Addiction Help 4 U

Facebook Predicts Alcoholism

2014-05-15T17:11:00.001-07:00

Thoughts on Cannabis

2014-01-21T08:41:00.001-08:00

Do we really want our government to legalize marijuana? Isn't the legalization of alcohol enough? The President of the United States is asserting that pot is less harmful than alcohol? Is he relying on scientific evidence or his own personal experience? I know that they say that pot is not a gateway drug, but I grew up in the '60s and '70s, and my experience and observation leads me to the conclusion that it is a gateway drug.

Cannabis de-motivates, causes cognitive changes in brain function, increases obesity and brings on an increase in heart rate. It is not benign.

I have no problem with the medical use of marijuana, and I think that the penalties for marijuana use should fall within the infraction to misdemeanor categories. This is my compromise. It's not that I think that marijuana is good -- it's just that I feel that marijuana use should be limited.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

The Scourge of Methamphetamine

2014-01-18T12:08:00.000-08:00

Please Click Here for Article.

How Will the Affordable Care Act Affect Alcohol and Drug Treatment?

2012-07-04T19:13:00.001-07:00

Click Here for Story

Crushing Co-dependence

2012-07-04T18:56:00.002-07:00

Crushing Co-Dependence

Ease Your Stress

2012-07-04T18:53:00.001-07:00

Click Here For Story

5 Easy Stress Busters

2012-05-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

Click here to read.

Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome

2012-03-25T08:47:00.004-07:00

James has been clean and sober for six months. He attends 12-step meetings every day, he walks his children to school, he has returned to his career on a part-time basis, and he has assumed most of his pre-addiction responsibilities. Everyone is happy with him. His wife is astonished at how quickly he was able to get off drugs. His mom and dad wish that they could give him the Medal of Valor for accomplishing what their other adult children have not been able to do: James has gotten off drugs. His kids are happy to have their "old" dad back again, and all is well -- except for one thing: James feels miserable.

PAWS is Discouraging but Normal.

Inside, James is dying. He forgets what he's talking about in mid-sentence, he has almost crippling anxiety and depression, he shakes all the time, and even the simplest tasks feel overwhelming to him. He has also become accident prone and clumsy, has difficulty managing stress, is filled with self pity, and sometimes feels numb. Everyone else is convinced that James is okay, but behind his facade of happiness, James feels out of control.

But James is not cracking up. He has post acute withdrawal syndrome.

What is Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome?

Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (or PAWS) is the brain's adjustment to living without chemicals. During periods of addiction to drugs or alcohol, there is artificial stimulation and disruption of normal brain function. The brain gets used to the drug. Altered brain cells and their functioning take 6 to 18 months to return to normal. PAWS can be moderate to severe.

A Bad Day of PAWS is Better Than a Good Day as an Addict.

Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms

Forgetfulness
Self-pity
Defensiveness
Difficulty thinking clearly
Accident prone
Denial
Problem with managing stress
Difficulty handling feelings and emotions
Problems sleeping
Compulsive behavior
Over-reacting or feeling numb

Every recovering addict or alcoholic experiences PAWS symptoms -- some more than others. It's important for people in recovery to know that what they are feeling is normal for someone learning to live without drugs or alcohol. It doesn't feel normal, but it is to be expected.

This Too Shall Pass. . .

These things help the person with PAWS:

Don't isolate.
Keep expectations (of self and others) reasonable.
Eat three regular meals a day.
Limit work to 40 hours per week.
Maintain family relationships.
Journal feelings.
Take vitamins.
Regularly attend 12-step groups (NA, AA, CA, etc.).
Learn relaxation techniques.
Call other clean and sober friends.

Eventually You Will Feel Better.

How to Help a Chemically-Dependent Loved One

2012-03-23T14:11:00.004-07:00

Do you have a loved one who drinks too much or is addicted to drugs? Are you frustrated because your attempts to help have failed?

If this is you, read on because I will show you how to help your chemically-dependent loved one.

At what Stage of Change is your loved one?

