forgiveness is an act of faith. It is the belief that God can take care of the fairness problems. It is not fair just to pretend that something doesn't happen. It did happen. It still hurts. It still stings. Forgiveness is not fair, but forgiveness is a way of taking that burden from us and giving it to God who is fair. "I will avenge," says the Lord. You forgive. It breaks the cycle of relationships. It breaks the stranglehold on you and on me and it is what God did for us in his Son Jesus on the cross.

Alcoholism and Addiction Help

2008-01-22T11:52:00.000-08:00

IF YOU NEED HELP AND SUPPORT NOW PLEASE VISIT US AT The Sober Village or Sober Musicians where we care, understand and have been there!!

Local Programs Break Cultural Barrier

2008-01-21T11:50:00.000-08:00

The problem with many of the federally funded studies that provide valuable information to treatment and rehabilitation centers across the country is that their main study samples are usually made up of white men. The majority of people in treatment in the United States are white men, so in the beginning, this approach to research studies made sense. However, now that the basic epidemiological studies have been done, it’s about time to focus on different cultures and ethnicities that may have characteristics that affect the outcome of drug addiction treatment.

To that end, I’m highlighting a few different programs that may be local in scope but could have worldwide effectiveness. To start with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is sponsoring a program that focuses on substance abuse prevention in American Indian communities. The Cherokee Nation is one of five tribal groups is one of five who will take part.

The Mental Health Association of Westchester County in New York was recently awarded a $50,000 grant by the van Ameringen Foundation to support the expansion of Nuestro Futuro. This organization serves Hispanics and the grant will help wipe out the waiting list of Hispanics in need of mental health and substance abuse treatment services. It will also focus on outreach and education in this community.

San Joaquin County in California has agreed to provide the nonprofit Human Services Project with $1.1 million in an effort to learn more about the substance abuse treatment needs in a number of specific cultural groups including its Asian, American Indian, black, Hispanic, Muslim, Middle Eastern and gay populations. The goal is to help people in these groups to keep their housing and avoid hospitalization through county services.

If you’re not finding treatment services in your community that speak specifically to your needs, you can take matters into your own hands. Those who are addicted to opiate painkillers may find that the treatment services nearest to them are not conducive to rehabilitation for them. Especially in small towns or rural areas, ethnic and cultural minorities may not feel especially welcome in drug rehab programs. The feeling of alienation due to drug addiction is bad enough without feeling like you’re even more singled out due to your religion, skin color or family’s cultural background. You can get a Suboxone prescription and treat your drug addiction in the privacy of your own home. Your family and friends don’t even have to know that you have a problem since you take your Suboxone pills just as you’ve taken other prescription painkillers before. It’s hard to hide your addiction to drugs when you enroll in an inpatient treatment or day treatment rehab center. Handle your addiction privately with a truly private Suboxone treatment.
Source: http://www.meditoxofpalmbeach.com/blog/detox/addiction/page/2/

Fun Facts

2008-01-16T08:35:00.001-08:00

Did you know that the human body produces its own supply of alcohol naturally on a continous basis, 24 hours a day, seven days a week? 25 Did you know that the world's oldest known recipe is for beer? 2 For interesting alcohol-related facts and trivia, select a topic below.
Alcohol and Drinking Facts in States across the US

Enjoy these interesting facts about alcohol and drinking in different states.
Alchohol Trivia

The word "toast," meaning a wish of good health, started in ancient Rome, where a piece of toasted bread was dropped into wine. 3.10
Would You Believe...

Vikings used the skulls of their enemies as drinking vessels. 1
It's The Law!

Anyone under the age of 21 who takes out household trash containing even a single empty alcohol beverage container can be charged with illegal possession of alcohol in Missouri. 8
Cavemen to Columbus

The early Church declared that alcohol was an inherently good gift of God to be used and enjoyed. While individuals might choose not to drink, to despise alcohol was heresy. 12
Puritans to Prohibition

While there wasn't any cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, or pumpkin pie to eat at the first Thanksgiving, there was beer, brandy, gin, and wine to drink. 1.1
Prohibition: The Noble Experiment

During Prohibition, temperance activists hired a scholar to rewrite the Bible by removing all references to alcohol beverage. 8.a
Beverages: Ales to Zombies

Bourbon takes its name from Bourbon County in Kentucky, where it was first produced in 1789 by a Baptist minister. 7
Health and Safety

The alcohol in drinks of either low alcohol content (below 15%) or high alcohol content (over 30%) tend to be absorbed into the body more slowly. 9

Cocaine Vacine?

2008-01-14T08:13:00.000-08:00

Have not yet formulated an opinion on this but worthy of watching for updates I suppose.- Chy

A husband and wife team based at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston, Texas, have developed a cocaine vaccine that is currently undergoing clinical trials. The vaccine, which is based on an inactivated form of the drug, teaches the immune system to fight real cocaine and stop it getting to the brain and delivering the expected "high".

Developing a vaccine to free millions of addicts from dependency on substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine and nicotine, has been a long term goal of Tom and Therese Kosten for more than 30 years. They were ice skating partners as teenagers, and both went to Yale, he to complete his medical training and she to do a PhD in psychology and neuroscience. They joined BCM's Menninger Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences 18 months ago after relocating from Connecticut.

Tom Kosten, who is now psychiatry professor at the college told the Houston Chronicle the vaccine should help people who want to stop using cocaine:

"At some point, most users will give in to temptation and relapse, but those for whom the vaccine is effective won't get high and will lose interest," he explained.

Tom Kosten recently asked the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to give the go ahead to a phase III clinical trial of the vaccine. All being well, the multi-centre study will begin in the spring, although full FDA approval may take several years after that. The trial involves 300 participants in six locations around the US, including Houston.

Speaking in an interview shortly after they joined BCM, Tom Kosten said he and his wife were both:

"Interested in developing medications to treat addictions."

"One attraction for me is the immense social implications of the area," he added.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimated that in 2005 some 22.5 million Americans were classed as substance dependent.

The habit has a large price tag, costing the nation over 480 billion dollars a year, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This is almost three times as much as cancer, with considerable social implications.

When under the influence of drugs, and often for up to a week after stopping, some abusers become sociopathic, and homicidal. As Kosten explained to online college magazine BCM Solutions last summer, drugs hijack the normal brain pathways that are needed for normal social functioning:

"Through brain imaging studies, we have learned that many abusers can be insensitive to feelings and emotions in others. The abuser's brain just doesn't register that another person is in pain or that the abuser may be causing that emotional, and in extreme cases, that physical pain."

Many drugs like cocaine are made of small particles that are too small for the immune system to react to and then destroy with antibodies. What was needed thought Tom and Therese, was something bigger that the immune system could react to and at the same time "learn" to fight cocaine.

The solution, which seems obvious now, but has taken nearly ten years to perfect, is very clever. Take an inactive cholera toxin protein and attach inactivated cocaine to its surface. This "tricks" the immune system into making antibodies against cocaine. The immune system "sees" the inactivated cholera toxin and also the cocaine pattern and makes antibodies against both substances.

Then, when the vaccinated patient ingests cocaine, the antibodies made in response to the inactivated version attack the real thing by binding to it and stopping it reaching the brain. The expected "high" doesn't occur, the reinforcement pattern is broken, and the patient eventually loses interest. Or that's the theory that needs to be tested.

Should the vaccine get through clinical trials (assuming the FDA give the go ahead), it will be a significant breakthrough in the treatment of cocaine addiction, which currently comprises psychiatric help and a 12 step programme.

Some experts have urged people excited by the idea not to expect too much. Not only may it be some time before a vaccine hits the market, it may not work for every one.

As with all new treatments there are a number of ethical and other questions to resolve. Who should get the treatment? What type of support will people need? And what if hardened addicts just take a lot more of the substance as a way to overcome the ability of the immune system to respond? What effect might that have on their sociopathic tendencies, quite apart from the medical implications?

According to law professor and chairman of the District of Columbia Medical Society's physician health committee, Peter Cohen, interviewed by the Houston Chronicle, these issues are not unsurmountable:

"Overall, the benefits to society of such vaccines would outweigh the risks."

Click here to read full story in Houston Chronicle.

Sources: Houston Chronicle, BCM Solutions.

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Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Mental Ward

2008-01-12T08:58:00.001-08:00

It is now accepted that alcohol related brain damage is the largest cause of mental retardation in the United States.

When I was "hospitalized" some years ago, before coming to terms with my illness, I was admitted to an old psychiatric institution. It was a huge place, covering over 100 acres and used to be a self-sufficient town in it's own right. Back then, it was where you ended up if you were found in breach of what was known as the Inebriates Act. It also applied to other substances. In fact, everyone in the area whom society found distasteful because they were intellectually/physically disabled or mentally ill ended up there. But it was the safest place for them, and for society.

When I was allowed to have my "clothes" back, I was also given the privilege of being able to explore the hospital grounds. I used to walk as far away from the building as I could, into the paddocks, to be on my own and escape the screaming and antics of the tortured souls of the ward.

One day I came across a clump of trees, and in amongst these trees were mounds. They were old graves, probably from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Men, women and children - forgotten, no names were on the wooden crucifixes. Some of those people went to their deaths no longer remembering who they were either.

Today, the "hospital" is closed, it is no longer somewhat a refuge to those who cannot look after themselves. While it wasn't a pleasant place and many frightening things occurred while I was there, it was still home for me and many others.

My 9 months as a patient taught me many things. They were hard lessons to learn at the age of 21, but looking back, I consider myself very lucky to have been in that place, unpleasant as it was. Before I did my "tours of duty", I really had no idea what the terms ARBD, Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome and DIP really meant.

There I met a 17 year old who had just "done" his first line of speed. He was stuck in a psychotic state, which will probably be forever. I met many people suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, which is a terrifying illness - for everyone. Many of these people were marijuana users. Don't let anyone ever tell you that marijuana is a soft drug. If you have mental illness running in your family, such as endogenous depression or schizophrenia , marijuana will often trigger it - and will exacerbate the illness. And perhaps what may have been an intermittent problem in your life will become your constant companion.

There were other patients who had burnt their brains out with drugs like LSD, bad cocaine (cut with all sorts of toxic materials - dealers often mix powder drugs with cheap materials to increase profit margins). You name the poison, it's final effects lived (if you can call it that) in that hospital.

