Treating addiction to prescription pills

Treating addiction to prescription pills

Several options are available for effectively treating addiction to prescription opioids. These options are drawn from experience and research regarding the treatment of heroin addiction. They include medications, such as methadone and LAAM (levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol), and behavioral counseling approaches.

A useful precursor to long-term treatment of opioid addiction is detoxification. Detoxification in itself is not a treatment for opioid addiction. Rather, its primary objective is to relieve withdrawal symptoms while the patient adjusts to being drug free. To be effective, detoxification must precede long-term treatment that either requires complete abstinence or incorporates a medication, such as methadone, into the treatment plan.

Young People at Risk of Drug-HIV Warns NIDA

With a significant rise in the number of young people diagnosed with AIDS, the National Institute on Drug Abuse is launching a campaign to increase public awareness of the link between drug use and HIV infection.

"Drug Abuse and HIV: Learn the Link" is the message of the new public awareness campaign by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"Drug abuse prevention is HIV prevention," says NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. "Research has shown that a significant proportion of young people are not concerned about becoming infected with HIV. In recent years, the number of young people in the United States diagnosed with AIDS rose substantially. Because drug use encourages risky behaviors that can promote HIV transmission, NIDA views drug abuse treatment as essential HIV prevention."

While research has shown that a large proportion of young people are not concerned about becoming infected with HIV, the reality is that there exists a very real danger for those engaged in risky behaviors.

Minorities At Risk

In addition, minority populations are disproportionately affected by the health consequences of drug abuse and HIV. For example, in 2004, black and Hispanic women represented about 25 percent of all U.S. women, yet they accounted for more than 80 percent of AIDS cases diagnosed in women that year. African-Americans, while they make up just 12 percent of the population, accounted for approximately half of the total AIDS cases diagnosed in 2004.

NIDA and partnering organizations -- including the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), the AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth & Families, and the United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corporation -- are working together to get this important message about the link between drug abuse and HIV to teens and young adults.

In addition to public service announcements distributed to television stations across the country, NIDA has launched a web site, that provides the latest scientific findings on the relationship between drug abuse and HIV.

The Spread of HIV

One item on the Institute's new web site is its recently released HIV/AIDS Research Report which provides an overview of the latest NIDA-supported research into the multiple ways in which drugs of abuse contribute to the spread of HIV.

For example, the Research Report notes that studies supported by NIDA already have shown that drug abuse can interfere with the efficacy of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), a treatment that can greatly extend the lives of people infected with HIV. Other research has shown that HIV can continue to replicate in people who abuse methamphetamine, despite taking HAART as prescribed.

Source: NIDA News Release

New Addiction Website Offers Support

Addiction Help Center provides the latest insights and breakthroughs into all types of addiction: gambling, internet, alcohol, etc. The comfort and understanding you seek can be found here.

Fargo, ND (PRWEB) September 12, 2005-- If you or a loved one is suffering from a compulsion for marijuana or sex, internet poker or plastic surgery, relief is in sight. Addiction Help Center not only helps you cope with the problem, but also to understand the how and why of addictive behavior. With in-depth articles covering the physiological as well as psychological reasons for these compulsions, one can better learn how to help.

Many researchers believe that addiction is a behavior that can be controlled to some extent and also a brain disease. And since some testing with functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) found that all addictions tend to cause nearly the same reactions inside the brain, there could be one type of control model for addiction health-related issues. (Understanding Addiction By Jack Strom)

Addiction Help Center contains an abundance of material to help with any and all types of addiction, as well as finding support groups in your own community. By using a variety of sources, including recent news articles, Addiction Help Center can help with any and all types of addictions.

http://www.addictionhelpcenter.com

What is an Addiction?

The task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us. -- Alcoholics Anonymous

An addiction is a psychological and physiological dependance on a substance or activity. There are many common addictions, some include: nicotine, illicit drugs, alcohol, food, sex, and gambling. Physiological dependence means that the body has become so accustomed to a drug or drugs and thinks it needs such chemicals to function. When a person addicted to a drug starts going through withdrawals, physiological dependence and the pain it causes can be witnessed. Psychological dependence is basically when the brain is convinced that it needs the drug to survive. This is why addiction is so powerful, and so hard to overcome.

Presently there are over 2 million illicit drug addicts and over 4 million suffering from one type of addiction or another. Because addiction doesnt only effect the addict, but everyone else around him, his family, co workers, friends, and nabours, addiction is a very serious problem. Of course there are different types and ranges of addictions. Some can be more serious than others. For instance, in my opinion, addiction to heroin is more serious than addiction to junk food. However this point is debatable because over eating of junk food can lead to wieght gain and diabetes. The point is, no addiction should be treated lightly, and help should be given as needed.

Recovery from addiction is possible,the key steps are as follows. First off admit to yourself that you have a problem with a substance and you need to give it up. Without this first step, no further recovery can be made. Next, you have to detoxify to remove the addictive and harmful chemicals from your body. This step should be done with medical help, since detoxification requires abstinence from the substance, withdrawal symptoms develop. Withdrawal symptoms occur when the body cannot get the substance which it believes is vital, and in turn goes haywire. Withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to severe and include the following; nausea, hallucinations, anxiety, panic attacks, hot and cold sweats, diarrhea, constipation, headaches,tremors, insomnia, and many others. Along with these methods, group therapy, or one on one counselling should be applied to ensure a healthy addiction free future and complete the treatment program.

Tyler Falls - What is an Addiction

Signs of an Addiction

Addictions come in many forms. Its important to recognize the signs of addictions in order to seek out help before the problem becomes to large.

Some different types of Addictions are: Caffeine addiction, nicotine addiction, drug addiction, Alcohol addictions, and gambling addictions.

Like mentioned above its very important to recognize the symptoms of addictions in order to be able to recognize and treat an addiction before it becomes to serious. There are several different symptoms, some vary on type of addiction, and others are age and gender specific. Here is a look at some of the most common symptoms:

Uncontrolled Craving and Desires - This symptom can be general to all types of addictions. For example: food/drink cravings, gambling cravings.
Fatigue - Often times addictions will result in both physical and mental fatigue, as your body will often be working over time, and not resting properly. Obsessive thoughts - Can you not get a thought out of your mind, is it starting to take over and effect the way you think?
Change in Behavior - Do you suspect that your behavior has changed? Are you more moody, or easily frightened?
Hyperactivity - Do you seem to be excessively active, but not getting a lot done? Do you fidget more then usual? Do you have problem sitting still for any length of time?

These are just a few of several signs that can indicate the development or indication of an already existing addiction. If you are experiencing any of these signs, and it is unusual for you, I would recommend seeking out further existence either by a medical or mental professional.

Be smart with your health and body. Your only given one chance with it!

--

This article is courtesy of - Addiction Area. Which is a great web directory and information center for Addiction and related topics like Rehabilitation.

Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of Web Design Calgary. He is also actively involved in: Addiction Area. Which is a great web directory and information center for Addiction and related topics like Rehabilitation.

Compulsive Gambling Addiction

Compulsive Gambling Addiction

Health - Keep Your Kids Drug-Free

Keep Your Kids Drug-Free

Ten real-life parenting tactics.

by Katherine Stewart


Like many parents, you may tow a "not my kids" line when it comes to drugs, just like the stance Mia Farrow's character takes in the Lifetime Original Movie "The Secret Life of Zoey." But studies suggest that abuse of illicit substances is more widespread than you might think. A 2001 report by the National Parents' Resource Institute for Drug Education found that 35.3% of children in grades nine through 12 use drugs each year. The probability increases with age. Among 12th graders, drug use hovers at approximately 41%. How can you buck the odds and keep your kids drug-free? We asked experts and parents to share their tips:



1. Search for Signs

For many kids, drug use won't go further than experimentation, says Terry Horton, M.D., vice president of Phoenix House, the nation's largest drug treatment facility. "But even experimentation can have negative consequences or lead to dependency. A smart parent is aware of all the red flags indicating drug use," says Dr. Horton. Some common warning signs include depression, slipping grades, withdrawn behavior, poor grooming, as well as sleeping and concentration difficulties. For more information, check out the web site of the Partnership for a Drug Free America (PDFA).


2. Talk Amongst Yourselves

Talking is the best prevention, according to Doria Steedman, executive vice president of PDFA. "Kids really do care about what their parents have to say about drugs," she says. "Even when it seems as if your kids aren't listening to you, they really are paying attention." Don't worry about choosing exactly the right words; just get the discussion going. Research shows that staying silent puts your kids at higher risk of trying drugs, says Horton.


3. Stick to the Rules

Be a good disciplinarian, advises Cindy Rowe, research assistant professor with the Center for Treatment Research on Adolescent Drug Abuse at the University of Miami. "Set clear boundaries, such as establishing fixed curfews and enforcing them consistently," she says. "Kids need to know the rules of the house and what will happen if they break them." Kids who have a sense of structure in their lives are less likely to fall prey to drugs than are kids who don't have to follow rules and try to take shortcuts, says Horton.