The first thing you must consider in helping a loved one with an alcohol or drug problem is how willing he is to admit he has a problem and how willing he is to go into treatment.

Here are the Stages:

Pre-contemplation: He feels he doesn't have a problem.
Contemplation: Ambivalence towards change. Not considering treatment right now.
Preparation: Planning on entering treatment within the next month.
Action: Actively engaged in treatment.

The video below will tell you more about the Stages of Change:

For a person in the pre-contemplation stage:

It is important for you to validate his lack of readiness to admit that he has a problem. You should reiterate to him that the decision to get help is his, but that he should re-evaluate his current behavior and consequences.

For the person in the contemplation stage:

Clarify that, again, the decision is his, but go over the benefits to his life if he were to stop drinking or get off drugs. Offer treatment options and keep the line of communication open.

The person in the preparation stage:

This person could be actively considering getting help. You can help him to get on a waiting list to a residential treatment program, and let him know that he is capable of doing it. Small steps forward will go a long way at this stage.

The person in the action stage:

The chemically-dependent person is in a recovery program or is attending 12-step meetings and is maintaining his abstinence. You can be his sounding board and reaffirm his ability to succeed.

Info on Addiction and Alcoholism

There are five things that characterize addiction:

1. It is a disease (an involuntary disability).

2. It is often progressive and fatal. (It gets worse with time and you can die from it.)

3. There are adverse consequences. (These can be psychological, physical, occupational, legal, interpersonal, and spiritual.)

4. There is impaired control. (An addict can no longer predict what will occur when he uses.)

5. There is denial. (A delusional system that prevents the user from recognizing reality)

Addiction Always Plays Itself Out in Four Phases:

PHASE ONE:

This is the first use and can only occur once. It moves the person's feelings in a welcome direction, towards the euphoria, and it feels good for most people. They learn how much to take to feel good (the dosage). Because it's pleasant, they move on to Phase Two.

PHASE TWO:

Where the person seeks out the mood swing. He will seek out situations where he can use drugs and experience the mood swing and enjoy it. However, if he is in Phase Two, he will do this within the norms of society. In other words, he will still function in his normal everyday life, and no one will notice any contradictions. Once in awhile he may use drugs to excess, but there is no emotional cost, no remorse over it. He will say things like, "I blew it. It won't happen again." However, for those that have the disease, something occurs that moves them to Phase Three (harmful dependence - where the person exhibits a loss of control.)

PHASE THREE:

At this stage, there is an impairment or a loss of control. The person can no longer predict the outcome of his behavior. It violates his values and causes remorse or emotional pain about what occurred. There are negative feelings that trigger denial (rationalize, minimize, blame), which leads to unresolved emotional pain. A person in denial is literally incapable of realizing that he is addicted. As the disease progresses, Phase Three will occur over and over again. The unresolved emotional pain builds and builds and builds. But the pain is still connected to some wrong done while using drugs. Eventually, the emotional pain becomes chronic. It is there all the time, even when the person is not using drugs. He is angry, resentful, and his self esteem has fallen through the bottom. He says things like, "I'm no damn good" and is sometimes even suicidal.

PHASE FOUR:

Now the chemically-dependent person is covering up the chronic emotional pain, i.e., using drugs or alcohol to feel normal. The negative feelings are present all of the time. The person must use his drug to escape from his pain and try and feel normal. It works, and it can trigger another sequence of more trouble and more loss of control. This is the point where an addict will reach his "bottom," where we can get him into treatment, if we haven't intervened before this time.

Refusal to go into treatment

Many addicts and alcoholics refuse to get help no matter how far they sink in their disease. In this event, the most successful method of help is to have an intervention.

RIP

Staging an intervention

The purpose of an intervention is to present reality to that person in a receivable way. If done correctly, 8 out of 10 people will go into treatment.

There are several parts to an intervention:

Step 1: Gathering the Intervention Team:

Make a list of meaningful persons other than yourself who surround the chemically dependent person.