There were people with HIV and all the forms of Hepatitis, mainly IV drug users. Many patients had mild ARBD (alcohol related brain damage/birth defects) to accompany their various mental illnesses. Common symptoms of ARBD include difficulty in planning new tasks, difficulty in learning new things, aggression, paranoia, deterioration in work performance, confusion, or poor coordination.

Then there were the men of Ward 13 - Mainly Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS) patients. Many of these people are the ones you see huddled in alleyways, drinking strange and poisonous liquids out of brown paper bags. This is a disease that many long-term alcoholics seem to contract. It is also commonly known as "wet brain". As the brain shrinks the ventricles become enlarged. It basically eats away at the frontal lobe. It is caused through a B1 (Thiamine) deficiency. Alcohol destroys B1. Approximately .5 - 2.9% of the population have WKS in some form.

Based on clinical research studies, between 22% to 29% of individuals with dementia are found to be heavy drinkers or alcoholics

Amongst its many symptoms are:

- double vision
- uncontrollable or twitching of the eyes. Sometimes one eye may be permanently askew
- eyelid drooping
- loss of muscle coordination
- unsteady, uncoordinated walking
- weakness
- hand tremor
- muscle contractions
- muscle atrophy
- facial paralysis
- sensation changes
- decreased sensation in the feet or hands, numbness
- abnormal sensations, tingling
- thin, malnourished appearance
- loss of hair
- dry skin
- swallowing difficulty
- speech impairment - slurring, choked
- hoarseness or changing voice
- mood changes, emotional changes, and behavior changes, including aggression
- loss of memory, can be profound
- confabulation - pathological lying to fill in gaps of time
- decreased intellect/cognitive skills
- decreased problem solving, confusion when presented with minor challenges
- loss of ability to think abstractly
- orthostatic dizziness
- constipation
- inability to tolerate cold environment
- incontinence

WKS is incurable.

Some of the people I met in Ward 13 were once doctors, lawyers and scientists. Some of them were under the age of 40. Addiction does not discriminate. The lucky ones die, the rest get diseases like "wet brain". When I spoke to a nurse about the condition, she told me that in some of the patients their memories were so bad that they could not remember one minute to the next.

She told me that she could call them in for breakfast, they would eat and return to the courtyard. Five minutes later, she could call them again and they would return and start breakfast all over again. They would have forgotten that they had eaten.

Some of them had forgotten how to use a toilet and had to wear diapers. From a scientist to quivering, dribbling, incontinent carcass with a heartbeat. It was tragic.

One man that I walked past outside the ward proudly declared to me that he was "going home today, family is coming". He had been waiting there every day for 8 months. The saddest thing was, he truly believed it. Confabulation. He had forgotten that his family had disowned him.

When I came to terms with my condition and went to a detox clinic instead of a psychiatric ward, I met a farmer who thought it was 1969. It was 1994. He had lost the farm in 1969 after a massive binge. He did not know what his name was. His condition was so bad when he came into detox that they had to administer Valium intravenously. For two days he took seizures every 15 minutes or so. Watching these seizures occur is truly frightening.

Some people who have Korsikoffs, ARBD, and DIP get caught in a space in time that is absolute agony. Remember that movie "Ground Hog Day"? It was set in a quaint little town. Now imagine the setting being the worst day you have ever experienced in your life. That is what these people experience, every day for the rest of their lives. Do they deserve it? Some may say yes, but while most of us consciously chose to drink/use, none of us chose to be alcoholics/addicts.

But, here's the catch.... once we have the education we need to be responsible our our own illness. There were some days that I hated the people who helped me, because the education they gave me also gave me the burden of knowledge. I could no longer claim ignorance.

Many of us "fall off the wagon" in our struggle for recovery, it is a life-long battle and the stakes are high...it is sometimes very tiring. But "falling off" shouldn't prevent us from trying again.

I saw my future as an addict/alcoholic and learned..

There is something worse than death.

There is insanity.

There is Ward 13.

Michael Bloch
michael@worldwideaddiction.com
http://www.worldwideaddiction.com

Acute Stress Disorder

2008-01-11T14:06:00.001-08:00

Acute stress disorder develops within one month after an individual experiences or sees an event involving a threat or actual death, serious injury, or physical violation to the individual or others, and responded to this event with strong feelings of fear, helplessness or horror. The diagnosis was established to identify those individuals who would eventually develop post-traumatic stress disorder. As far back as World War I this condition was referred to as "shell shock," in which there are similarities between reactions of soldiers who suffered concussions caused by exploding bombs or shells and those who suffered blows to their central nervous systems. Civilians may also suffer from it. More recently, ASD was brought to light as it became clear that for a short period, people might exhibit PTSD-like symptoms immediately after a trauma.

Trauma has both a medical and a psychiatric definition. Medically, trauma refers to a serious or critical bodily injury, wound or shock. This definition is often associated with trauma medicine practiced in emergency rooms and represents a popular view of the term. Psychiatrically, trauma has assumed a different meaning and refers to an experience that is emotionally painful, distressful or shocking, which often results in lasting mental and physical effects.

Psychiatric trauma, or emotional harm, is essentially a normal response to an extreme event. It involves the creation of emotional memories about the distressful event that are stored deep within the brain. In general, it is believed that the more direct the exposure to the traumatic event, the higher the risk for emotional harm. Thus in a school shooting, for example, the student who is injured probably will be most severely affected emotionally; and the student who sees a classmate shot or killed is likely to be more emotionally affected than the student who was in another part of the school when the violence occurred. But even secondhand exposure to violence can be traumatic. For this reason, all children and adolescents exposed to violence or a disaster, even if only through graphic media reports, should be watched for signs of emotional distress.

Symptoms

For a diagnosis of acute stress disorder, symptoms must persist for a minimum of two days to up to four weeks within a month of the trauma.

A person may be described as having acute stress disorder if other mental disorders or medical conditions do not provide a better explanation for the person's symptoms. If symptoms persist after a month, the diagnosis becomes post-traumatic stress disorder.

Symptoms include:

* Lack of emotional responsiveness, a sense of numbing or detachment
* A reduced sense of surroundings
* A sense of not being real
* Depersonalization or a sense of being dissociated from self
* An inability to remember parts of the trauma, "dissociative amnesia"
* Increased state of anxiety and arousal such as a difficulty staying awake or falling asleep
* Trouble experiencing pleasure
* Repeatedly re-experiencing the event through recurring images and/or thoughts, dreams, illusions, flashbacks
* Purposeful avoidance of exposure to thoughts, emotions, conversations, places or people that remind them of the trauma
* Feelings of stress interfering with functioning; social and occupational skills are impaired affecting the patient's ability to function, pursue required tasks and seek treatment

Causes

When a fearful or threatening event is perceived, humans react innately to survive: They either are ready for battle or run away (hence the term "fight-or-flight response"). The nature of the acute stress response is all too familiar. Its hallmarks are an almost instantaneous surge in heart rate, blood pressure, sweating, breathing and metabolism, and a tensing of muscles. Enhanced cardiac output and accelerated metabolism are essential to mobilizing for fast action. This explanation is thought to be in part a cause for anxiety disorders. Yet over the past decade, the limitations of the acute stress response as a model for understanding anxiety have become more apparent. The first and most obvious limitation is that the acute stress response relates to arousal rather than anxiety. Anxiety differs from arousal in several ways: First, with anxiety, the concern about the stressor is out of proportion to the realistic threat. Second, anxiety is often associated with elaborate mental and behavioral activities designed to avoid the unpleasant symptoms of a full-blown anxiety or panic attack. Third, anxiety is usually longer lived than arousal. Fourth, anxiety can occur without exposure to an external stressor. Cognitive factors, especially the way people interpret or think about stressful events, play a critical role in the etiology of anxiety. A decisive factor is the individual's perception, which can intensify or dampen the response. One of the most salient negative cognitions in anxiety is the sense of uncontrollability. It is typified by a state of helplessness due to a perceived inability to predict, control or obtain desired results. These are among the factors considered as causes of anxiety disorders such as acute stress disorder.

Treatment

Cognitive behavioral therapy is the treatment that has met with the most success in combating ASD. It has two main components: First, it aims to change cognitions, patterns of thought surrounding the traumatic incident. Second, it tries to alter behaviors in anxiety-provoking situations.

Cognitive behavioral therapy not only ameliorates the symptoms of ASD, but also it seems to prevent people from developing post-traumatic stress disorder. The chance that a person diagnosed with acute stress disorder will develop PSTD is about 80 percent; the chance that they will develop PTSD after cognitive-behavioral therapy is only about 20 percent.

Psychological debriefing and anxiety management groups are two other types of therapy that have been examined for the treatment of ASD. Psychological debriefing involves an intense therapeutic invention immediately after the trauma, so that traumatized individuals can "talk it all out." In anxiety management groups, people share coping strategies and learn to combat stress together. However, both types of therapy have proven to be largely ineffectual for the treatment of ASD.

Sources:

* American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition

Addiction and Genetics

2008-01-08T08:16:00.001-08:00

Following on from my article "Addiction - the disease concept", I would also like to state the case for addiction being a genetic predisposition, not just a problem caused by social environment. This is another concept that creates a fair amount of controversy.

Without getting into the scientific technobabble regarding this subject, let's consider a several groups of people... the Australian Aboriginal, the Native American and the New Zealand Maori -prior to the European invasion.

These three groups share many things in common. They all lived in harmony with their environment, they had strong social networks, they were proud people, they are all very creative and artistic.

It is often stated that it was the arrival of the European that decimated these peoples. It wasn't so much the arrival that caused the mass destruction, but what accompanied it. Guns, prejudice, disease......and alcohol. While the open slaughter of these peoples does not occur today as it did previously, and tolerance to introduced communicable disease has risen, alcohol is still the major factor in the steady loss of these cultures.

And it isn't just the direct effects of alcohol on the body. I remember speaking with an Aboriginal elder about the challenges faced by their youth in my area. I was told they don't listen to the elders any more because so many of them have alcohol problems. The ancient tradition of respect for the elders within this culture is crumbling.

Why is it that these groups tend to have greater problems with alcohol? It isn't anything to do with intelligence, nor ability to socialise or express .... they are masters of these things. The simple fact is that these groups, like myself, have little tolerance for specific substances; and it is an inherited trait, just the same as the colour of our skin and eyes.