4. Embrace Pop Culture

Movies such as "Traffic" and books such as "Go Ask Alice" are great springboards for discussions between you and your kids about drugs. Watch and read them together, and then share your thoughts openly, advises Rowe.


5. Call for Reinforcements

Look to guidance counselors, other parents or professionals for guidance on helping your kids stay the course. Rowe recommends the book "You and Your Adolescent," by Temple University psychologist Larry Steinberg. This book about the normal developmental processes of adolescence will help parents understand what the teen years are about. It may also help them to feel less overwhelmed with worry and to better comprehend the importance of their continuing involvement in their children's lives.

6. Tell Real-Life Stories

Terri Scribner, the mother of two, from Eupora, Mississippi, says, "I've explained to my son, who is 18, and my daughter, who is 15, how drugs can ruin any hope of a decent life. I tell them about the examples in our own family. My husband and I both have brothers and sisters who are addicted to drugs and alcohol, and two of my first cousins were killed due to driving while intoxicated." This kind of approach "is real and honest, and it explains a parent's basis for concern about why their kids shouldn't do drugs," says Horton.


7. Deliver the Facts

Your teen may be surrounded by peers who are experimenting with drugs and seem to be suffering no ill effects. Horton emphasizes that "if kids believe a drug is harmless, the likelihood of use goes up." Vague warnings about how drugs kill will ring false. Instead, offer specific details, such as how the popular drug Ecstasy can damage sensitive parts of the brain that are involved with learning and memory. Use news reports, advises Rowe. If you see an article or television segment about a drug-related health problem or accident, mention it to your child to start a conversation.


8. Encourage Healthy Alternatives

Suggest to your kids that they get involved with sports, art courses or community projects, advises Rowe, and do what you can to support their extracurricular activities. Besides building self-esteem, these activities reinforce pro-social values such as integrity, teamwork and responsibility. "These qualities will make children less susceptible to trying drugs," says Horton. Plus, if a coach or a teacher serves as a mentor, that's even better. "A child with a mentor is definitely at [decreased] risk," adds Horton.


9. Help Them Walk Away

"We knew our 14-year-old son would be offered drugs, so we helped him try different strategies for turning them down," says Sheila Mattel of Madison, Wisconsin. "We'd pretend to be some of his peers on the playground, offering him pot," she says. "One time he responded by saying, 'I don't feel like it.' We told him [that with such a response,] he might be approached again.... Then he responded in the next role-play with 'No thanks, that's not for me,' which we all agreed would work well."


10. Find Positive Role Models

Make sure your kids are not emulating celebrities that are sending pro-drug messages. Listen to the lyrics of songs they like and pay attention to what they watch on television, advises Rowe. More importantly, parents should set an example. Parents who use drugs greatly increase their children's chances of becoming drug-dependent. Above all, says Scribner, "Spend valuable time together as a family, and you'll see a child with high hopes for the future!"

Teen Poker Addiction Growing at Rapid Pace

Poker's popularity grows.

On a night when other teens are anywhere but home, Kenny Totten is spending his Saturday inside in his socks, pajama pants and a T-shirt.

But he isn't alone. The 17-year-old Old Bridge High School student and a crew of close friends are gathered in the basement of his parents' house for poker night. They sip soda and munch on nachos as the cards are dealt on top of a pool table. Several players sport sunglasses as they attempt to bluff their way to victory in an activity that, at one time, brought to mind cigar-smoking older men in the back of a bar.

Poker has joined the mainstream the last couple years, sparking interest from those as young as their early teens. Television shows feature poker-playing Hollywood types while radio ads hawk the latest online gambling service and stores everywhere stock a slew of poker-related goods.



It seems difficult to determine just how much interest in the card game has increased, but one local retailer called it an explosion, while estimates say there are currently anywhere from 50 million to 80 million players in the United States.

"It's the competitiveness of the game," said Totten, who began playing last summer after watching poker on the ESPN network. "It's something you can do anytime you want if you have three, four, five friends."

A volleyball and basketball player, Totten said he and his friends — mostly fellow athletes — get together once or twice a month. At $5 a game, they said, it's cheaper than going to the movies. And unlike other competitive activities, poker "doesn't judge anybody," said Totten's girlfriend and fellow Old Bridge High School student, Jaime Chaifetz, 17.

But does the betting bother parents?

"As long as it's not large amounts, I don't think it will harm anything," said Kenny's mother, Marie Totten. "I don't mind because I know where they are. I know they're here, safe. They're off the streets."

The extension of the poker craze into the underage set worries some gambling experts, however.

"The more people who play, the more problems there are," said Terry Elman, education coordinator for the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey. "It's gotten to epidemic proportions."

The nonprofit organization delivers free programs to about 70 schools annually to discuss gambling prevention and awareness. Elman said while the law does not prohibit teens from betting at home — provided the host does not take a financial cut or in some way charge someone to be there — it can be a gateway to an eventual gambling addiction.

Elman said teen interest in Texas Hold 'Em — the popular form of poker featured in the World Series of Poker televised on ESPN — started more than two years ago. It is probably the most common thing students bet on these days, he said. "Sports betting is always around, and cards had actually dropped out of the scene," he said. "Then, as ESPN kept pushing it, it has become popular again. Kids even look at the players and revere them like athletes."

Due to their still-developing emotional state and penchant for risky activities, teens are second only to senior citizens in terms of vulnerability to a gambling addiction, Elman said. He also said the fact that teens have little disposable income can lead to financial troubles even more quickly.

"It's all the things that are exciting about gambling," Elman said of the appeal of poker. "And they gamble right in their basements. Their parents say, "They're OK, they're downstairs.' They don't realize what's being done can lead to addiction."

But that doesn't mean every card player will become affected. "Eighty percent of people who play never have a problem, 15-20 percent have a problem and 5 percent become pathological," he said.

Gambling addicts, Elman said, will bet on any type of game or sport.

The teen who plays poker once or twice a month for a small dollar amount each game is not experiencing a problem, Elman said, provided the interest stops there. "Once you want to move higher than that, you're probably into it too much," he said.

Gambling addiction seems to be no problem for the Old Bridge youths. Poker is more about having a good time than earning money.

"We're kids," Kenny Totten said, adding betting big would just result in hurt feelings and angry parents. "We don't have money growing out of our ears. We just want to keep it fun and friendly.'

Elman said parents should be particularly concerned about online gambling. He said its danger is that it can be done 24 hours a day, while teens are often alone. And because it generally requires a credit card, teens likely are swiping their parents' plastic.

Regardless of where one sits on the issue, there's no denying the surge in interest over the card game. There's no evidence of it waning, either, said Eric Morris, publisher of the Atlanta-based poker magazine Bluff.

"It's not a Rubik's Cube or Beanie Baby. It's not like that. People are still dreaming they can be the next star. I truly believe it will not end up where it was 10 years ago — at the back of the bar," Morris said.

While celebrities and television have glamorized the game, the allure for many is that the average person can hit it big in poker tournaments.

"You can be old, young, tall, short, fat, bald," he said. "(Success) isn't dictated by youth or physical ability."

Morris said his publication's readership is largely adults ages 21 to 35, although he is aware teens are enamored with the activity.

"High school kids, instead of parties, are going to poker tournaments. They're not drinking and doing other activities," he said.

Morris said he does not advocate that teens play poker, but he said there are benefits to taking part in this "thinking-man's game."

"It's similar to backgammon or chess. It develops your mind, keeps you more alert," he said. "The people who do well are generally more intelligent. There are social skills involved, too."

At the Gameroom Store, a specialty shop in Woodbridge Center mall, assistant manager Jay Prusik said teens are responsible for only about 15 percent of sales for poker products. "We see a lot of people in the mid-20s to mid-30s," he said. "Part of the reason is these are the people who can legally go to casinos."

Prusik said the poker market is experiencing an "explosion" that began about two years ago. As a result, extravagant chip sets that sold for nearly $600 five years ago now cost customers $100.

"Because of the increase in popularity and the price change, it's flying out the door," he said.

And that's not likely to change for a while. "So long as the World Series of Poker gets ratings on ESPN . . . as long as that's popular, the poker craze isn't going anywhere," said Prusik.

Elman agreed that television and marketing is responsible for the recent boom. He said the activity, by its nature, is no more dangerous to teens than other forms of gambling.

"It's more of a problem only because it's promoted more," he said.

Some school officials share Elman's concerns about teens who bet.

"To me, it's like underage drinking," said Pat Andersen, student assistance counselor at Woodbridge High School. "The funny thing about gambling is it's only bad when you're losing — from a player's perspective. In my personal opinion, it's bad to gamble at all when you're an adolescent."

Andersen said she has received a few calls from parents concerned about their children playing poker at home. Woodbridge has a policy against students playing cards at school.

"I think it's seen as being exciting," Andersen said of gambling. "There's actually an adrenaline rush that goes along with it. (Teens) like things exciting and risky."