These could be:

Employer or immediate supervisor
Spouse
Children
The chemically dependent person’s parents
Close friends or neighbors
Coworkers
Member of the clergy

Step 2: Form the intervention team:

People who know something about chemical dependency (or if they don’t, you will have to educate them);

Are willing to risk their relationship with the victim;
Are emotionally adequate to be interveners.
You do not want somebody who is chemically dependent themselves.
They need to know that if they do nothing, the chemically dependent person will die prematurely.

Step 3: Gathering the Data:

Data is information. There are two types of information that you are going to gather:

Type A:

Make written lists of specific incidents or conditions related to the victim’s drinking or drug use that legitimatize your concern.
The lists should have the following: What happened, What I did, How I felt
The lists should give specifics that, should the person not take the help that is offered at the intervention (treatment), specific things that they will be doing to stop enabling the person's addiction, i.e. calling him in sick to work when he has a hangover, giving him money, etc.).
(During the intervention, treatment is offered to the addict/alcoholic.)

Type B:

Find out about treatment options in your area.
What is it that you are going to do with the person if he/she decides to go into treatment? Example: Drive him to treatment facility and help him during admission.
If you have adequate insurance, you are going to have a bed in a really top-notch program;
If there isn’t adequate insurance, you are going to find a program that will take less money or has a sliding scale;
If none of that is an option, then find a 12-step program – The person will attend 30 meetings in 30 days.

Step 4: Rehearsing the Intervention:

Designate a chairperson.

Go over each item on the written lists that team members have prepared.

Determine the order in which team members will read their lists during the intervention.

Choose someone to play the role of the chemically dependent person during the rehearsals.

Determine the responses that team members will make to the chemically dependent person.

Conduct the rehearsal.

Step 5: Finalizing the Details:

Leave nothing to chance.
Where the intervention meeting will be held?
Who is going to get the person there?
Who is going to drive him/her to the hospital?

Where there's breath, there's hope.

No matter where your loved one's chemical dependence has taken him, you can help him to get into treatment. Though the ultimate choice is his, your compassion and assistance could make all the difference in the world.

Life Recovery Program

Helpful Links:

Understanding Stages of Change

Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator

Site for "I'll Quit Tomorrow"

Intervention's Website

Help for Alcoholism

Interventionists

Intervention - Meet the Interventionists - A & E TV
Intervention specialists Jeff VanVonderen, Candy Finningan and Ken Seeley help those suffering from addictions with drug, alcohol and other addiction interventions on A&E TV.

Interventionist Referrals

Alcoholism Interventionist Treatment Center Drug Alcohol Intervention
Coast to Coast Interventions is the leader in comprehensive drug and crisis intervention strategies.
National Intervention Referral
Referrals all over the U.S. for interventionists
National Association of Drug and Alcohol Interventionists
More qualified interventionists -- qualified and certificated

Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcoholics Anonymous Website
You will find meetings, literature, and much more about this worldwide, 12-step recovery program.

Cocaine Anonymous

Welcome to Cocaine Anonymous
The members of Cocaine Anonymous seek to help others to recover from their addiction. We use the 12 Step Recovery program, and welcome any person who desires to stop using cocaine and any other mind-altering substance.

Narcotics Anonymous

www.NA.org - the website for the Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous
Information on meetings, literature, and more about this worldwide 12-step organization.

Al-Anon / Alateen

Welcome to Al-Anon and Alateen
Help for the families of alcoholic/addicted loved ones. This is a worldwide organization and 12-step community.

Crystal Meth Anonymous

Crystal Meth Anonymous
The Fellowship of Crystal Meth Anonymous works a Twelve Step program of recovery. We have not felt the need to elaborate in great detail a specific CMA approach to the Twelve Steps: too many other excellent outlines already exist for following these

Elderly Alcohol Consumption

2012-03-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

Elderly Alcohol Abuse Common

Alcohol abuse in the elderly is often overlooked and undiagnosed. An older person may live alone, apart from his adult children. A son may suspect his parent is developing an alcohol problem because of subtle behavioral changes. But he can't pinpoint, with certainty, that alcohol is the cause. He needs to assess how much alcohol his parent is consuming.