In Europeans, I have noticed a pattern. If one or both parents had drug problems, it was much more likely that the children would as well. Okay, so we could state that environment is the main factor. But so many times I spoke with addicts whose parents did not abuse substances. But digging back a bit further, one or more of their grandparents did. Or perhaps, in the case of adopted persons, no-one in the entire foster family was a drug abuser -but they later discovered that their natural parent was.

I have found it surprisingly common for addiction to skip generations, especially in Europeans. But it seems that if two generations are "addict free", then the condition seems to disappear. I am sure there are exceptions to that rule, but this has been my experience.

When I was growing up my father warned me to be careful with alcohol. I didn't listen as I didn't understand the genetic factors. I also didn't care at the time.

So please, if you are a parent with a substance addiction (present or past), or your parents were people with drug problems - educate your children. Impress upon them that alcohol and drug usage for them is like playing Russian Roulette, and describe to them that while they may have Grandad's eyes, they may be also carrying a dangerous hidden legacy......

.....the genetic predisposition to a disease called addiction

Michael Bloch
michael@worldwideaddiction.com
http://www.worldwideaddiction.com

Internet Addiction

2008-01-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

The Internet has joined the ranks of gambling and alcohol as an addiction that people use to escape from real life, a new study says.

The study is being introduced today at the American Psychological Association's conference in Chicago by Kimberly Young of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Based on 360 Internet surveys of active online users, the study found that people dependent on online communication, including chat rooms, Web surfing, and email, suffered withdrawal and other symptoms similar to drug or alcohol addiction.

Young has been studying Internet addiction through the Center for Online addiction for several years and last year introduced a paper to the American Psychological Association bringing to light the idea of online addiction. This year's study focuses not only on the addiction, but the people who are in constant need of cyber-stimulation.

One of the most intriguing findings in Young's study is that while the average Internet user is still a well-educated male, middle-aged women are the most likely to be addicted. Many of these women were housewives who, like other Internet addicts, had a lot of time to kill.

But those time-killers aren't bored Silicon Valley techies who surf the Web at work. Instead, the other major groups in the Internet-addicted category include the disabled, the retired, and students. High-tech white collar workers accounted for only 8 percent of Internet addicts, while the other groups totaled 42 percent of the addicts surveyed.

These addicts were originally intimidated by the technology, Young wrote, but eventually became comfortable and started using online services ten times more than they had before.

Users realizing they had a problem would try to invoke self-imposed time-limits, which usually failed. Then, Young wrote, "Dependents canceled their Internet service, threw out their modems, or completely dismantled their computers to stop themselves from using the Internet."

In what she compares to a cigarette craving, even those extreme measures didn't work. "Dependents explained that these cravings felt so intense that they resumed their Internet service, bought a new modem, or set up their computer again to obtain their 'Internet fix,'" Young wrote.

Most of these addicts spend about 40 hours a week on the Web, with their primary areas of interest in chat rooms and online games. Email and newsgroups were also popular, but the actual surfing of the Web--particularly for anything educational--was one of the lowest areas.

Young's original study, introduced last year, created some controversy among the psychological community, said Doug Fizel, deputy director of public affairs for the American Psychological Association. What academics and practitioners are having difficult with is applying the word "Internet" to the field of addiction.

"Usually that term is applied to some substance like alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, versus a behavior," he said.

This has forced Young to describe it as "pathological" Internet use, though she still uses the word "addiction" frequently in her report.

Fizel also said that although online addiction has not been thoroughly studied, there is a growing interest among academics and we should expect to see more information produced on the topic.

"With the growth of the Internet being exponential, this will be something looked at as time goes on to see what effects it's having on behavior," Fizel said.

Young could not be reached for comment today.

Gene That Influences Alcohol Consumption Identified

2007-12-28T11:54:00.000-08:00

ScienceDaily (Dec. 6, 2007) — A variant of a gene involved in communication among brain cells has a direct influence on alcohol consumption in mice, according to a new study. Scientists do not know yet whether a similar gene variant, with a similar effect on alcohol consumption, exists in humans.

Known as Grm7, the gene encodes a receptor subtype that inhibits the release of glutamate and other neurotransmitter molecules that brain cells use to communicate with one another. Researchers identified a gene variant, or polymorphism, that reduces the abundance of Grm7 messenger RNA (mRNA) in brain tissue. mRNA is the molecular intermediate between a gene and its protein product. Mice that possess this gene variant drink more alcohol than do mice with higher brain levels of Grm7 mRNA. A report of the study appears as an online Article in Press in Genomics.

"This is a noteworthy contribution, particularly since identifying genes that predispose to alcohol-related behaviors is such an arduous task," says NIAAA Director Ting-Kai Li, M.D.

Scientists have long known that genes account for a significant proportion of the risk for alcoholism. However, the fact that there are multiple such genes that interact with each other and with multiple environmental factors to influence drinking behavior has hampered studies aimed at isolating individual genes.

"Controlling for this background noise -- the various gene-gene and gene-environment interactions -- presents considerable methodological challenges," notes first author Csaba Vadasz, Ph.D., professor of psychiatric research in the department of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, and Director of the NeuroBehavioral Genetic Research Program at the Nathan Kline Institute in Orangeburg, N.Y.

To overcome these difficulties, Dr. Vadasz and colleagues applied a variety of genetic and analytic techniques to animals having nearly identical genetic background, but differing in their preference for alcohol, to identify a chromosomal region, and ultimately the Grm7 gene, associated with alcohol preference.

"Our findings support emerging evidence of the critical role that the brain's glutamate pathways play in addiction," says Dr. Vadasz. "While dopamine has traditionally been cast as a central actor in the neurochemistry of substance use and abuse, recent studies indicate that glutamate systems play an important role in reinforcement and addiction."

If further studies show that a similar gene variant is relevant to alcohol problems in humans, the finding by Dr. Vadasz and colleagues may lead to new opportunities for developing drugs to treat alcohol dependence. Dr. Vadasz speculates that such drugs might be designed to control the level of the Grm7 gene product or modulate the activity of the gene product itself.

This study was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the U.S. Army.

Adapted from materials provided by NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Help with Drinking?

2007-12-23T07:25:00.000-08:00

This is a difficult time of year for many and for many with addiction issues it can be very stressful. If still using your fighting your own inner turmoil and feel no one understands if sober maybe you need a little extra support.

The Sober Sources Network invites all our readers to join us on the many forums if you need to talk, need a little support or simply could use a friend or someone who will listen. You don't have to be miserable and alone so join us and see recovery happens!

The Sober Village
Sober Musicians
Sober Teens

Happy holidays to you and yours and thanks for reading!

Toad Licking to Toad Smoking

2007-12-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

Scattered reports of people licking an exotic Mexican toad to get high have circulated for years, but now police say that some are smoking the venom of the Sonoran Desert toad for its hallucinogenic effect.

The Associated Press reported Dec. 5 that Kansas City officials report that a local man was arrested for possession of the toad -- which secretes a toxin containing the hallucinogen bufotenine when angry or frightened -- with intent to dry and smoke the venom.

"It's sort of a New Age way to get high. You convince yourself it is OK because it is something you get naturally from our environment," said Clay County Prosecutor Daniel White. "There are a lot of things that are created naturally but they are still not legal."

White said instructions on how to extract and smoke the venom can be found online.

In an even more exotic caveat, Kansas City officials also cited reports of use of "jenkem" -- an inhalant made from fermented human feces and urine.*

* Clarification on "Jenkem" (Dec. 12, 2007). In its brevity, our summary may have inadvertently suggested that Kansas City officials are reporting use of so-called Jenken. In fact, the official quoted in the original AP story referred to unverified e-mail and Internet warnings about supposed "jenkem" use in U.S. schools. The official expressed concern that local youth might be tempted to try the drug after reading this unsubstantiated information on the Internet. More info: AP Story | Snopes.com.

Mothers Drinking After Childbirth Dangerous

2007-12-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

by Cara Harshman
Monday, October 22, 2007

The results of a new medical study may make Wisconsin mothers think twice before they pick up another drink.

The study “Correlates of Postpartum Alcohol Use,”Â reveals 12 percent of postpartum women reported “at risk”Â binge-drinking habits. According to the study, binge drinking is considered consuming an average of seven drinks per week or having four or more drinks at one time.

The study warns women against postpartum drinking as it could have detrimental effects on the life of a woman’s next child, if she chooses to have one. If a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy, her baby could be at risk of fetal alcohol syndrome.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, FAS is characterized by abnormal facial features and growth in addition to problems with the central nervous system.

University of Wisconsin medical professors Michael Fleming and Tanya Jagodzinski conducted a survey involving about 8,700 recent mothers throughout Wisconsin, questioning their alcohol consumption, tobacco use and other habits before, during and after pregnancy.

Fleming and Jagodzinski’s study links postpartum alcohol use to a greater chance of a woman’s subsequent child having FAS, but the syndrome is still rare among children in Wisconsin.

“In Wisconsin, one in a thousand children has a problem with fetal alcohol syndrome,”Â Fleming said. “It can be manifested in learning disabilities and ADHD.”Â

The purpose of the study, Fleming added, was to experiment and raise awareness about an important public health issue.

“If a couple is trying to get pregnant, having sex without condoms, but the woman does not know if she is pregnant or not, she probably shouldn’t drink that much or not drink at all,”Â Fleming said.

While Fleming said, “Drinking is part of our culture,”Â he called for women to take greater responsibility for their actions if they decide to have children.

“Seventy percent of the population drinks, but the stuff on State Street, with the free drinks and two-for one-drink specials — they definitely promote alcohol,”Â Fleming said. “I think some of those things are inappropriate, especially for women of childbearing age.”Â

UW human development and family studies professor Lauren Papp, who teaches courses focusing on family stress and coping, said postpartum women might drink to cope with the stress of having a child.

“Among couples, having a child really changes the structure of the family,”Â Papp said. “There is a lot of stress and reorganization, especially for the first child.”Â

Constant attentiveness is necessary when caring for an infant, Papp said, and a mother’s drinking will compromise her ability to care for and raise the child.

“The child could feel not responded to, and over time this could lead to a bad mother-child relationship,”Â Papp said. “If she is using alcohol to cope regularly, she might not be as emotionally aware or sensitive to the needs of the child.”Â

Fleming said he hopes the study’s results will be publicized over the radio or public service campaigns so everyone is informed about the dangers of postpartum alcohol use.

“[If] you want to give your baby the best chance to be normal, don’t drink,”Â Fleming said.