Parents who allow teens to gamble at home because they can "keep an eye on them" may be leading their children, or someone else's child, down a dangerous road, Andersen said.

"For some kids it's going to be a problem, and for some it's not," she said, adding that representatives of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey will visit her school later this year. "You can know where your kids are, but have better activities."

Back in Old Bridge, players said they don't hold poker nights often, and, when they do, they always keep the per-game cost low. Competition remains the main source of motivation, too.

"I don't play for the money," said Old Bridge High School senior Nicholas Li, 18, who plays for money about twice a month and more frequently online at nonbetting sites. "I play for the experience. I play for the bragging rights, too."

Li, who pipes nature sounds through his headphones during poker games, said he knows when to draw the line on gambling.

"I think it's only dangerous if it's not fun anymore," he said. "As long as it's not intruding on my studies and budget, it's all good."

Kenny's brother, Michael Totten, 15, said he also plays for the competition.

"It's fun to beat some of your friends," he said.

His mother said she is aware of what experts are saying about teens and poker, but believes the card game is no more dangerous than most other activities.

"Anything can lead to an addiction," Marie Totten said. "The stakes are not high by any means. It all depends on the individual, but these kids are doing it for fun."

Alcoholism World Healthcare Crisis

Alcoholism

Alcoholism World Healthcare Crisis

Alcohol abuse is the third highest cause of preventable death in the United States and the most common drug of abuse among people who receive addiction treatment. At Caron, alcohol is the primary drug of abuse identified by 48% of the adult patients upon admission.

Effective Drug-addiction Therapies

A novel chemical compound that blocks memory-related drug cravings has the potential to be the basis of new therapies to aid drug-addiction recovery efforts, UC Irvine neurobiologists have found.
Because exposure to people, places and objects previously associated with a drug habit can trigger overwhelming memory-based cravings, many former drug users often relapse into drug-taking behavior.

But a study led by John F. Marshall, a researcher in UCI's Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, shows that memory for places associated with cocaine use can be strikingly altered by inactivating a specific protein called ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) in the brains of animals. Especially significant is the finding that administering the inactivator compound immediately after recall of the cocaine-associated places also continued to blur memories of those places weeks later. This research provides novel insights into the brain mechanisms underlying relapse and suggests a new strategy for developing addiction treatments.

I, Agnostic: October 2005

10 Thoughts About Gambling

10 Thoughts About Gambling Behavior:

You often gamble longer than you had planned.

You have gambled until your last dollar was gone.

Thoughts of gambling have caused you to lose sleep.

You have used income or savings to gamble while letting bills go unpaid.

You have made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to stop gambling.

You have broken the law or considered breaking the law to finance your gambling.

You have borrowed money to finance your gambling.

You have felt depressed or suicidal because of your
gambling losses.

You have been remorseful after gambling.

You have gambled to get money to meet your financial obligations.

If you or someone you know answers “Yes” to any of these questions, consider seeking assistance from a professional regarding this gambling behavior.

Gambling Addiction Statistics

Gambling Addiction Facts:

An average of 3 million adults meet criteria for pathological gambling each year.

Over 70% of US adults report gambling at least once in the past year.

Most adults are able to gamble responsibly.

Approximately 1% of the U.S. adults (3 million) meet criteria for pathological gambling.

Another 2-3% have less significant, but still serious problems with gambling and are known as problem gamblers.

Stories of Hope from Methadone Detox Patients

Stories of Hope from Methadone Detox Patients

“I guess you could say that methadone gave me my life back.”“I didn’t choose to get hooked on pain pills, I have had 14 major surgeries and had to take pain medication and couldn’t get off of them. I just got tired of addiction, I didn’t feel like a decent human being – I felt like trash. I knew that I was a kind, decent person. I couldn’t do this if I didn’t have a great counselor. My life is so much better. I’m able to look forward to a great future. I even look forward to waking up each day for just the simple things, like going to the grocery store, speaking to old friends…smiling. I guess you could say methadone gave me my life back.”
Virginia S., Methadone Clinic Patient

“This treatment really works.”

“I am 46 years old, I have been married for 22 years, and I have been using drugs since I was 13. My husband is also a drug addict. For the past 10 years my life has been a nightmare. Everyday as soon as I woke up, if I didn’t have any drugs I would spend all day until I found some. Drugs were bought first, before bills were paid. My husband and I decided we wanted our life to be like it was before we almost let drugs destroy it! I have been taking drugs for over 30 years, what it has done to me mentally and physically I can’t get back. I can only change my future. This treatment really works.”
Anonymous Methadone Clinic Patient

“I think that the counseling is as important as the methadone itself. My life is great…”“My life was awful before I sought methadone treatment; I stayed so sick all the time from withdrawal. I couldn’t think of anything but using drugs, no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t quit. I had to do something and I was waiting for a clinic to (open) close to me. Methadone is the only thing that works for me. I think that the counseling is as important as the methadone itself. My life is great, my social life is getting a lot better because I socialize with people who don’t use drugs, and I am working on my relationship with myself. I hope to have a future with a wife and kids, and a drug free future. It’s never too late to get help, no matter how bad the problem.”
Thomas C., Methadone Clinic Patient

“My life was going downhill fast... I just about lost my life on Dec. 10, 03…since I’ve been (in treatment) things are 100% better.” “I am 22 years old and I started using drugs when I was about 16 years old. When I was in high school I started hanging out with the wrong crew, only because I thought they were ‘cool’, but they were on drugs. Everyday someone would bring pills to school that they had stolen from their parents, and we would all share them. I started dating this guy that was hooked on OxyContin®, and then I was hooked. I am so glad that I finally realized it was time for help. My life was going down hill fast. I was losing everything I had. Every dime of money I got went on drugs. Instead of paying bills or buying things I needed, I was wasting it on drugs. I couldn’t even keep a job. I just about lost my life on Dec.10, 2003 from a drug overdose. I felt like I was the worst mother ever. When I was on drugs, some days when I didn’t have a pill, I couldn’t even get out of bed. My 4 year old daughter would ask me to get up and play with her, but I wouldn’t if I didn’t have a pill. But since I’ve been (in treatment) things are 100% better. My daughter and I play together, we go out and do things, my bills are paid. I’m so glad that I’ve started (treatment) and I don’t have to live the awful life of a drug addict anymore. I would recommend (treatment) to anyone who needs help.”
Regina, Methadone Clinic Patient

“I want the community to know that methadone maintenance treatment is good.”“I was tired of being on drugs and wanted a change in my life before I turned 30 years old. My relationship with my mom is better. I don’t associate with many people outside of my family because more people use drugs in my neighborhood than are sober. I want the community to know that methadone maintenance treatment is good. It helps people more than the community knows. I want (the community) to know that it changed my life for the better.”
Rhonda, Methadone Clinic Patient

“It has really changed my life.” “I would encourage anyone who really wants to straighten their life up to get (to a methadone clinic) and get started on a new life. If (they) only knew how much better they would feel, they would get started before its too late. It (methadone maintenance treatment) has really changed my life…my counselor really keeps me encouraged…it is a great thing for anyone who really wants to straighten up their lives.”
Bridgette, Methadone Clinic Patient

So what type of drug treatment is best? The one that works for YOU.

SoberRecovery.com Celebrates 5 Years of Helping Alcoholics and Addicts Find Recovery

Just this past August 29th, President George W. Bush officially proclaimed the month of September to be National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.

That is good news to people like Jon Heller, the founder of http://www.soberrecovery.com/ and advocate of the recent "addiction awareness" nod on the part of government. September also happens to be the same month that SoberRecovery.com -a growing Alcoholism, Addiction and Mental Health Portal- was launched, exactly five years ago on September 25th.

The site now receives almost 10,000 visitors daily who view more than 1 million pages every month. That adds up to a lot of information for addicts and alcoholics looking to start a sober life, or start one over again. Information is one thing SR has in spades. Type in the keywords, “alcohol and addiction recovery” or “alcohol and drug treatment” in Google and you’ll most often find the site at or near the very top. With 2,473 Recovery Resources in 57 unique Categories, SoberRecovery is referenced 171,000 times in Google alone, and has more than 33,000 of its pages indexed by Yahoo. The site's online visibility is only continuing to grow as even more similar sites continue to crop up. (more)

Crack Cocaine Hits London

Crack in the U.K.

Researchers from Imperial College published research in the Society for the Study of Addiction, which said there could be 46,000 crack cocaine users in London, which has a substantial problem with crack cocaine. A study claimed one in every 100 Londoners aged between 15 and 44 could be using the drug.