Seniors At Risk

Determine if the older person is a heavy drinker. One drink is equal to 0.5 ounces of distilled spirits, also known as hard liquor; 12 ounces of beer; or 5 ounces of wine. Moderate alcohol use is a maximum of one drink per day. Any amount exceeding that is considered heavy drinking and puts the senior at risk of alcohol-related problems. Women are especially at risk because their bodies do not metabolize alcohol as efficiently as men's bodies do.

The following assessment checklist will give you signs to look for in assessing the extent of an elderly person's alcohol consumption:

Look for a decline in the quality of self-care and missed medical appointments. Other signs of excessive drinking are poorly controlled high blood pressure, erratic results on lab tests and digestive problems. Pay attention to cuts, scrapes and bruises on the senior, frequent falls and trips to the Emergency Room. Be aware that Isolation and avoidance of family members is a sign of heavy drinking. Unanticipated confusion and disorientation while in the hospital is a sign of alcohol withdrawal.

Combining Alcohol with Medications

Visit the older person frequently, and mentally note changes in behavior and health that correspond to those on your assessment checklist. If possible, look for empty liquor bottles and beer cans in trash cans at the senior's residence. Ascertain, if you can, what medications the older person is taking, i.e., anxiety and pain medications. A senior may not realize that certain medications cannot be safely combined with alcohol. A glass of wine with a tranquilizer can be fatal.

After your visit, log your observations in a notebook, and record the date and time. If an alcohol problem is present, it should become obvious in your log. It may even form a pattern of being worse some days than others. If the elderly person's health and behavior indicate that alcohol may be a problem, try talking it over in a nonaccusing way with him. Alcohol abuse to many seniors is typified by derelicts on skid row and other down-and-outs -- not them.

Family Support is Strategic

If you determine that an older person's drinking is becoming dangerous, and you have unsuccessfully broached the subject with him, contact his physician and other family members to get them involved. The family can meet with the physician and come up with strategies to help the senior either cut down on his alcohol consumption or quit drinking altogether.

Addiction: You Don't Have to Talk About It

2012-03-15T12:56:00.001-07:00

Unless you die of an overdose, you don't have to talk about your addiction or your recovery from addiction. Well, if you're dead, you won't be the one doing the talking anyway, but everyone else will!

What motivated this rant was an actress on a talk show I watched last night. With every topic of discussion, she tossed her drug recovery into the ring. It was annoying to hear this on a comedy talk show because addiction is not funny.

When celebs "broadcast" in a discussion about their taking drugs and their recovery from drugs, it sets up a precident for everyone who has ever had a problem with drugs or alcohol. This is not to shortchange the work of many celebrities and regular folks in overcoming their addiction problems. There is nothing harder to pull off than to recover from addiction. Anyone who succeeds is a giant in my eyes.

If a recovering addict wants to talk about his addiction, that is his prerogative, and I wish him the best. I'm not saying that he is wrong to talk about his recovery -- even online. But, sometimes in their enthusiasm to help others, recovering addicts share dark secrets about their drug pasts that are just as well left unsaid.

An addict in recovery should be known as a really nice guy, or a great actor, or a generous philanthropist -- not as an addict. People are so much more than their addictions -- they are moms and dads and co-workers and valued friends. Why tarnish their image? Not everyone shares my positive views on addicts who have overcome the disease of addiction. In fact, many people (like potential employers) are downright mean spirited about it.

Just something to think about. Addiction is ugly and deadly -- and there is nothing (and I mean nothing) funny about it.

Solving the Problem of Addiction

2012-02-17T15:12:00.000-08:00

(A once-beautiful meth addict)

The American Medical Association's definition of disease is a condition that is chronic, progressive and fatal, if not arrested. The AMA classifies addiction as a disease because it meets these three criteria.

It's a shame, though, that addiction is being treated primarily by the legal system and is considered a legal and societal problem -- not a medical problem.

Society's idea of helping addicts is to lock them up. But what people don't realiize is that addicts get out of jail and are back out on the streets again. Only now the addicts are felons and parolees. They can't find jobs because no one wants to hire felons.