Alcohol Withdrawal

2007-12-16T11:04:00.000-08:00

What is alcohol withdrawal syndrome?
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a set of symptoms that people have when they suddenly stop drinking after using alcohol for a long period of time. Some people have mild shakiness and sweats. The worst form of withdrawal is called "DTs" (delirium tremens). People with DTs may experience confusion, anxiety and even hallucinations (seeing, hearing or feeling things that aren't really there). DTs can be very serious if not treated by a doctor.

Withdrawal symptoms rarely occur in people who only drink once in a while. Symptoms usually occur in people who have been drinking heavily for weeks or months and then suddenly stop drinking. People who have gone through withdrawal before are more likely to have withdrawal symptoms each time they quit drinking.

Do people going through withdrawal need to see a doctor?
Yes. Your doctor needs to know you're going through withdrawal so he or she can make sure it doesn't lead to more serious health problems. If you go through withdrawal a number of times without getting the right treatment, your symptoms may get worse each time. So even if your withdrawal symptoms don't seem that bad, it's important to see your doctor. This is especially true for people who have had a bad withdrawal before and people who have other health problems, such as infections, heart disease, lung disease or a history of seizures.

People who quit using other drugs (such as tobacco, injected drugs or cocaine) at the same time they stop drinking alcohol might have severe withdrawal problems. They should see a doctor before they quit.

What can a doctor do to help people in withdrawal?
A doctor can keep track of withdrawal symptoms so that more serious health problems don't develop. He or she can also give emotional support.

Medicines can control the shakiness, anxiety and confusion that come with alcohol withdrawal. Only a doctor can prescribe these medicines. If you take the medicines at an early stage of the withdrawal, they may keep your symptoms from getting worse.

What can family and friends do to help people going through withdrawal?
The urge to drink again during withdrawal can be very strong. Some people may put themselves into dangerous situations. After withdrawal symptoms go away, it's important for the person to join a treatment or sobriety program, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (see contact information under "Other Organizations"). Support from family and friends can help a person find success in one of these programs.

Drunk Monkey's

2007-12-11T17:11:00.000-08:00

An interesting video that shows the parallels between human drinking behavior and monkey drinking behavior.

Depression and Drinking

2007-12-10T08:36:00.000-08:00

Depression and stopping drinking
There is evidence that, although many heavy drinkers feel depressed when they are drinking, most will feel better within a few weeks of stopping. So, it is usually best to tackle the alcohol first, and then consider dealing with the depression if it has not lifted after a few weeks.

After a few alcohol-free weeks, you will probably feel fitter and less depressed. Friends and family may find you easier to get on with. If your feelings of depression lift, this strongly suggests that they were caused by the drinking.

If the depression is still with you after four weeks of not drinking, talk to your GP or about further help. It may be useful to talk about your feelings, particularly if your depression seems linked to relationship problems, unemployment, divorce, bereavement or some other loss. Counselling may be helpful.

If the depression does not lift and is particularly severe, your general practitioner may recommend a talking treatment called 'cognitive psychotherapy' or suggest anti-depressant medication. In either case, you will need to stay away from alcohol and go on with the treatment for several months. There are some medications used to reduce the craving for alcohol, but these are usually only prescribed by a specialist.

Treatment for both alcohol problems and depression can be very successful. It helps to regularly see someone you can trust, either your own doctor, counsellor or a specialist psychiatrist. Changing our habits and style of life is always a challenge and takes time to achieve.

Substance Abuse and Women

2007-12-07T06:20:00.000-08:00

Women Have Different Patterns Of Alcohol Abuse
Women drink less alcohol than men any way you look at. Women are more likely to be non-drinkers, start drinking at an older age, consume smaller quanties when they do drink, drink less frequently, and binge less than their male counterparts. But, she is more likely to drink alone. Nevertheless, many women have alcohol abuse or alcoholism problems. About 4% of women have a current problem and 8% ever have had a problem with alcohol. Women are at risk for alcoholism with 1 to 1 1/2 drinks per day vs 4 for men.

Women's alcoholism and their relationships with a husband or signficant other is complex. Most people know that alcoholic men keep their wives while alcoholic women are divorced by their husbands. But this may actually be a good thing. Many women alcoholics stop once divorced of separated. Women who live alone are more likely to develop alcoholism. But this is not because they are unhappy being alone (married women are much likely to be depressed). It is because because men and women alike feel more comfortable commenting on and re-directing a woman's behavior. They will intervene much sooner. There is greater social pressures on women to confrom, so their drinking either must be hidden from others. Since this is difficult to do with a housemate not doing it is often the result.

There does not seem to be any differences in the genetic tendency towards alochol abuse. A typical woman who comes for treatment is about the same age as a man. But while he has had years of gradual escalation, her problem evolved rather quickly. Her drinking was likely triggered by specific events and she came to treatment because of health or relationship (not job or legal problems like men) affects of the drinking. Women suffer more damage to the liver and other health problems with comparable amounts (standardized by weight) than similar men, so there are more health problems sooner.

Women and Other Substance Abuse
Women are more likely to be addicted to prescription drugs than illegal. They combine them with alcohol. Stimulants (cocaine, methaphetamine, even Phen-Fen) are used at about the same rate as men. But women's motivation is often weight loss or to temporarily counter depression that is more common in women.

Women are more likely to start and continue smoking for weight control.

Substance Abuse -- The Consequences For Women
Alcohol use is associated with higher rates of breast cancer and osteoporosis. They are more prone to liver disease. Menstrual disorders and impaired childbearing potential are associated with both alcohol and drugs. Specifically, heavy, irregular, paninful periods and PMS are implicated. Women smokers go through menopause earlier. While unplanned pregnancy is a consequence of addiction, it is also one of women's strongest motivators to quit.

Female drug users have a much higher rate sexually transmitted disease, including AIDS. This is due to having unprotected sex with high risk partners while stoned. Male to female transmission is always higher. Also, drug addicted women trade sex for drugs.

Substance Abuse Treatment For Women
While many women prefer all-female treatment groups, there is no clear cut evidence that they have better outcomes than their co-ed counterparts. The practice of "an intervention" or other confrontational initiation of therapy by others is one that often backfires when used on women. Many women are already overly concerned with what others think of them and how their behavior impacts their loved ones. They are not in denial, unaware, or unconcerned about the impact, as this practice is intended to correct. Rather they are hiding their behavior to avoid the social stigma and shame to which they are more sensitive. Women are more likely to perceive an Intervention as an attack and cut off contact the social support network that iniated it, because she feels like she has let them down and/or they don't care about her. This loss can prevent her from getting the treatment she needs rather than facilitate it.

Women are more likely to start treatment in a non-substance abuse setting, such as a therapist, and emergency room, or a primary care doctor. This may be linked to the fact that women have more low self-esteem and psychological problems that coincide with substance abuse. Women abusers have more anxiety and depression. Sometimes, these problems are addressed by their doctors, but the substance abuse is overlooked. Sexual abuse, violence or trauma, eating disorders, and dissociative disorders are also common in female substance abuse. Again, the substance abuse issue may be lost in these.

Women's treatment may include addressing some of her underlying coping skills and life situations that tend to lead women abuse substances. Assertiveness training, family or marital or parenting counseling, recovery for sexual or physical abuse, and practical help to achieve economic self-sufficiency can be included.

Source: http://www.estronaut.com

The Road Is Long

2007-12-05T07:55:00.000-08:00

"The road is long, with many a winding turn........."

Never have truer words been spoken - especially when it comes to substance addiction recovery.

When we first decide to crawl out of the darkness and take our tentative steps in the light of sobriety, it's an amazing experience. We begin to feel stronger and our reasoning abilities become a lot clearer.

......then the emotional crash, the "honeymoon" period is over.

Perhaps you have experienced this and know what I mean. The "high" of making the decision to clean up and detoxing has gone. You are now back in the community and facing it on it's terms, learning to cope.

You may be alone, isolated in your pain that "normal" people can never understand. You grieve for your lost "friend", even though that friend was actually your worst enemy. You become irritable, uninterested, depressed -perhaps even suicidal. This can lead to a "bust", a bust you may never recover from -remember, that if we are addicted we cannot control our substance intake. The "just one more time" may seal your fate. And as we all know, there are worse things in life than death -the insanity of addiction. You may not be lucky enough to die the next time.

Many of us have experienced this phase, the "emotional roller coaster". For me, it was as though all the colours of the world were washed away. There was no point to anything, my mind constantly went back to the dark days. I was guilt ridden, self-pitying and unmotivated. I was very hard to be around. While others who knew me congratulated me on my efforts, I saw only failure as I didn't feel "right". I felt the same way I did at the age of 13 when my hell really began.

There is a reason for this - in a lot of ways, I was still 13. When I began abusing substances, a great deal of my emotional growth stopped, the substance was my coping mechanism. At the age of 24, it began again. There was a steep learning curve ahead.

But don't worry, this phase does not last forever. For me it was one year. For you it may be a few weeks. It depends greatly on your network of support and more so, yourself.

-If you are experiencing this, it is imperative that you build a network of people around you that understand what you are feeling. These people are the recovered addicts. They will know when to hug you and tell you that everything will be OK, and they also know when to kick your butt and tell you to "get over it"....tough love, but necessary.

-If the environment you are in threatens your sobriety, leave it. I am serious...whatever it takes, get the hell out of there! You may be saying to yourself "I can't leave, I can't afford to" or "People are relying on me to be around". It doesn't matter - remember where you have just come from. If you finish up back there again, you may never re-emerge.

-You may have friends who are still practising addicts/alcoholics. Stay away from them if they do not respect what you are doing to improve yourself. It is in the nature of people who have the disease of addiction and are still practising to influence you in subtle ways. In a great deal of cases, it is not on purpose, but more a subconscious thing.

-Start putting routine into your day. I'm not suggesting too much, too soon but keeping busy is a great way of keeping your mind off things. As you become more productive, your self-esteem increases.

-Re-establish a sleeping pattern. Your body has been through hell and back. It needs rest, and your brain needs to sort things out on many levels. Be prepared for nightmares involving the past and use of the substance. Even though you may have no apparent cravings, your subconscious yearns for another hit and expresses this in your dreams. The nightmares are alarming at first. There were many times that I woke up in a pool of sweat. Even seven years down the track I still have them, but I accept them for what they are.