Recovery Month Community Events: Vermont

Recovery Month Community Events-Vermont


Miracles Happen March: Celebrate the Power of Recovery
SAMHSA Sponsored
A Bi-State event with NH & VT

A walk across the Route 4 bridge from White River Junction, VT to Old West Lebanon, NH, and gather for speakers, entertainment and refreshments.
Date:9/16/2005

Location
White River Junction, VT
Program Agenda
5:15 p.m. Gather at the Turning Point Recovery Center5:30 p.m. Walk across the Route 4 bridge to Old West Lebanon and turn around and walk back to the municipal building covered podium. 6 p.m. to 7:45 At Municipal Building, celebration begins with welcome, introduction of dignitaries, followed by first-person recovery stories and closing 7:45 p.m. Return to Turning Point Club8 to 9 p.m. 12 Step Meeting
Invited Officials/Presenters:
Dr. C. Everett KoopGovernor James DouglasNH First Lady Susan LynchDr. Charles CurieDr. Westley Clark
Expected Number of Participants
200
Invited Participants/Audience
Everyone is invited from both New Hampshire and Vermont.

Addiction Help Web Site Celebrates 5 Years

Online Alcoholism and Addiction Recovery Community urges everyone to tell their story. http://www.soberrecovery.com/ offers help and support for alcoholics, addicts, family and friends.

Web site Celebrating 5 years of providing substance abuse help online while honoring National Recovery Month.

As the many volunteers and moderators are getting ready for the web site's 5th Birthday, you might think, “What's so special about a website for alcoholics, drug addicts and co-dependents?”

SoberRecovery.com's founder would tell you, “We don't judge, we don't charge those needing help or those providing it, and we never close. There is always someone there to help you. Always.”

Perhaps the best proof that SR is fulfilling its mission is right on the message boards, which are constantly flowing with threads and posts from addicts, alcoholics and their family and friends, such as these from a current message thread: “Where Were You When You Found SR?”

“I was out of my mind... with worry for my husband, who had just had a slip after being clean for 8 months. But it wasn't his slip that did it, it was the way I reacted a week later. I won't go into details, but suffice it to say, I hit MY bottom and realized some changes needed to be made–by me.“I did a search on addiction and codependency and found my way here. Thus began the journey. My recovery from codependency and ACOA began here. My acceptance of my parents and childhood happened here. You walked with me through my husband's recovery, relapse, and attempts at finding recovery again…You are my family.”

Yet another member relates his experience with the SoberRecovery.com site:“…I had finally come to realize that my son was addicted to heroin…. I searched for literally everything relating to addiction and I kept finding SR. I remember thinking...'but I don't need a chat room, I need information!' Then I read a few posts and began to cry...there were others like me out there.”

Library of Addiction News: Substance Abuse Stories

Alcoholism and Addiction News

Alcoholism
Alcoholism Treatment in Russia
Desire to Quit key in Treating Alcoholism
A true desire to quit -- not therapy for the condition -- is what drives alcoholics to abstain from drinking, report researchers who reviewed data from the largest alcoholism treatment trial ever conducted..

Alcoholism treatment in Russia in transition
MOSCOW - The treatment of alcoholism in Russia - like the economy and the Russian version of democracy - is very much in transition.

Alcohol Health Research World - Highlights from the 1987 National Drug and Alcoholism Treatment Unit Survey
March 22, 1989 -- Highlights from the 1987 National Drug and Alcoholism Treatment Unit Survey NDATUS BACKGROUND INFORMATION The National Drug and Alcoholism Treatment.


Drugs and Substance Abuse
Heroin Addiction Treatment Directory
This searchable directory of drug and alcohol treatment programs shows the location of facilities around the country that treat alcoholism, alcohol abuse and drug abuse problems..

The Locator includes more than 11,000 addiction treatment programs, including residential treatment centers, outpatient treatment programs, and hospital inpatient programs for drug addiction and alcoholism. Listings include treatment programs for marijuana, cocaine, and heroin addiction, as well as drug and alcohol treatment programs for adolescents, and adults.


Gambling Addiction
Controlling An Addiction To Gambling
The stages are similar, the signs are alike, and, most of all, the devastating social effects.


Teen Addiction
Marijuana Abuse and Addiction
Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. A dry, shredded green/brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, it usually is smoked as a cigarette (joint, nail), or in a pipe (bong). It also is smoked in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, often in combination with another drug. Use also might include mixing marijuana in food or brewing it as a tea.


Mental Health - Dual Diagnosis
How Family and Friends Can Help
The Role of the Patients Family in Treatment, How Family and Friends Can Help, and What to do if someone you know has a Substance Abuse Problem and the Symptoms of a Co-Occurring Disorder.


General Addiction Information
Alcoholism and Addictions Help-Site Gears up to Celebrate 5 years
Palm Springs, CA – September 6, 2005 –
Online Alcoholism and Addiction Recovery Community invites those in recovery to tell their story during National Recovery Month.. http://www.SoberRecovery.com.


Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders Common in Substance Abusers
Eating disorders common among people in substance abuse treatment

Item in CMHAOntarios Mental Health Notes - Clinicians need to be aware of the high rate of eating disorders among both women and men who are in treatment for substance abuse problems, according to a recent article in the Canadian Journal of Public Health.. Among 1,613 people who were seeking treatment for substance use disorders at a large metropolitan addiction treatment centre.

Recovery Month Community Events: Oregon/Washington

Hands Arcoss the Bridge 2005

On Labor Day, hundreds of Oregon and Washington residents will celebrate recovery from alcohol and drug addiction when they join hands to span the Interstate 5 Bridge connecting the states of Oregon and Washington. The fourth annual Hands Across the Bridge event, set for 10-noon on Monday, Sept. 5, with ceremonies on both the Portland and Vancouver sides of the Columbia, kicks off National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Last years event drew around 1470 participants whose lives had been touched by addiction and recovery. This years event will be followed by a Recovery Rocks Celebration, with food, entertainment, booths, games and more! This event is sponsored by: The Recovery Association Project (RAP) Central City Concern, Oregon Partnership, Asian Pacific American Community Support & Service Association (APACSA)

Date 9/5/2005

Celebration Of Recovery

Oregon residents: Doubletree Jantzen Beach 909 N Hayden Island Dr. Portland, OR Washington residents: The Quay 100 Columbia St. Vancouver, WA

Recovery Month Community Events: Texas

Recovery Month Community Events: Texas

APAA - Recovery in the Ball Park , Texas Rangers vs Seattle Mariners
—SAMHSA Sponsored

Association of Persons Affected by Addiction and Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration/CSAT presents:
Pro-Baseball game with the first pitch thrown out for recovery,
pitchers mound presentation, 1000 seats for APAA members, the recovery community and treatment providers.

Tickets are $8.00 or $7.00 ticket with a T-Shirt for a purchase of 25 or more tickets.

Date 9/15/2005

Type of Event Professional Baseball Game, Texas Rangers vs Seattle Mariners

Location Ameriquest Stadium - 1-30
Arlington, Texas


Pre-game presentation
Pitchers Mound presentation
Public Service Announcement
First Pitch for Recovery
message: Recovery at Work - Recovery Partners make Recovery Reality


Primary Contact Xochi Guerra
2438 Butler, Suite 120,
Dallas, TX 75235
(214) 634-2722

Xguerra@apaarecovery.org

Teens Three Times More Likely to Become Compulsive Gamblers

MORE TEENS ARE GAMBLING

Researchers have found that the more exposure a child has to gambling, the more likely he or she will become a compulsive gambler – as a teen and into adulthood. While 4 percent to 5 percent of adult gamblers will develop a serious gambling problem, underage gamblers are three times as likely as adults to become compulsive gamblers.

The first generation to grow up with legalized gambling is creating a rising number of teens with gambling addictions. While other addictions such as cigarettes and drugs are fought with warning labels and celebrity ads on TV, parents and educators have not figured out how to reach teens addicted to gambling.

MORE TEENS ARE GAMBLING

Is alcohol a problem for me?

Is alcohol a problem for me?

You have a "drinking problem" when drinking causes problems in your life or health. Drinking alcohol affects your judgment, energy level, work performance and health. Even small amounts of alcohol may be a problem if you:

Have any short- or long-term health problems
Are taking medicines (even over-the-counter or herbal medicines)
Have people in your family who have a problem with alcohol
Have had problems in your life or health because of alcohol
Feel down or depressed

South Florida RecoveryFest 05

South Florida RecoveryFest 05 will be held at the prestigious Mizner Amphitheater in Boca Raton, Florida. The festival hours will be from 3PM until 11PM. This is a free event that is open to general public. Music, recovery speakers, music, food, music, health & wellness boothes, free screening & information, kids activities, music, and fun, fun, fun. Last years event had over 6500 attendees.

Date:9/24/2005

Recovery Celebration Music Festival, & Prevention Wellness Fair

Location:
Mizner Park Amphitheater433 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, Florida 33432

Program Agenda:
Gates will be open from 3:00pm until 11:00pm Rain or ShineMusical acts on the hourRecovery speakers every hourHealth & Wellness Boothes all dayKids activities from 3:00pm - 8:00pm

Web Site
RecoveryFest '05

Recovery Month Community Events: California

Ride For Recovery- SAMHSA Sponsored

10/2/2005

Motorcycle rides from multiple starting points in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Inland Empire counties to a Rally Celebration at Fairmount Park in Riverside. Rally Celebration includes speakers (dignitaries, guests and people in recovery) entertainment, prizes, food and motorcycle vendor/recovery related exhibit spaces. Registration fee is $10 for riders. All registered riders will receive a gift pack that includes a t-shirt, ride pin and a chance to win a 7-day Sober Cruise in April 2006.