A large percent of the nonviolent offenders in the prison system are there because of addiction. Addicts have to steal to get their drugs. Drugs are like air for addicts, and just like we can't live without air, addicts can't live without their drugs.

No one wakes up at the age of 19 and says, "I think that I will become a drug addict. Heroine will be my drug of choice." This young person is exposed to peer pressure, bad parenting, and all kinds of abuse in and out of the home. No wonder she's an addict.

In a country where the government can bail out the banks and the car companies, why -- then -- can't they get a handle on addiction? It takes detox, treatment and follow-up, and these take money.

Most addicts haven't got the money to invest in comprehensive health insurance, and if you saw what an addict must endure in government-sponsored addiction care, you would be appalled. We treat dogs better.

Addiction is not an impossible problem. It just takes funding.

I wonder if The Donald would read this? Nah. . .

Society is Imploding

2012-01-22T10:20:00.000-08:00

Some 45.9 million, or around 1 in 5 American adults (age 18 and over) experienced a mental illness in the past year, according to the US government's latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health, released this month.

The survey, published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), finds that the rate of mental illness among 18 to 25-year-olds was more than twice as high as among people aged 50 and over (29.9% versus 14.3% respectively).

The survey report defines mental illness as having a diagnosable mental, behavioral or emotional disorder based on criteria given in DSM-IV (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders edition IV, published by the American Psychiatric Association, APA, in 1994). The definition excludes developmental and substance use disorders.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in developed countries mental illness accounts for more disability than any other group of illnesses, including heart disease and cancer.

The economic impact of mental illness in the US is high: estimates suggest it came to about $300 billion in 2002.

The US National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) includes about 67,500 people (age 12 and over) throughout the country every year.

The latest survey (2010 NSDUH) also found:

Adult women were more likely to have experienced mental illness in the past year than adult men (23 versus 16.8%).
Substance dependence and abuse was higher among people with mental illness (20% versus 6.1% compared to those without mental illlness).
11.4 million adults (5% of the adult population) suffered from a serious mental illness in the past year (one that leads to a serious functional impairment that substantially interferes or limits one or more major life activities).
These had an even higher rate of substance dependence or abuse (25.2%).

SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde said in a press statement that:

"These data underscore the importance of substance abuse treatment as well."

However, "Mental illnesses can be managed successfully, and people do recover," said Hyde, adding that the government "is working to promote the use of mental health services through health reform. People, families and communities will benefit from increased access to mental health services."

She also said mental illness is not an "isolated public health problem". It often co-exists with other diseases such as cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, obesity and cancer. It is also linked to risk behavior such as physical inactivity, smoking, excessive drinking, and insufficient sleep. And if you treat the mental illness you often succeed in reducing the effects of the other disorders, said Hyde.

The report shows that 39.2%, or about 4 in 10, people experiencing any mental illness received mental health services during 2010. For those with serious mental illness, the rate of receiving services was considerably higher at 60.8%.

The report also mentions that an estimated 8.7 million adults had seriously contemplated suicide in the past year, including 2.5 million who made plans to kill themselves and 1.1 million who tried.

The report also highlights some important mental health issues among 12 to 17-year-olds. For 2010 it finds that 1.9 million youngsters (8% of 12 to 17-year-olds) had experienced a major depressive episode in the past year. A major depressive episode is one that lasts for at least 2 weeks and is characterized by loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, and which meets at least four of the seven symptom criteria laid out in DSM-IV.

And, reflecting the same pattern in the figures on adults, the report shows that young people in this age group who experienced a major depressive episode in the past year had more than twice the rate of illicit drug use in the past year (37.2%) compared to peers who had not had a major depressive episode during the same period (17.8%).

Dr Ileana Arias, Principal Deputy Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the report "provides further evidence that we need to continue efforts to monitor levels of mental illness in the United States in order to effectively prevent this important public health problem and its negative impact on total health".