-Eat regular meals. I am a fine example of a toxic waste dump when it comes to things of a dietary nature, but I learnt early in my recovery that cravings could be lessened through eating something. The advice given to cigarette smokers about eating healthily when quitting is sound and good, but it is my experience that when withdrawing from other substances it is wiser to satisfy your food cravings with what it wants, including fatty and sugary foods. Alcoholics will probably find that they will develop a sweet tooth because their bodies are used to high amounts of sugar. So, if you wake up at 3 in the morning and eat a quart of double chocolate chip ice cream smothered in fudge, don't feel guilty! It's better that than what you were using before!

-If you find yourself feeling angry a great deal, this is also normal. It is important to examine the anger and not just lash out using whatever situation you are in as a scapegoat. Whatever is going on, it will pass. Breathe deeply and think.

Some of the points above may seem fairly drastic and harsh, but this is a life and death situation. And unlike some other terminal illnesses, addiction destroys everything in it's path as it destroys you - your family, your friends and anyone you come into prolonged contact with.

The advice above is not mine; it was given to me and I now pass it on to you. The easy way to remember the points is the HALT statement

The 4 Don'ts:

H-ungry
A-ngry
L-onely
T-ired

Good luck to you in your recovery, there are people out there who care about you, even if you don't know them....

"You alone can do it, but you cannot do it alone"

Michael Bloch
michael@worldwideaddiction.com
http://www.worldwideaddiction.com

The Grand Illusion

2007-12-04T18:11:00.000-08:00

Each one of us lives an illusion of life. Deep inside us dwells a person that is real and alive, but far removed. We may sense that person, but few others truly see the person we are deep within.

After you peel away the layers of personality cover-ups; the layers of walls and shields we all project; you may find a quivering, frightened human being, desperately trying to feel needed, and seeking his or her place in the greater reality.

Who are we really? I mean, really? deep inside? Peel away the layers of religion and beliefs; peel away the delusions we operate under; peel away the face we show to the world, and for many--if not most--what we have left is the pain of who we really are; the pain of not knowing the true reality; the pain of dreams unfulfilled; a feeling, perhaps, of no belonging.

We try so desperately to fit in; so desperately to show a face of confidence in our surroundings and ourselves. But could it be that each one of us is really just a frightened child? What happened to our dreams? our hopes for the future? What happened to our innocence? to what we wanted to become? Somehow, when we were born as adults, we died as children. No longer do we fantasize about our hopes and dreams for the future; of what we were going to be and do. The concept of "what could be," passed away. Indeed, for some, perhaps there was no true childhood at all.

Somehow, we got sucked into this giant swirling vortex that robs us of our most precious possession--our humanity; our humanity--with all the wonderful plans; all the wonderful innocence; the pure and noble. Most of us live deep within a self-imposed illusion of life; growing up and adapting to what is socially and culturally acceptable in society. And in so doing, we quickly enmesh ourselves in the enslaving constraints of life, job/career, and financial obligations. Moreover, these are like a ball and chain that we drag around for decades (or life), never realizing all we could be.

All that we had once hoped and dreamed is now discounted as childhood fantasy. Instead, we live the life of illusion. Humanity has lost itself.

But why? Who decided that we should live lives of quiet desperation? We did. Society did. Humanity did.

But there is one hope; one glorious sparkle of redemption: As adults and human beings, we have the magnificent gift of Free Will; the choice to accept personal responsibility for where we are at right now and where we are going next…or not accept it; the choice to change and grow within, which in turn changes our life, which in turn, changes our world. (For more on personal responsibility, see the article, "Wisdom in the Mirror" at www.dougkelley.com/articles/wisdom.htm).

If you are just beginning to make your way into the world as a young adult, then choose your future wisely—now, before you find yourself unwittingly encumbered by circumstances that you did not actively design and intend.

On the other hand, what if you find yourself in a life-situation or circumstance that is holding you back from realizing your dreams? First, answer the "Why?" question: What decisions, mindsets, or behaviors got you to this place in life? Educate yourself on these, and then correct them. Next, explore all possible solutions that will result in forward momentum.

Of course, you must act responsibly in your endeavors, not casting aside moral commitments, such as family obligations. To be certain, any noble work results in a win-win outcome, even if it is painful to accept. Apart from this, do what you must to realize your potential!

When we begin to make forward movement toward our dreams, our long-held and closely guarded Grand Illusion of Life then evaporates, revealing the Grand Reality of Life--our life! Then we find meaning, belonging, and fulfillment--not in an illusion--but in the limitless possibilities of "what could be."

So, how about it? What's your choice? Remember: It is never too late to find yourself and be all that you wanted!

Source: http://www.enhancedhealing.com

Separating the Theraputic Benefits of Marijuana

2007-12-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2007) — Scientists from Queen Mary, University of London, have discovered a new way to separate the therapeutic benefits of cannabis from its mood-altering side-effects.

Cannabis contains a chemical called THC, which binds to, and activates, proteins in the brain known as ‘CB1 cannabinoid receptors’. Activating these receptors can relieve pain and prevent epileptic seizures; but it also causes the mood-altering effect experienced by people who use cannabis as a recreational drug.

Now, Professor Maurice Elphick and Dr Michaela Egertová from Queen Mary’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences may have found a way of separating out the effects of cannabis – a discovery which could lead to the development of new medicines to treat conditions such as epilepsy, obesity and chronic pain. The research is described in the December issue of the journal Molecular Pharmacology.

Working in collaboration with scientists based in the USA*, they have identified a protein that binds to the CB1 receptors in the brain. But unlike THC, this ‘Cannabinoid Receptor Interacting Protein’ or CRIP1a, suppresses the activity of CB1 receptors.

Professor Elphick explains: “Because CRIP1a inhibits the activity of the brain’s cannabinoid receptors, it may be possible to develop drugs that block this interaction, and in turn enhance CB1 activity. This may give patients the pain relief associated with CB1 activity, without the ‘high’ that cannabis users experience.”

Leslie Iversen FRS, Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Oxford and author of The Science of Marijuana, commented on the new findings: “This interesting discovery provides a completely new insight into the regulation of the cannabinoid system in the brain - and could offer a new approach to the discovery of cannabis-based medicines in the future.”

“CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor Activity Is Modulated by the Cannabinoid Receptor Interacting Protein CRIP1a” is published online in the December issue of Molecular Pharmacology.

The Elphick laboratory in the School of Biological & Chemical Sciences at Queen Mary is supported by grants from UK research councils (BBSRC, MRC) and the Wellcome Trust.

Adapted from materials provided by Queen Mary, University of London.
Queen Mary, University of London (2007, November 30). Separating The Therapeutic Benefits Of Cannabis From Its Mood-altering

Heroin addiction

2007-12-01T09:51:00.000-08:00

A man retrieved a package of white powder from his back pocket, removed a small quantity of it with the edge of his pocket knife, placed it on a pocket mirror, and began sniffing it. He had done this many times before in the restroom at his workplace, so he was focused calmly on the drug as it surged through him, bringing him instant relief from pain and anxiety. Moments later, however, he blacked out and tumbled to the bathroom floor.

The overdose didn’t kill him; in fact, it probably saved his life. It forced him to enter into a treatment program for drug addiction. He got clean, got addicted again, got clean, got addicted again, got clean. This man did not grow up in a poor neighborhood where junkies shoot up on the streets and drug dealers kill each other in turf wars. This man came from the suburbs. He went to several of the best colleges in the country, got a high paying job working with computers, got married, had kids. He also joined an ever-expanding list of people who get addicted to heroin.

The great jazz musician Charlie Parker was a heroin addict. So was the blues singer Billie Holiday. Rock stars Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain were both heroin junkies. Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Iggy Pop—all at one time were heroin addicts. In 1996, Jonathan Melvoin of the rock band Smashing Pumpkins died from an overdose of heroin. The list of famous junkies is not limited to rock stars; the actor Robert Downey Jr. is currently serving a prison sentence on heroin-related charges, and William Cope Moyers—the son of renowned journalist Bill Moyers—is a recovering heroin addict.

Statistics show that heroin use since 1992 is on the rise in the United States, and many new users between the ages of twelve and seventeen come from the suburbs. In the period between 1980 and 1995, first-time heroin use for this age group increased fourfold. According to Join Together— a drug education organization—the over-all estimated number of heroin users increased from 68,000 in 1993 to 325,000 in 1997. Heroin use by twelfth graders increased by more than 100 percent from 1990 to 1997. The number of heroin-related cases in hospital emergency rooms throughout the nation increased by 64 percent between 1988 and 1994.

There are many theories to explain the rise in heroin use. Some attribute the drastic rise to new forms of heroin consumption: Heroin now comes in forms that can be sniffed or smoked, alternatives to injection that appeal to young people who see them as healthier and safer than injection. However, users who frequently consume the drug using these methods eventually use injection because as they develop a tolerance for the drug, injection gives them a bigger “rush” for their money. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has another explanation for the increase in heroin use. The DEA claims that “international drug traffickers have made a strategic marketing decision to push heroin as an alternative to cocaine” once cocaine use went down as a result of public information campaigns about its dangers. Richard Lowry, a political reporter for National Review, argues that heroin’s rising popularity is due to the development of “grunge” culture. Since heroin is a drug of “isolation and oblivion,” it appeals to young people eager to rebel against the broken—and increasingly middleclass— families from which they come. Karen Schoemer, reporting for Newsweek, observes that heroin has become high fashion. From musicians to fashion models, the stars that many young people look up to are using the drug. Says model Zoe Fleischauer, “There are a lot of junkies in the [fashion] industry. It’s very hush-hush. . . . They wanted models that looked like junkies. The more skinny . . . you look, the more everybody thinks you’re fabulous.”

Even though current fashion may seem to raise the reputation and alter the method of consumption of heroin, the nature of the drug has not changed over time. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, heroin is a highly addictive drug. It is both the most abused and the most rapidly acting of the opiates, a class of drugs that also includes morphine and codeine. Heroin is processed from morphine—the legal drug doctors prescribe to patients in extreme pain—which is derived from the seed pod of certain varieties of poppy plants. It is usually sold as a white or brownish powder or as the black sticky substance known on the streets as “black tar heroin.” (Other street names for heroin are “smack,” “horse,” and “junk.”) Heroin was originally developed in an effort to find drugs that could help people overcome addiction to opiates, but it was quickly discovered that heroin was more addictive than morphine, and the drug was made illegal.