Location:
Rally Celebration, Fairmount Park, 2601 Fairmount Boulevard, Riverside California.

Program Agenda:
Motorcycle rides to a Rally Celebration, which will include speakers, audience participation, entertainment, food, motorcycle vendor/recovery related exhibit space, and prizes including a 7-day Sober Cruise.
Rides- 8 am to 11 am. Rally Celebration- 11

Web Site
http://www.bhs-inc.org/

Nationwide Recovery Month Events

Nationwide Recovery Month Events


During Recovery Month each September, communities nationwide join together to help people recognize that substance use disorders are treatable diseases. Results from a May 2004 national survey released by Faces & Voices of Recovery show that as many as 63 percent of Americans say that addiction to alcohol or other drugs has had an impact on them at some point in their lives, whether it was the addiction of a friend or family member or another experience, such as their own personal addiction. Treatments for these diseases are as effective as treatments for other chronic conditions–yet nationally, 20.3 million people needed but did not receive treatment in 2003.

Throughout September, Recovery Month events are taking place nationwide to encourage employers, other organizations, and entire communities to appropriately assess people's needs for treatment, overcome the barriers people encounter when they seek help, and provide health insurance coverage to pay for a range of treatment services. Together, the efforts of all Recovery Month participants are supporting the celebration's 2005 theme, "Join the Voices for Recovery: Healing Lives, Families, and Communities."

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month

September is Recovery Month


The 16th annual National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month
will be held in September 2005 to celebrate the positive impact of treatment for alcohol and drug use disorders in communities nationwide. The month is set aside to recognize the strides made in treatment and to educate the public that addiction is a treatable public health problem that affects us all. This vital observance lets people know that alcohol and drug use disorders can be managed effectively when the entire community supports those who suffer from these treatable diseases.


RECOVERY MONTH 2005 WILL FEATURE:
■ A national Recovery Month kick-off media event in Washington, D.C.
■ Community events across the country to raise awareness about
substance use and mental disorders, treatment, and recovery
■ State and local celebrations and activities
■ Live Web-based events
■ A Recovery Month planning toolkit, which includes a CD-ROM and
printed materials to support participants in their outreach to media
and constituency groups
■ A Recovery Month commemorative poster
■ Television and Radio Public Service Announcements
All materials are available starting in March 2005 through the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Recovery
Month Web site at www.recoverymonth.gov.
Contact SAMHSA at 240-276-2750 for more details.

Get Help for Addictions

Addiction Help-For Those That Seek It

Many of the problems associated alcohol or other drug abuse and dependence are common to all manifestations of addiction. Deep down in your heart you know if you have a problem. But you don't want others to think of you as bad or weak-willed or even "sick," if you admit to having a problem. The fact is that if you do have the progressive disease of addiction, it only gets worse with time and if you do not get help you could die from it.

This is not meant to scare you. You are probably already frightened, worried about your drinking or other drug-taking, and afraid to ask for help. But it's one of the most courageous things you can do for yourself. It is difficult, but the sooner you do it, the easier it will be. It means that you have to start to value and care for yourself. It's the step to take so that all the other pieces can fall into place.

More than a million Americans like you -- women and men of every possible description, who have found themselves struggling with a drinking or other drug problem -- have taken charge of their lives and are free of these destructive dependencies today. As you begin investigating the kinds of help available to you, you will discover that some use one kind of help and others use a combination. Some rely more on internal strengths and seek limited guidance from others, while many find the combined wisdom and experience of others with similar problems to be of priceless value. Still others benefit from the services of professional counselors and therapists; ministers, rabbis, and priests; community agencies. You might even want to take someone with you when seeking assistance.

You can find out what kind of help is available from a health care provider, clergy, or employee assistance program (EAP). Therapists, community health and social agencies, and alcohol/other drug treatment programs also can make useful suggestions. You can begin by looking under "alcohol" or "drug abuse" in your telephone directory, searching the internet, check out our community resource referral guide,

Need More Information?

http://www.rehabreferral.com
http://www.addictionrehab.net
http://www.soberhousing.net

Meth Addiction

Methamphetamine comes in many forms and can be smoked, snorted, orally ingested, or injected. The drug alters moods in different ways, depending on how it is taken. Immediately after smoking the drug or injecting it intravenously, the user experiences an intense rush or "flash" that lasts only a few minutes and is described as extremely pleasurable. Snorting or oral ingestion produces euphoria -- a high but not an intense rush. Snorting produces effects within 3 to 5 minutes, and oral ingestion produces effects within 15 to 20 minutes. As with similar stimulants, methamphetamine most often is used in a "binge and crash" pattern. Because tolerance for methamphetamine occurs within minutes -- meaning that the pleasurable effects disappear even before the drug concentration in the blood falls significantly -- users try to maintain the high by binging on the drug.

In the 1980's, "ice," a smokable form of methamphetamine, came into use. Ice is a large, usually clear crystal of high purity that is smoked in a glass pipe like crack cocaine. The smoke is odorless, leaves a residue that can be re-smoked, and produces effects that may continue for 12 hours or more.

Read more here: Methamphetamine Addiction

The Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Treatment Library: Main

Drug Addiction and Alcoholism Treatment Library: Main

Drug Addiction Treatment Medications, Drug Treament Centers

Drug Addiction Treatment Medications, Drug Treament Centers

Alcoholism and Addiction RSS Blogs News Views

Alcoholism and Addiction

Alcoholism
What To Do for an Alcoholic
What To Do Try to remain calm, unemotional, and factually honest in speaking about their behavior and its day-to-day consequences. Let the person with the problem know that you are reading and learning about alcohol and other drug abuse, attending Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, Alateen, and other support groups. Discuss the situation with someone you trust -- someone from the clergy, a social worker, a counselor, a friend, or some individual who has experienced alcohol or other drug abuse personally or as a family member.

Drugs and Substance Abuse

Inhalants

A new study shows that teens that use marijuana frequently may face the same withdrawal symptoms that have been found to challenge adult marijuana users trying to quit. The majority of people who abruptly stop daily or near daily marijuana...


Inhalants are breathable chemical vapors that produce psychoactive (mind-altering) effects. A variety of common household products contain substances that can be inhaled. Many people do not think of these products, such as spray paints, glues, and cleaning fluids, as drugs because they were never meant to be used to achieve an intoxicating effect.

Gambling Addiction
Phases of Gambling

Certainly, addiction involves an inability to stop, a tendency to do more and more, more desperation, more lying, more denial, more social ruptures, more dire job consequences, severe mood swings, depression, and

Teen Addiction
Teens Report Withdrawal from Marijuana

Am I Addicted?

Am I Addicted?

For many of us who are recovering from substance abuse and alcoholism, our abuse of either illicit or prescribed medications and/or alcohol began recreationally. It could have started as the result of peer pressure or idle curiosity or some deep-seeded need to escape painful childhood experiences.

Then somewhere along the way something changed and we crossed over into an area where we lost control and spent the remainder of our active addiction "chasing" that illusive glow or level of euphoria. Little did we know that the feeling would forever elude us, or that we would fall deeper and deeper into despair and what we now see as "incomprehensible demoralization." We would stop at nothing. Family, friends, and everything we once held dear eventually meant less and less.

If you, even on occasion, have wondered if you may have a substance abuse problem, we ask you to consider the fact that rarely do people who do not have a problem wonder if they do. One consolation we offer to you is that there is hope not only for today, but for tomorrow as well. Welcome to our online community. You are in the right place.

Promises Treatment Network

Featured Drug and Alcohol Residential Treatment Centers

Naltrexone, Suboxone, Methadone ??

Am I the only one around here who's taking naltrexone for opioid dependence? What is YOUR experience with medications such as those listed above?

Thanks!

Drug Addiction Articles and News

Alcoholics Face Mental Health Problems
Alcoholics Face Mental Health Problems Alcoholism has an extremely negative influence on mental health. Alcohol abuse and alcoholism can exacerbate existing conditions such as depression or trigger new problems such as anxiety, serious memory loss, or depression. Some research suggests that small amounts of alcohol may have beneficial cardiovascular effects.

Inhalants
Inhalants are breathable chemical vapors that produce psychoactive (mind-altering) effects. A variety of common household products contain substances that can be inhaled. Many people do not think of these products, such as spray paints, glues, and cleaning fluids, as drugs because they were never meant to be used to achieve an intoxicating effect.