Despite the fact that heroin use has been illegal for decades, the drug today is more fashionable, purer in form, easier to obtain and easier to use than the drug of earlier days. Heroin today still exacts the same high price on the user, however: addiction and its personal and social costs. Even though heroin sold on the streets today is purer than in the past, it can still be cut with poisons such as strychnine that can put users in extreme risk. Overdose presents a persistent danger, and many overdoses result in death. Other health risks associated with heroin use are the contraction of AIDS and Hepatitis B due to the use of unsterilized needles, malnutrition, collapsed veins, bacterial infections, abscesses, infection of the heart lining and valves, arthritis, and rheumatological problems.

Not all of the consequences of heroin abuse are physical in nature. Heroin addiction also exacts a high price on the addict’s family. Parents may feel shocked and betrayed when they discover that a child is addicted to heroin, and many blame themselves. Families can also feel the financial strain of addictive behavior as the addict spends an ever-increasing portion of household money on heroin. Individuals battling heroin addiction can lose their jobs as well, and some turn to crime in order to get money to buy the drug.

In spite of the many individual costs associated with its use, people continue to use heroin for the way it makes them feel. Heroin causes people to feel warm and content, and it relieves stress. The Institute for a Drug-Free Workplace reports that heroin gives the user a short-lived state of euphoria, followed by drowsiness. It slows the heart rate, breathing, and brain activity, and depresses appetite, thirst, reflexes, and sexual desire. It also increases tolerance for pain.

Users must use higher and higher doses of the drug, however, in order to attain the same effect. Eventually, addicts inject the drug not to obain pleasure but to relieve the pain that sets in as the drug wears off. These withdrawal symptoms usually occur four to eight hours after the last dose and include chills, sweating, runny nose, irritability, insomnia, tremors, and body pain.

Treatment for heroin addiction takes many forms, but always requires stopping the use of heroin entirely. Since withdrawal from heroin “cold turkey” entails extreme pain, other treatments have been developed. The latest treatment for heroin addiction—Rapid Opiate Detoxification—allows a physician to anesthetize the addict so that he or she is unconscious during the most painful period of withdrawal. A more traditional approach to the treatment of heroin addiction is to replace the use of heroin with the use of methadone, another opiate, but one which does not have the same dangerous side effects as heroin and allows the user to live a relatively normal life. Most heroin treatment programs treat addiction as a health problem, not a criminal or moral problem; some even call heroin addiction a disease, but that contention is contested by others who see such labels as relieving the addict of responsibility for his or her addiction. Heroin addiction also adds to the tremendous social burden imposed by illicit drug problems in general. Public Health Policy, a public health organization, estimates that in 1989, there were 10,710 deaths directly resulting from drug consumption in the United States. The total costs of illicit drug abuse were estimated to be $66.9 billion in 1991. Some of this cost is incurred due to medical treatment for addiction and physical illness as a result of drug abuse, and to drug education. A larger portion of the expense, however, is borne by law enforcement efforts which include interdiction, policing, judicial proceedings, and finally, incarceration. Public Health Policy claims that there are over 1.6 million people in prison on drug-related charges—many of those incarcerated are heroin addicts—and that the number keeps growing.

Anyone who snorts heroin at work knows firsthand the costs of drug addiction. He or she could face the possibility of prison, loss of family, job, and health; overdose followed by death is a constant threat. Maybe he or she could switch to methadone or get clean—in prison, in a treatment program imposed as an alternative to prison, or possibly without help—and begin living a productive, healthy life. The health and prosperity not just of rock musicians, models, and actors, but of ordinary people depends upon the quality of the discussion about heroin and the drug policies that arise from it.
Source:http://www.enotes.com/heroin-article

Healing Power of Music

2007-11-28T14:10:00.000-08:00

'My music helps healing'

Dr Ian Gilchrist says music can be cathartic

GP Dr Ian Gilchrist is a firm believer in the power of music.
He plays the piano, flute, guitar, saxophone and Celtic whistles.

Once he dreamt of becoming a conductor or pianist.

But now he uses his music to help heal his patients, having long been interested in music as a healing tool.

Cathartic

He believes music can prove cathartic for some patients with emotional problems, stress and grief.

And if his patients prove responsive to the idea of music therapy, the Liverpool GP offers to give them a copy of his Celtic influenced CD "Journey from Slavery".

I am a very conventional doctor, but I do like to use other sources for emotional problems where conventional medicine has little to offer

Dr Ian Gilchrist

Sometimes, for patients he knows well and with whom he has built up a level of trust, he even plays live.

"I do give CDs away to patients if I feel it is appropriate, after I have done some probing to see if music is important to them."

But Dr Gilchrist said he did not use music therapy to replace medicine.

"I use it as an adjunct.

"I am a very conventional doctor, but I do like to use other sources for emotional problems where conventional medicine has little to offer.

Emotional

"Music can unlock emotional problems. It is particularly helpful with grief where people can find music very cathartic.

"Generally the responses have been very positive, particularly where a person is sensitive to music.

"I think that these sort of people have responded very positively, some of them have found it very cathartic and it has released a lot of tears."

Dr Gilchrist's partners are also all musical and play clips from his CD on the practice's 'on-hold' system.

Dr Gilchrist said they had all been very supportive to him.

"They understand I am not using it exclusively or going off the rails and realise that I am not thinking that my music is all that is needed to sort people out."

Dr Gilchrist even composed a piece especially for the opening of their new surgery.

Responses

The CD has already produced some positive feedback, both from surgery patients and others.

Jason, an inner city teacher, said: "I'd used all the skills I could muster to engage a rebellious child who caused so much bedlam and heartache.

"I had your CD and threw it on......for the first time in months he worked independently with concentration, discipline, even a smile!

"Who says music is on its way out in the curriculum?"

Joe, who has cancer, said: "Thank you for the gift of your wonderful CD. I have played it through several times and been enthralled by it. I will treasure it for the rest of my time."

Anyone logging into Dr Gilchrist's website can hear segments from the CD.

Cross Addiction

2007-11-27T16:38:00.001-08:00

Cross addiction
Substance Addiction tends not to be confined to a particular mood altering drug.....when you have one addiction, you get the whole set thrown in for free - even before you have experienced the other drugs.

An addict I knew had a bad relapse. We couldn't figure out why. A reason may have been his use (not abuse) of an over the counter flu medication. It contained codeine, which is obtained from opium or prepared from morphine. He was a recovering heroin addict and the codeine sparked cravings. His flu nearly cost him his life.

The many pills and potions I was prescribed in hospital to treat my depression and anxiety, I became addicted to. To this day, I still crave Valium and Chloryl Hydrate on occasions - just out of the blue. But luckily those feelings are just flashes now, but they still serve as a warning.

Many alcoholics/addicts who go into recovery, never actually do. They simply swap one drug of dependence for another. An example would be someone who gives up alcohol and then is using valium long term for their "nerves". The "nerves" are actually protracted withdrawals, their bodies are never given a chance to actually start recovering. This is called cross-addiction. These drugs are usually prescribed to addicts in the first twelve months of recovery. Way too soon in most cases. The brain doesn't seem to differentiate between drugs.

I am a heavy tobacco smoker. I tried giving it up a couple of years ago by chewing nicorettes. Now I smoke and chew nicorettes. My caffeine consumption amazes people. There has been months where I consumed no other fluids apart from caffeinated drinks. So I guess if it really boils down to it, you could consider me not "recovered". But I am happy where I am at, and tobacco and caffeine does not seem to spark cravings for other drugs. It seems to be the exception to the rule. What are your views on this?... I'd be interested to know. Maybe I'll give up some day, maybe I won't, it's not an issue for me at the moment. Cigarettes and coffee have never caused me do the things I did whilst under the influence of other drugs and they definitely do not make my life unmanageable.

This may anger the non-smokers out there, but giving up tobacco and coffee early in recovery after giving up alcohol and/or other drugs can be quite dangerous. The body can go into overload, and you can end up right back where you started. And no, I'm not rationalizing, I'm serious.

I've got a feeling I may get a lot of email on this subject................

I take no other drugs. I am very careful not to. No liqueur chocolates, no medications containing codeine. I was very scared when I had to have a general anesthetic that I would wake up with withdrawals, or worse still, wake up during the operation because of my tolerance to that class of drugs. I discussed it with my doctor, who I was lucky to have - he understood addiction and he bumped up the levels of anesthetic. I regained consciousness fairly quickly, but at least not while I had the scalpel in me! And yes, I did suffer from mild withdrawals....

These are the things that an addict needs to keep in mind going through day to day life. A great many things that others take for granted, we can't have - or they have higher risks associated with them. It's as simple as that. Remember to carefully read the labels of any medication you are taking and find a doctor who understands your circumstances and the disease of addiction. At this point, I would like to state that I have no professional medical qualifications and I do not wish to turn anyone from their doctor prescribed treatments. I am only suggesting that you be aware of the dangers of cross-addiction by questioning any prescription or treatment you are given.

If you are not sure about the medication you are currently taking, a good source of information is http://www.rxlist.com/ . It has a huge listing of medications and associated issues. If your medications have a warning label on them that says "may cause drowsiness", you can bet that it contains some sort of MAS (Mood Altering Substance). Sometimes these medications will be necessary, but please, handle with care.

We are on the road to recovery and numerous emotions boil over in us. They can be quite overwhelming, we aren't used to dealing with them "straight". The most prevalent ones are depression and anxiety. Some doctors approach these conditions with the prescription of anti-depressants and tranquilizers. Does that seem right to you?

Doctors abide by what is known as the Hippocratic Oath. The oath had its origins from Hippocrates who is considered to be the Father of modern medicine. He also stated "It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has." This has special bearing in the case of anxiety and depression in the recovering addict. If your doctor is unaware that you have a substance abuse issue, he/she may prescribe totally unsuitable medications that could ultimately bring about your undoing. I came across a scenario like this only a few weeks ago. A close friend of mine who previously had cocaine problems was prescribed a tranquilizer - it had some undesirable effects.

Once again, these medications have their place, but not so much in recovery. The emotions you will experience are normal, they will pass. Anti-depressants and tranquilizers may act as a thin bandage over a gaping wound and may worsen the damage already done. Part of recovery is about dealing with emotions and problems without the use of drugs or "medicines". Medication does play an important part in the initial withdrawal stages, as detoxing can be potentially fatal. If you are currently taking anti-depressants and/or tranquilizers and decide you want to try to get along without them, ensure you discuss it with a qualified health professional first. Sudden cessation of the medication can be dangerous, and there are cases where they are necessary.