Club Drugs
MDMA (ecstasy), Rohypnol, GHB, and ketamine are among the drugs used by teens and young adults who are part of a nightclub, bar, rave, or trance scene. Raves and trance events are generally night-long dances, often held in warehouses.

Signs of Drug Addiction
Sign Of Drug Addiction Resources Addiction Treatment News Rss and Blogs Extensive collection of articles related to the treatment of drug and alcohol Addiction and abuse recovery. The Recovery Zone - 12 Step Resources 12 Step Alcoholism and Addiction Recovery Resources. Features The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous online.

Drug Addiction News RSS
Addiction Resources Featured Resource Addiction Treatment Blog-Line Extensive collection of articles related to the treatment of drug and alcohol Addiction and abuse recovery. D. A.

Methamphetamine Facts
Also, young adults who attend raves or private clubs also are increasingly using crystal meth. Ther have been notable increases among homeless and runaway youth.

When OxyContin Use Becomes OxyContin Abuse
As soon as we get a clear understanding of drug use patterns and gain some control over existing drug problems, new dangerous substances seem to emerge. Similar to the way a virus mutates, both regional and national drug abuse patterns are constantly reshaping and rarely remain static.

Teens Using Prescription Medicines to Get High
The medicine cabinet may seem like a strange place to look for a way to get high. But a growing number of teenagers are doing just that.

What To Do for an Alcoholic

What To Do for an Alcoholic

Try to remain calm, unemotional, and factually honest in speaking about their behavior and its day-to-day consequences.

Let the person with the problem know that you are reading and learning about alcohol and other drug abuse, attending Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, Alateen, and other support groups.

Discuss the situation with someone you trust -- someone from the clergy, a social worker, a counselor, a friend, or some individual who has experienced alcohol or other drug abuse personally or as a family member.

Establish and maintain a healthy atmosphere in the home, and try to include the alcohol/drug abuser in family life.

Explain the nature of alcoholism and other drug addiction as an illness to the children in the family.

Read more about What To Do for an Alcoholic

Is Someone's Alcoholism Suffocating You?

Is Someone's Alcoholism Suffocating You?

Do you feel like you are always holding your breath? Every time the door opens in your home, do you fear who it may be? Do you wonder whether your spouse, parent or friend will be mean, violent, subdued or withdrawn - someone totally different from who he or she is when not drinking?

If someone's alcoholism is suffocating you, you must realize that to help that person you first must help yourself. And help is out there.

For over 50 years, Al-Anon has been a constant resource for families and friends of alcoholics. Beginning with 87 groups, it has grown into a worldwide fellowship of over 26,000 groups in 115 countries.

Families and friends of alcoholics usually require medical and mental health care for various symptoms, according to the 1999 Al-Anon/Alateen Membership Survey. The survey represents Al-Anon's sixth study of a 3 percent sample of Al-Anon groups and a 10 percent sample of Alateen groups in the United States and Canada with a 23 percent combined response rate.

In the survey, 88 percent of Al-Anon members said the alcoholic's drinking affects their mental health and well being, 80 percent said the alcoholic's drinking affects their ability to function daily at work or home, and 67 percent said the alcoholic's drinking affected their overall health status.

Al-Anon members also rated the benefits of their recovery to their program on a three-point scale:

Improved mental health/well being - 2.9
Increased ability to function daily at home and work - 2.9
Better overall health status - 2.8

Survey results show that more than half of all Al-Anon members and 40 percent of the Alateens (young Al-Anon members, usually teenagers, whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking received professional help before attending Al-Anon or Alateen. After becoming involved in Al-Anon, 50 percent seek medical treatment or counseling.

Al-Anon, based on the Twelve Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous, provides non-professional support to families and friends of alcoholics.

For more information visit Al-Anon/Alateen on the Web at www.al-anon.alateen.org. For meeting information call 1-888-4AL-ANON (425-2666) or write to: Al-Anon Family Groups, Inc., 1600 Corporate Parkway, Virginia Beach, VA 23454-5617.

Yahoo! Search Results for Addiction Treatment Centers

Yahoo: Search Results for Addiction Treatment Centers

Promises Treatment Centers-The Leader in Addiction Treatment

Reputation and Experience-

As a leader for over 15 years, Promises has defined modern addiction treatment, becoming the most effective and respected high-end treatment program in the world.

 

Qualification and Success

At Promises, we don’t experiment on you. We use time-tested methods of support blended with innovative techniques that combine to change your profound emptiness into great accomplishment.

 

Read the rest of the article at

 

http://www.promises.com

DRUG ADDICTION TREATMENT

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

How do I know when to get help?

How do I know when to get help?

Answer the following questions truthfully:

Do you use drugs regularly-even when you "don't want to?"

Do you think about how and when you're going to use them again?

Is your work or school performance affected?

Are you having problems with family and friends?

Are you spending more on drugs than you can afford?

Do you mix other drugs or drugs and alcohol?

Just One "yes" and common sense tells you it's time to get smart about drugs and the rest of your life.

Fact: Drugs are dangerous, life threatening, soul stealing, relationship wrecking, family breaking bits o' hell.

So, ready yet?

Alcoholism Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Q #1: What is alcoholism?
Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence, is a disease that includes the following four symptoms:

- Craving--A strong need, or urge, to drink.

- Loss of control--Not being able to stop drinking once drinking has begun.

- Physical dependence--Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety after stopping drinking.

- Tolerance--The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol to get "high."


Q #2: Is alcoholism a disease?
Depends on who you ask. The craving that an alcoholic feels for alcohol can be as strong as the need for food or water. An alcoholic will continue to drink despite serious family, health, or legal problems.

Like many other diseases, alcoholism is chronic, meaning that it (can) last a person's lifetime; it usually follows a predictable course; and it has symptoms. The risk for developing alcoholism is influenced both by a person's genes and by his or her lifestyle.

Q #3: Is alcoholism inherited?
Research shows that the risk for developing alcoholism does indeed run in families. The genes a person inherits partially explain this pattern, but lifestyle is also a factor. Currently, researchers are working to discover the actual genes that put people at risk for alcoholism. Your friends, the amount of stress in your life, and how readily available alcohol is also are factors that may increase your risk for alcoholism.

But remember: Risk is not destiny. Just because alcoholism tends to run in families doesn't mean that a child of an alcoholic parent will automatically become an alcoholic too. Some people develop alcoholism even though no one in their family has a drinking problem. By the same token, not all children of alcoholic families get into trouble with alcohol. Knowing you are at risk is important, though, because then you can take steps to protect yourself from developing problems with alcohol.

Q #4: Can alcoholism be cured?
Even if an alcoholic hasn't been drinking for a long time, he or she can still suffer a relapse. To guard against a relapse, an alcoholic must continue to avoid all alcoholic beverages.

Q #5: Can alcoholism be treated?
Yes, alcoholism can be treated. Alcoholism treatment programs use both counseling and medications to help a person stop drinking. Most alcoholics need help to recover from their disease. With support and treatment, many people are able to stop drinking and rebuild their lives.


Q #6: Which medications treat alcoholism?
A range of medications is used to treat alcoholism. Benzodiazepines (Valium® , Librium®) are sometimes used during the first days after a person stops drinking to help him or her safely withdraw from alcohol. These medications are not used beyond the first few days, however, because they may be highly addictive. Other medications help people remain sober. One medication used for this purpose is naltrexone (ReVia™). When combined with counseling naltrexone can reduce the craving for alcohol and help prevent a person from returning, or relapsing, to heavy drinking. Another medication, disulfiram (Antabuse®), discourages drinking by making the person feel sick if he or she drinks alcohol.

Though several medications help treat alcoholism, there is no "magic bullet." In other words, no single medication is available that works in every case and/or in every person. Developing new and more effective medications to treat alcoholism remains a high priority for researchers.

Q #7: Does alcoholism treatment work?
Alcoholism treatment works for many people. But just like any chronic disease, there are varying levels of success when it comes to treatment. Some people stop drinking and remain sober. Others have long periods of sobriety with bouts of relapse. And still others cannot stop drinking for any length of time. With treatment, one thing is clear, however: the longer a person abstains from alcohol, the more likely he or she will be able to stay sober.

Q #8: Do you have to be an alcoholic to experience problems?
No. Alcoholism is only one type of an alcohol problem. Alcohol abuse can be just as harmful. A person can abuse alcohol without actually being an alcoholic--that is, he or she may drink too much and too often but still not be dependent on alcohol. Some of the problems linked to alcohol abuse include not being able to meet work, school, or family responsibilities; drunk-driving arrests and car crashes; and drinking-related medical conditions. Under some circumstances, even social or moderate drinking is dangerous--for example, when driving, during pregnancy, or when taking certain medications.

Q #9: Are specific groups of people more likely to have problems?
Alcohol abuse and alcoholism cut across gender, race, and nationality. Nearly 14 million people in the United States--1 in every 13 adults--abuse alcohol or are alcoholic. In general, though, more men than women are alcohol dependent or have alcohol problems. And alcohol problems are highest among young adults ages 18-29 and lowest among adults ages 65 and older. We also know that people who start drinking at an early age--for example, at age 14 or younger--greatly increase the chance that they will develop alcohol problems at some point in their lives.