Well, my ash-tray is overflowing and my coffee cup is empty....I better go get another!

Michael Bloch
michael@worldwideaddiction.com
http://www.worldwideaddiction.com

Copyright information.... This article is free for reproduction but must be reproduced in its entirety along with the authors' name and web site link. This copyright statement must be also be included. (c) 2001 - 2007 Michael Bloch, World Wide Addiction.com,. All rights reserved.

Make a Happy Holiday

2007-11-26T17:36:00.000-08:00

Making a happy holiday season...

The holidays can be a real challenge to our sobriety
--families and social gatherings are harder to avoid
--there are more opportunities for lapsing,
--and alcohol seems to be everywhere.

While sobriety often involves avoiding situations where alcohol is present, that may be much more difficult due to our jobs or family obligations.
But successful sobriety involves planning for urges, and much of the distress can be of our own making. Hence, we can make a happy holiday if we plan for urges and focus our thoughts.

Plan and prepare for urges.
--Having allies as you plan for the holiday parties can make it easier to develop exit strategies for parties.
--BYOB--bring your own special beverages.
--Do some role playing so you are prepared for the drink offers.

But remember that most people don't really care if you are drinking, so you're unlikely to have to defend yourself.
Anxiety about not drinking in public seems to be a common reason for lapses! "No, thanks" is really all the answer anyone needs--though dense folks may need to hear it a couple of times.

Our own families can seem to be an obstacle to sobriety, but 'seem' is the operative word and our own beliefs and expectations are the real problem.
--Avoid self-fulfilling prophecies: 'she always gets to me', 'he's going to drive me nuts'.
--Try to be aware of our own absolute and demanding thoughts. Then it's easier to see how we set ourselves up for distress.

The underlying belief in most cases is a demand we are making that everything be perfect, that there be no disharmony or conflict…in other words, that people not be human, and that they live up to an ideal we've constructed for how the holidays 'should' go!

Recognize happy moments when they are occurring.
Some people spend so much time planning for happy events that they forget to notice when the happiness is happening! It isn't that golden moment when you all sit down at the Norman Rockwell table and Grandpa carves the turkey--it's the laughter an hour before when the kids were 'helping' in the kitchen.

As we plan for an idealized holiday, we may be building unrealistic expectations, creating anxiety about imperfections, and magnifying flaws. If we are more rigid in our thinking, we may become more and more brittle as the time passes and all the flaws seem to mount….
Taking a step back and seeing when people are genuinely enjoying spontaneous moments can make those imperfections seem trivial.

Be realistic about the past.
We use our own subjective and highly imperfect memories of how it 'used to be'--implying, in this belief, that something has changed. Or the memories of 'bad' holidays past may be clouding the happiness of this one.
These anxieties and distresses can be real triggers. How realistic are those memories, good or bad, and why are we allowing them to impinge on this year?
If we spend our time planning for perfection and remembering perfection--is that the measure of happiness during the holiday?

Taking a step back to pick out the moments and images of beauty, with our newly sober and sharper minds, can give us a perspective that we missed when we were drinking.

Taking a moment to recognize the things we appreciate about this season--the beginnings of the longer days, the stark beauty of the winter, the colorful and joyous things that have been assembled by those who have come together--taking those moments can help provide a balance and serenity.

And seeing the humor in the madness and folly of seasonal travel and family gatherings can help us tolerate even the most ill-minded folks!

You can't change other people. But you can change how you react to them, and create reasonable expectations.

We can plan to avoid lapses. And we can keep to an unshakable belief that there is no aspect of this season that drinking would make better.

Make a happy holiday!

Copied with permission from Don S at www.thesobervillage.com

Journey of Self-Discovery

2007-11-24T09:53:00.000-08:00

The journey of self discovery begins with the immediacy of your freedom from what you are not and with the being of who you already are.

It does not begin from within the illusion of your imagination, from the place of you believing yourself to be who you think you are. It does not begin from the place of seeking or thinking, or what you customarily know as "spirituality." Your persistence in who you think you are has you not realising who you are.

This journey of self discovery begins with you consciously aligning your attention to that, to who you already are - essence - which is already flowing through your mindbody, flowing through your very eyes right now.

Self is not something that you can look at. You cannot perceive it like all other perceivables. You cannot look directly down its throat. This self is not something that stands apart from who you are. It is who you are.

You can only be the self that you are.

And when you do begin this journey of discovering your self, discovering just what your heart is, you begin acquiring the taste of - and for – home.

Self discovery is an "endless" journey of revelation of how rich the heart - who you are – is.

The alignment of your conscious attention to this "motion of seeing" that is flowing through your eyes right now and your coming to rest as this "aliveness" is your immediate freedom from what you are not and of your being this one that has always been true of you.

No amount of thinking, concepts, attempting to do it from the disposition of who you think you are, is going to be of any help to you. There is no getting around the fact that you have to surrender and let go of who you think you are.

The "central point" of self, as it is flowing through this mindbody that you drive around through, must be aligned to and come to rest as by you - and you can because it is who you are.

It is so damn simple that you "western male mind"ers will simply not grok this nor do it - even though it is not a "doing." You will not let go of who you think you are to be what has always been true of you. But even you will finally come home to the heart of your self, eventually. No one can not come home to who they already are - it is the destiny of all to be who you are. How long you may take is an entirely different story though.

Through being at rest as this one that is flowing through your very eyes right here right now, where you are immediately no longer entrapped and bound by who you think you are - this mindbody that you find yourself travelling around through, you find yourself with no where to go and no thing to do. Who you are is already here and all things are arising in this one that is who you are.

There is nothing that is not already who you are. Whatever you attempt to "go for" is already in who you are.

You become established as this one that is already who you are.

Through being at rest as this one - self, the heart - and "going" no where to gain what is already arising in who you are, you begin to realize the enormity of this one that is who you are, energetically, intrinsically.

Who you are already is.

You can be who you are because you already are who you are - however, it is not who you think you are and this must be surrendered for you to come to rest as the one that is already true of you.

The surrendering is in you focusing your attention to something other than your accustomed place of residence. Coming to rest as the very "thing" that is who you are.

Being at rest as this one that is who you are, not doing anything else, simply free as the heart. Through abiding here, the mindbody that you are travelling around through begins to unravel its "bondage" of you. You find more free attention and energy to simply be this one that is who you are. As this occurs - not through you trying to do anything or manipulate anything - you realize more of what it is that is who you are.

This journey of self discovery is the most wondrous of journeys.

Why? Because it is one in which you are being who you already are - at home in the heart - not you being who you think you are - lost in the illusion of who you are not.

When to seek medical care

2007-11-23T09:27:00.001-08:00

When to Seek Medical Care

People who drink alcohol to the point that it interferes with their social life, professional life, or health should contact a doctor to discuss the problem. The great difficulty lies in the fact that denial plays a large part in alcoholism. Consequently, alcoholics rarely seek professional help voluntarily.

Often a family member or employer convinces or forces the alcoholic to seek medical treatment. Even if an alcoholic accepts treatment because of pressure from family, an employer, or a medical professional, he or she can benefit from it. Treatment may help this person develop motivation to change the alcohol problem.

Several alcohol-related conditions require immediate evaluation in a hospital's Emergency Department.

Alcohol is involved in greater than 50% of motor vehicle deaths, 67% of drownings, 70-80% of fire-related deaths, and 67% of murders. It is imperative that emergency care be sought immediately when alcohol has contributed to an injury. This is very important because someone who is intoxicated may not be able to reliably assess the severity of the injury they have sustained or inflicted. An intoxicated person may, for example, not notice that they have a fractured neck vertebra (broken neck) until it is too late (that is, paralysis has occurred).

* Alcohol withdrawal requires emergency treatment. When withdrawing from alcohol, a person classically goes through 4 phases: tremulousness (the shakes), seizures, hallucinations, and delirium tremens (DTs). These stages are described in further detail:

o During the tremulous stage, the person will exhibit a tremor of his or her hands and legs. This can be seen if the person extends his or her hand and tries to hold it still. This symptom is often accompanied by anxiety and restlessness.

o Seizures often follow the tremulous stage. They are commonly generalized seizures during which the entire body shakes uncontrollably and the person loses consciousness. Seizures occur in up to 25% of people withdrawing from alcohol. If you see someone having a seizure, attempt to lay the person on one side so they don't inhale any vomit or secretions into their lungs. If possible, protect the person's head or other body parts from knocking uncontrollably onto the floor or against other potentially harmful objects. Do not place anything inside the person's mouth while they are having a seizure.

o Hallucinations affect about 25% of people undergoing major alcohol withdrawal. Visual hallucinations are the most common type of hallucination experienced during alcohol withdrawal. People will classically "see" insects or worms crawling on walls or over their skin. Often this is associated with tactile (feeling) hallucinations in which alcoholics think they feel insects crawling on their skin. This phenomenon is called formication. Auditory (hearing) hallucinations can also occur during withdrawal, although less commonly than the other types of hallucinations.

o The most dangerous stage of alcohol withdrawal is called delirium tremens (DTs). About 5% of people withdrawing from alcohol experience DTs. This condition occurs about 48-72 hours after drinking stops. The hallmark of this stage is profound delirium (confusion). People are awake, but thoroughly confused. This is accompanied by agitation, delusions, sweating, hallucinations, rapid heart rate, and high blood pressure. This is a true emergency. Studies have shown that death will occur in about 35% of these people if they are not treated promptly. Even with appropriate medical treatment, this condition is associated with a high death rate.

* Alcoholic ketoacidosis (AKA) is another condition for which emergency medical treatment should be sought. AKA often starts within 2-4 days after an alcoholic has stopped consuming alcohol, fluids, and food, often because of gastritis or pancreatitis. Not uncommonly, AKA and alcohol withdrawal syndromes are seen at the same time. AKA is characterized by nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dehydration, and an acetone-like odor on the person's breath. This occurs when the alcoholic has become depleted of carbohydrate fuel stores and water. Therefore, the body begins to metabolize fat and protein into ketone bodies for energy. Ketone bodies are acids that accumulate in the blood changing its acidity and causing the person to feel even sicker, thus perpetuating a vicious cycle.

* Alcoholism is often associated with other psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, and psychosis. This psychiatric illness, often combined with a reduced level of sound judgment while intoxicated, leads to suicides, suicide attempts, and suicidal gestures by alcoholics. Obviously, a person who has attempted suicide, or is believed to be in serious or imminent danger of committing suicide, should be taken quickly to the Emergency Department.
Source:http://www.emedicinehealth.com

Emotional Pain

2007-11-20T06:09:00.000-08:00

We feel emotional pain when we do not get what we want, need, or expect. We might feel hurt, rejection, bitterness, abuse, injustice or simply emotional pain.

In such cases, we have not received the behavior or outcomes we expected or believed we deserved.

We feel this kind of feel pain in cases when * people * do not behave to us in the ways that we had expected as well as in situations where * life * does not give us what we feel we need or deserve.

We believe, "I cannot feel happy unless I get that which I believe I need."

We have associated our security, satisfaction, self-worth or freedom with something that we are not getting from persons, society, God, or life as a whole.

Some examples might be when:
1. Others lie to or deceive us.
2. They do not support us when we need them.
3. They reject or criticize us.
4. We fail at some task, which we feel that we should have succeeded at.
5. We loose a loved one.
6. Our loved one shows preference to another.
7. People important to us do not show us the respect we expect.
8. Others do harm to us or our loved ones.
9. We are accused of doing or saying something we did not do.
10. When are falsely suspected of having ulterior motives.
11. "Friends" gossip about us behind our backs.
12. We are not given the raise of promotion we believe we deserve at work.
13. Others do not keep their agreements with us.
14. We are robbed.
15. We lose our fortune in some way.

You can add many more situations in which we feel hurt because we have not received the respect, love, affection, loyalty, truth, kindness and justice that we were expecting.

*** Positive Alternatives to Feeling Hurt ***

Positive alternatives to feeling hurt, bitterness and injustice could be:

1. * We can have Faith * in divine wisdom and justice.

We are all in a process of evolution and nothing can happen to us, which is not exactly what we need in order to learn our next lesson. So rather than be overwhelmed by negative feelings, we can seek to discover what we can learn through this experience.

Our lessons usually have to do with discovering the strength, security and self-worth, which are within us. As souls in the process of evolution, we are constantly being directed to contact and bring to the surface our spiritual self.

This means realizing that we are whole within and can feel safe, worthy and fulfilled regardless of what is happening around us.

Thus, every event which might cause us to feel pain is also a great opportunity to contact our inner spiritual self and move on and beyond this pain.

2. We are the sole creators of our reality.

We as souls create our reality through:

a. Our past choices, thoughts, words and actions.
b. Our present conscious and subconscious beliefs, feelings and needs.
c. The lessons we have chosen to learn at this stage of our evolutionary process.
d. How we subjectively interpret what is happening.

Thus others are simply actors in the scenarios of our life the script of which we have written. We can create a happier reality by:

a. Transforming our conscious and subconscious beliefs.
b. Learning our life lessons.
c. Interpreting events in a different way – as opportunities for growth rather than as injustices.

2. Forgiving and forgetting the past.

In light of what we have said above, others are not responsible for our reality and thus can easily be forgive. Such forgiveness frees us from negative feelings and allows us to transcend pain.

Thus we can overcome emotional pain by:

1. Realizing that every event is exactly what we need for our evolutionary process.
2. Learn the lessons involved.
3. Forgive others and ourselves.

We feel emotional pain when we do not get what we want, need, or expect. We might feel hurt, rejection, bitterness, abuse, injustice or simply emotional pain.

In such cases, we have not received the behavior or outcomes we expected or believed we deserved.

We feel this kind of feel pain in cases when * people * do not behave to us in the ways that we had expected as well as in situations where * life * does not give us what we feel we need or deserve.

We believe, "I cannot feel happy unless I get that which I believe I need."

We have associated our security, satisfaction, self-worth or freedom with something that we are not getting from persons, society, God, or life as a whole.

Some examples might be when:
1. Others lie to or deceive us.
2. They do not support us when we need them.
3. They reject or criticize us.
4. We fail at some task, which we feel that we should have succeeded at.
5. We loose a loved one.
6. Our loved one shows preference to another.
7. People important to us do not show us the respect we expect.
8. Others do harm to us or our loved ones.
9. We are accused of doing or saying something we did not do.
10. When are falsely suspected of having ulterior motives.
11. "Friends" gossip about us behind our backs.
12. We are not given the raise of promotion we believe we deserve at work.

Author: Robert Elias Najemy

What is Recovery?

2007-11-17T07:33:00.000-08:00

ScienceDaily (Nov. 2, 2007) — Abstinence from alcohol and drugs is just the starting point in defining "recovery" for people with substance abuse disorders, according to a new article.

According to an initial definition developed by a panel of experts from the Betty Ford Institute, recovery is "a voluntarily maintained lifestyle characterized by sobriety, personal health, and citizenship." The panel's report appears as part of a special section of JSAT devoted to Defining and Measuring Recovery.

Although "recovery" is widely recognized as the goal of treatment for substance abuse disorders, there has been no widely accepted definition of what the term actually means. "Recovery may be the best word to summarize all the positive benefits to physical, mental, and social health that can happen when alcohol- and other drug-dependent individuals get the help they need," the expert panel writes.

The panel's report outlines some of the thinking behind key components of the definition. Sobriety--meaning complete abstinence from alcohol and all other nonprescribed drugs--is regarded as necessary, but not in itself sufficient for recovery. The panel suggests a classification to define the duration of sobriety: "early" sobriety between one month and one year; "sustained" sobriety, between one and five years; and "stable" sobriety, five years or longer. People in "stable" recovery are thought to be at lower risk of relapse.

Personal health is included as a component of recovery that may be of special importance to substance abusers and their families, as well as to society. In this context, personal health refers not only to physical and mental health, but also to social health--ie, participation in social roles and supports. Citizenship refers to "giving back" to community and society. While acknowledging the need refine this part of the definition, the panel felt is was important to recognize the traditional place of citizenship as a key element of recovery.

The panel members hope their definition will help in overcoming some of the remaining obstacles to substance abuse treatment--including the stigma associated with being in recovery. They liken being "in recovery" to being a "cancer survivor"--a term reflecting research evidence that the risk of relapse is significantly reduced for patients who are cancer-free after five years.

"Public discussion of survival rates has increased the proportion of individuals willing to get early screening for [cancer] and to take preventive measures," the experts write. They hope that their new definition of recovery "might be the beginning of a similar course of events in the addiction field. If recovery can be effectively captured, distilled, and communicated, it can come to be expectable by those now suffering from addiction." This in turn could promote more realistic perceptions of recovery, and its true worth from social and economic standpoint.

The article appears in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, October 2007.

Adapted from materials provided by Elsevier.

Alcoholism Treatment Methods

2007-11-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

Need help now? Click here!

Alcohol abuse knows no age or economic barriers. People from all walks of life struggles with their addiction to alcohol that can ruin families and careers. Thanks to innovative new treatment options for alcoholism more and more people are finding the strength to put down the drink and regain control over their lives.

Most people take for granted that they know what alcoholism really is. They have an image in their back-head that almost automatically appears each time they hear this word. But can we really be sure that our perception is right? Before we elaborate any further about treatment methods, let's make sure that we are on the same page. To accomplish this, lets take a closer look at the definition of alcoholism:

"A disorder characterized by the excessive consumption of and dependence on alcoholic beverages, leading to physical and psychological harm and impaired social and vocational functioning. Also called alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence.
1. The compulsive consumption of and psychophysiological dependence on alcoholic beverages.
2. A chronic, progressive pathological condition, mainly affecting the nervous and digestive systems, caused by the excessive and habitual consumption of alcohol. Also called chronic alcoholism.
3. Temporary mental disturbance and muscular incoordination caused by excessive consumption of alcohol. Also called acute alcoholism. "

With this definition from The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary as a basis, we can know take a closer look at treatment methods.

Treatment for alcohol problems has been around almost as long as alcohol itself has been a part of our culture. Centuries ago treatment consisted of barbaric methods of imprisonment and starvation in attempts to help cure those who were in a constant state of drunkenness. Today, a variety of programs exists that help people understand why they are drinking and help them find ways to put down the bottle and enjoy their life naturally. Many programs operate with dedicated support groups that will stay the person seeking treatment for the rest of their lives. These support groups are there to help them overcome temptations and to find alternative ways of dealing with problems or stress other than using alcohol.

A vast majority of people who have a dependence on liquor don't realize they have it. Intervention is an important part of many alcohol abuse programs. The first step often isn't taken by the alcoholic but rather by friends, family or co-workers who are concerned for their health and well-being and seek out treatment options.

If you know anyone who has a problem with alcohol help them take the first step. Seek out treatment options and discuss them with the person. Most importantly, remember that they need your help now more than ever and your intervention no matter how hard they may resist it may be the single most important event that ever takes place in their lives.

Quitting: What to Expect

2007-04-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

When we finally make that decision to sober up and find a means of support we often feel just as lost at having made that decision. We fear sobriety, for afterall how the hell are we supposed to have a good time now? What becomes of those drinking buddies and what do I tell them? How am I going to feel if I just quit after all those years of drinking? Where will I find support? How long until I feel better? Does it get better? Is it really that hard? Can I do this deal? Who is going to listen and understand me now? Will my relationships be restored? How am I going to learn to have fun? What am I supposed to do with all that time on my hands now sober? Will my health get better? How come it takes so long? Why can't I sleep, eat, concentrate? Why are my emotions running rampant, I just want to cry and crawl in a hole and die, sobriety was supposed to be good?

We've all been there, we've all experienced the majority of those feelings and emotions, we want immediate gratification and immediate answers but it takes time, that vary's individually, all of the above vary's from person to person, but the cool thing is, you don't have to do it alone, and take comfort we know how your feeling.

Some ride high on that pink cloud for months on end, then bam, crash and burn it seems. The early days can be beautiful and peaceful or they can be horrendous, torture, tough, that's up to you how you want to approach it.

But never question that quitting is the right thing, it really does get better!
Copyright 2006, Quitting: What to Expect, CKing in progress.

Welcome to the Sober Sources Network Blog

2007-04-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

Sober Sources Network is your online resource in providing you the information you need quickly and efficiently for multiple areas of addiction, treatment and support. Please visit our network at http://www.sobersources.com

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