Q #10: How can you tell if someone has a problem?
Answering the following four questions can help you find out if you or a loved one has a drinking problem:

Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?

Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?

Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?

Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

One "yes" answer suggests a possible alcohol problem. More than one "yes" answer means it is highly likely that a problem exists. If you think that you or someone you know might have an alcohol problem, it is important to see a doctor or other health care provider right away. They can help you determine if a drinking problem exists and plan the best course of action.

Q #11: Can a problem drinker simply cut down?
It depends. If that person has been diagnosed as an alcoholic, the answer is "no." Alcoholics who try to cut down on drinking rarely succeed. Cutting out alcohol--that is, abstaining--is usually the best course for recovery. People who are not alcohol dependent but who have experienced alcohol-related problems may be able to limit the amount they drink. If they can't stay within those limits, they need to stop drinking altogether.

Q #12: If an alcoholic is unwilling to get help, what can you do about it?
This can be a challenge. An alcoholic can't be forced to get help except under certain circumstances, such as a violent incident that results in court-ordered treatment or medical emergency. But you don't have to wait for someone to "hit rock bottom" to act. Many alcoholism treatment specialists suggest the following steps to help an alcoholic get treatment:

Stop all "cover ups." Family members often make excuses to others or try to protect the alcoholic from the results of his or her drinking. It is important to stop covering for the alcoholic so that he or she experiences the full consequences of drinking.

Time your intervention. The best time to talk to the drinker is shortly after an alcohol-related problem has occurred--like a serious family argument or an accident. Choose a time when he or she is sober, both of you are fairly calm, and you have a chance to talk in private.

Be specific. Tell the family member that you are worried about his or her drinking. Use examples of the ways in which the drinking has caused problems, including the most recent incident.

State the results. Explain to the drinker what you will do if he or she doesn't go for help--not to punish the drinker, but to protect yourself from his or her problems. What you say may range from refusing to go with the person to any social activity where alcohol will be served, to moving out of the house. Do not make any threats you are not prepared to carry out.

Get help. Gather information in advance about treatment options in your community. If the person is willing to get help, call immediately for an appointment with a treatment counselor. Offer to go with the family member on the first visit to a treatment program and/or an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

Call on a friend. If the family member still refuses to get help, ask a friend to talk with him or her using the steps just described. A friend who is a recovering alcoholic may be particularly persuasive, but any person who is caring and nonjudgmental may help. The intervention of more than one person, more than one time, is often necessary to coax an alcoholic to seek help.

Find strength in numbers. With the help of a health care professional, some families join with other relatives and friends to confront an alcoholic as a group. This approach should only be tried under the guidance of a health care professional who is experienced in this kind of group intervention.

Get support. It is important to remember that you are not alone. Support groups offered in most communities include Al-Anon, which holds regular meetings for spouses and other significant adults in an alcoholic's life, and Alateen, which is geared to children of alcoholics. These groups help family members understand that they are not responsible for an alcoholic's drinking and that they need to take steps to take care of themselves, regardless of whether the alcoholic family member chooses to get help. (See Question 19 for referral to support groups.)

You can call the National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment) at 1-800-662-HELP for information about treatment programs in your local community and to speak to someone about an alcohol problem.

Q #13: What is a safe level of drinking?
For most adults, moderate alcohol use--up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people--causes few if any problems. (One drink equals one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.) Certain people should not drink at all, however:

Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant People who plan to drive or engage in other activities that require alertness and skill (such as using high-speed machinery) People taking certain over-the-counter or prescription medications People with medical conditions that can be made worse by drinking Recovering alcoholics

People younger than age 21.

Q #14: Is it safe to drink during pregnancy?
No, drinking during pregnancy is dangerous. Alcohol can have a number of harmful effects on the baby. The baby can be born mentally retarded or with learning and behavioral problems that last a lifetime. We don't know exactly how much alcohol is required to cause these problems. We do know, however, that these alcohol-related birth defects are 100-percent preventable, simply by not drinking alcohol during pregnancy. The safest course for women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant is not to drink alcohol at all.

Q #15: Does alcohol affect older people differently?
Alcohol's effects do vary with age. Slower reaction times, problems with hearing and seeing, and a lower tolerance to alcohol's effects put older people at higher risk for falls, car crashes, and other types of injuries that may result from drinking.

Older people also tend to take more medicines than younger people. Mixing alcohol with over-the-counter or prescription medications can be very dangerous, even fatal. More than 150 medications interact harmfully with alcohol. (See Question 18 for more information.) In addition, alcohol can make many of the medical conditions common in older people, including high blood pressure and ulcers, more serious. Physical changes associated with aging can make older people feel "high" even after drinking only small amounts of alcohol. So even if there is no medical reason to avoid alcohol, older men and women should limit themselves to one drink per day.

Q #16: Does alcohol affect women differently?
Yes, alcohol affects women differently than men. Women become more impaired than men do after drinking the same amount of alcohol, even when differences in body weight are taken into account. This is because women's bodies have less water than men's bodies. Because alcohol mixes with body water, a given amount of alcohol becomes more highly concentrated in a woman's body than in a man's. In other words, it would be like dropping the same amount of alcohol into a much smaller pail of water. That is why the recommended drinking limit for women is lower than for men. (See Question 13 for recommended limits.)

In addition, chronic alcohol abuse takes a heavier physical toll on women than on men. Alcohol dependence and related medical problems, such as brain, heart, and liver damage, progress more rapidly in women than in men.

Q #17: How can a person get help for an alcohol problem?
There are many national and local resources that can help. The National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service provides a toll-free telephone number, 1-800-662-HELP, offering various resource information. SoberRecovery.com, HopeLinks.net and others are directories of alcohol treatment centers. Through theses service you can find help concerning substance abuse treatment, request printed material on alcohol or other drugs, or obtain local substance abuse treatment referral information in your State.

Alcoholism and Addiction (mini-stories)

Alcoholism and Addictions in the News (mini-stories)


Parents Who Use Illegal Drugs, Abuse Alcohol & Smoke Endanger Half The Nation's Children
Parents who use illegal drugs, abuse alcohol and use tobacco put half the nation's children -- more than 35 million of them -- at greater risk of substance abuse and of physical and mental illnesses.

Learning to spot warning signs of drug abuse aids in the battle
A major way to fight drug abuse is to detect it. At the March meet-ing of God's Truth Conquers Addiction, the drug abuse aware-ness group that gathers monthly in Monett, a program used by a public utility was ...

PA Community Prevention Collabrative
In 2001, Pennsylvania received a three-year State Incentive Grant totaling $9,000,000 from the federal Center for Substance Abuse Prevention to participate in a national Youth Substance Abuse Initiative to ...


12 Step Alternatives
Teen Drug Treatment
Alcoholics Anonymous
Bi-polar
Dual Diagnosis
Substance Abuse
Eating Disorders
Suboxone & Subutex
Narcotics Anonymous
Drug Rehabilitation-New York




Alcoholism and Addiction News and Views

Health organizations prepare for Alcohol Screening Day
According to health experts, 14 million American adults suffer from alcohol abuse or alcoholism, and more than 100,000 people die from alcohol-related diseases and injuries each year.

Billy Joel enters rehab for alcohol abuse
Billy Joel has checked into an undisclosed rehabilitation center "for treatment of alcohol abuse," his spokeswoman said.

Injectable Naltrexone Called Effective
A monthly injection of the drug naltrexone appears to be effective in treating alcoholism.

Your Clumsy Kid Is Going To Be A Lush!
Well since I have superb balance (I walked very early, taught myself to ride a unicycle, wear high heels for fun, etc) this might explain my high alcohol tolerance:

Developmental problems in childhood in an area of the brain responsible for coordination may be linked to alcoholism in adulthood, new research suggests.

Newborns with poor muscle tone and toddlers who took longer than normal to sit or learn to walk were at increased risk for alcoholism at 30 years of age, investigators at the University of Kansas Medical Center found.

"The key finding is that infants who exhibit a subtle delay in motor coordination appear to be at increased risk for developing alcoholism later in life," researcher Barry Liskow, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, said in a prepared statement.

The authors stressed, however, that developmental delays certainly don't mean a child is destined to become alcoholic later in adulthood.

Reporting in the March issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, the Kansas team analyzed data on 241 adults who, as babies, were part of a Danish study conducted from 1959 to 1961.

This new study concluded that deficits in muscle tone five days after birth, along with infants' delays in learning to sit and in learning to walk, were significant predictors of alcohol dependence at age 30.

The cerebellum -- an area of the brain responsible for motor skills and coordination -- may be the factor linking childhood movement difficulties and adult alcoholism, the researchers said.

"Combined with suggestions that the cerebellum may be involved in the coordination of emotional and cognitive functioning as well as motor functions, this finding opens the door for exploring whether development delays or other insults to the cerebellum are related to the development of alcoholism," Liskow said.

"The motor coordination deficits that we found were minor deficits," study co-author Ann Manzardo, a research assistant professor, stressed in a prepared statement.

"The subjects were not disabled or impaired in any way -- they were just consistently lagging in several important benchmarks. Since the study involved primarily high-risk men, we can't be certain how well this will translate to the normal population," she added.

The binge-drinking kids of North Wales
admitted alcohol abuse was not uncommon, but could have tragic consequences

Study Sees Rise in Alcohol Deaths, DUI in College
Alcohol-related injury deaths and drunk driving both increased among college students over the past few years, according to a new report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

If Someone Close...has a problem with alcohol

The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention offers information on all aspects of the prevention of alcohol and other drug problems.

Three out of four alcohol and drug abusing men and women are married; living at home; holding onto a job, business, or profession; and are reasonably well accepted members of their communities.

The person who has someone close who drinks too much or who uses other drugs has plenty of company. People experiencing alcohol and other drug problems often feel they hurt only themselves. That isn't true. They also hurt their families, friends, coworkers, employers, and others.

There are millions of people with alcohol and other drug problems in this country. A recent study reported that 28 million people age 12 and older used illicit drugs during the past year. By current estimates, more than 76 million people have been exposed to alcoholism in the family. Experience shows that for every person with an alcohol or other drug problem, at least four others are affected by their behavior.

However, looking at it another way -- as we should -- millions of Americans have a personal stake in helping "someone close" find the way to overcome alcohol and other drug problems.

The person who sets out to help someone with an alcohol or other drug problem may at first feel quite alone, possibly embarrassed, not knowing where to turn for help. We have preserved so many wrong ideas and attitudes about problem drinking and other drug abuse, too often thinking of them as moral weakness or lack of willpower.

You may have learned to better understand alcohol and other drug problems and already made contact with nearby sources of services. This does not mean that "someone close" will cooperate at once by going for treatment. Those with alcohol and other drug problems may deny they have a problem. They may find it difficult to ask for or accept help.

If there is one thing true about alcohol and other drug abusers, it is that, as with all people, each one is different -- different in human needs and responses, as well as in their reasons for drinking and taking other drugs, their reactions to these drugs, and their readiness for treatment.

You are in a good position to help your relative or friend, because you know a good deal about their unique qualities and their way of life. And having made the effort to gain some understanding of the signs and effects of problem drinking or other drug abuse, you should be in a better position to consider a strategy for helping.

Be active, get involved. Don't be afraid to talk about the problem honestly and openly. It is easy to be too polite, or to duck the issue by saying, "After all, it's their private affair." But it isn't polite or consolidate to let someone destroy their family and life. You may need to be persistent to break through any denial they have.

You also may need to let them know how much courage it takes to ask for help, or to accept it. You will find that most people with drinking- or other drug-related troubles really want to talk it out if they find out you are concerned about them.

To begin, you may need to reject certain myths that in the past have done great harm to alcoholics and other drug abusers and hampered those who would help them. These untruths come from ingrained public attitudes that see alcoholism and other drug problems as personal misconduct, moral weakness, or even sin. They are expressed in such declarations as, "Nothing can be done unless the alcohol or drug abuser wants to stop," or "They must hit bottom," that is, lose health, job, home, family, "before they will want to get well." These stubborn myths are not true, and have been destructive. One may as well say that you cannot treat cancer or tuberculosis until the gross signs of disease are visible to all.

The truth is that with alcohol and other drug problems, as with other kinds of acute and chronic illness, early recognition and treatment intervention is essential -- and rewarding.

Be compassionate, be patient -- but be willing to act. Experience proves that preaching does not work. A nudge or a push at the right time can help. It also shows that you care. Push may even come to shove when the person with alcohol or other drug troubles must choose between losing family or job, or going to treatment. Thousands of alcohol and other drug abusers have been helped when a spouse, employer, or court official made treatment a condition of continuing family relationships, job, or probation.

You cannot cure the illness, but when the crucial moment comes you can guide the person to competent help.

Treatment attempts to discover the relationship between a person's problematic drinking and other drug use to their real needs -- an understanding of what they would really strive for it they were not disabled by their problems. One goal is building up their capacity for control which becomes possible in periods of sobriety.

Persons with drinking and other drug problems have the same needs as all other people -- food, clothing, shelter, health care, job, social contact and acceptance and, particularly, the need for self-confidence and feelings of competence, self-worth, and dignity. This is where "support" comes in.

What may be needed in most is warm, human concern. The kinds of support given depend, of course, on finding out from the person what they feel they need. Strained family and friend relationships, money troubles, worry about the job or business, sometimes matters that may seem trivial to us, all confuse their file situation and may contribute to their drinking and other drug problems.

Moral support in starting and staying with treatment, reassurances from employer or business associates, willing participation by spouse or children in group therapy sessions -- are examples of realistic support.

The long range goal is healthy living for the person and their family -- physical health, social health, emotional health -- an objective we all share.

Again...Three out of four alcohol and drug abusing men and women are married; living at home; holding onto a job, business, or profession; and are reasonably well accepted members of their communities.

For those in this group who seek treatment, the outlook is good. Regardless of life situation, the earlier treatment starts after troubles are recognized, the better the chances for success.

Many therapists now use rehabilitation as a measure of outcome -- success is considered achieved when the patient maintains or reestablishes a good family life and work record, and a respectable position in the community. Relapse may occur but do not mean that the person or the treatment effort has failed.

A successful outcome, on this basis, can be expected for 50 to 70 percent depending upon the personal characteristics of the patient; early treatment intervention; competence of the therapists; availability of hospital and outpatient facilities; and the strong support of family, friends, employer, and community.

"It is doubtful that any specific percentage figure has much meaning by itself," says one authority. "What does have a great deal of meaning is the fact that tens of thousands of such cases have shown striking improvement over many years."

The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention offers information on all aspects of the prevention of alcohol and other drug problems. It also maintains a State-by-State listing of most public and private alcohol and other drug information, counseling, and treatment facilities.

The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
P.O. Box 2345
Rockville, MD 20847-2345

Brown CEDU School Closes?

Private school closes

Cedu says it's broke, sends students home

By Joe Nelson, Staff Writer, San Bernardino Sun

RUNNING SPRINGS - The large wooden sign hanging outside Cedu School greets all who enter the pristine 75-acre property with the optimistic words "To Dream the Impossible Dream.'
Whatever dreams those affiliated with the school may have had, however, were put on hold when they got news last week that the school was shutting down after 38 years due to bankruptcy.

"It was a surprise to all of us that we are closing the school down and sending the children home,' Cedu spokeswoman Julia Andrick said Saturday in a telephone interview.

She said the company filed for federal Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Friday, then notified its staff and students at its seven campuses across the country of the campus closures at 3 p.m.

"Everything's up for sale right now,' Andrick said.

Company Chief Executive Officer Pete Talbott said in a statement the 301 students from the school's seven campuses should be home with their parents in the next 10 days. About 500 employees will be left unemployed.

A flier posted in the Running Springs school's front office window Saturday stated that other schools were trying to find work for Cedu employees, and that a relief fund had been established by parents for employees.

"I deeply regret that we have come to the end of Cedu's nearly 40-year history,' Talbott said.

The company has become so void of funds that it wasn't even able to give employees their final paychecks on Friday. It was unclear if they would receive future compensation.

A stack of memos sat atop the front desk in Cedu's front office Saturday in Running Springs while employees gathered up their belongings and said their goodbyes.

The memos notified employees they would be receiving a claim form in the mail so they could file for compensation of three weeks pay and any accrued overtime, provided the funds are available.

Cedu Middle School counselors Munir Jones, 54, and Skip Borg, 53, loaded personal items into the bed of a pickup outside the campus.

"It's very sad and a disbelief,' said Jones, of Lake Arrowhead.

He said that for him, seeing the sadness on the students' faces when they were told they were going home was the worst.

"This is probably the only place they were safe and had relationships, with adults and with children,' Borg said.

School founder Mel Wasserman opened the middle and high school campuses in Running Springs in 1967. Since then, five other campuses opened up nationwide four in Idaho and one in Vermont.

Despite the many parents who have praised the expensive boarding school for bringing out the best in troubled teens, the Running Springs campus has had its share of problems.

The father of a 14-year-old girl sued the school in September, accusing it of blocking communication between him and his daughter while she was a student at the school between August 2003 and January 2004.

In June, sheriff's detectives searched the school after a girl reported that two 18-year-old students raped her repeatedly on campus in September 2001, just weeks after she enrolled. She was 15 at the time.

The sheriff's Twin Peaks station received an average of 30 calls monthly from the school reporting runaway students. Most of them returned, except for one.

On Feb. 8, 2004, Daniel Yuen, 16, of Edison, N.J., ran away from the school after his second week of attendance. He remained missing Saturday.