Crisis Hotline

If you are in crisis or know someone who is and who may be at immediate risk of suicide, then SAMHSA urges that you call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or go to their website at http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.

The hotline is funded by SAMHSA and provides immediate, round-the-clock, every day of the year, free and confidential counseling to anyone in need throughout the United States.

If you are outside the US then try this website Befrienders International.

In the UK, contact The Samaritans.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD

People of Value

2012-01-07T10:04:00.000-08:00

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple up the $20 bill. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands........................ were up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, we have... all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We may feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE. You are special --- Don't EVER forget it cos we are all worth our weight in gold xxx

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T01:06:00.000-08:00

Real

I am feeling real today

And I'm not sure why

It doesn't seem to be my schedule

Nor the color of the sky.

Today I have that feeling

Proud, but relieved still more

Yesterday I accomplished

What I was scared to do before.

I think I have an idea

The reason, it may be,

I have got my addiction

But no more does it have me.

(Adapted from a poem

Stomping Out Christmas

2011-12-26T14:01:00.000-08:00

Please Click on the Link Below:

http://jennapope.hubpages.com/hub/Stomping-Out-Christmas

Don't Let the Holidays Get You Down

2011-12-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

The holidays can be a train wreck for people in recovery. "Recovery from what?" you ask.

Recovery from alcoholism or drugs or incest or divorce or any of life's destructive happenings. Whether they were your fault or not, they left their mark.

People are fragile. People get hurt.

The holidays can magnify past hurts and failures exponentially.

Here is a little story (true) of hope.

http://www.helium.com/items/1563828-christmas-tree-hardship-sadness-divorce-remarriage

Children With High IQ More Likely To Subsequently Use Illegal Drugs

2011-12-03T18:08:00.000-08:00

According to a study published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, a high IQ in childhood could be associated to illegal drug use later in life, especially among women. The researchers findings were based on data from just under 8,000 individuals in the 1970 British Cohort Study, a large ongoing population based investigation, which examines educational attainment, lifetime drug use as well as socioeconomic factors.

Researchers used a validated scale in order to measure the IQ scores of participants at the ages of 5 and ten years. In addition they collected information on participants self reported levels of drug use and psychological distress at the age of 16 and again at the age of 30 (drug use only).

Drug use included cocaine, cannabis, LSD (acid), heroin, downers (tanks, blues, barbiturates), and uppers (speed and wiz).

They discovered that 1 in 3 men (35.4%) and 1 in 6 women (15.9%) had used cannabis by the age of 30. Furthermore, they found that in the previous 12 months 3.6% of women and 8.6% of men had used cocaine.

For other drugs they discovered a similar pattern of use, with overall drug use two times as prevalent in men as among women participants.

When intelligence was taken into account, the examination revealed that men who received high IQ scores when they were 5 years old were approximately 50% more likely to have taken ecstasy, several illegal drugs, and amphetamines 25 years later compared to men who received low IQ scores.

Women with a high IQ score were more than two times as likely to have used cocaine and cannabis later in life compared to those with low IQ scores.

They discovered that the same associations appeared between participants who received a high IQ score at the age of 10 and subsequent use of ecstasy, cannabis, multiple drug use and cocaine, even though this last connection was only apparent at age 30.

The discoveries held true, regardless of parental social class, lifetime household income and anxiety/depression during adolescence.

The researchers explain:

"Although most studies have suggested that higher child or adolescent IQ prompts the adoption of a healthy lifestyle as an adult, other studies have linked higher childhood IQ scores to excess alcohol intake and alcohol dependency in adulthood."

Even though it is not exactly clear why there should be an association between illegal drug use and high IQ, the researchers highlight that prior investigations have revealed that individuals who are highly intelligent are open to experiences and keen on stimulation and novelty.

In addition other studies have shown that children who are intelligent are usually easily bored and suffer at the hands of their peers for being different, "either of which could conceivably increase vulnerability to using drugs as an avoidant coping strategy," say the researchers.

Written by Grace Rattue

"Unloading" the State Burden on the Counties -- A Very Bad Idea

2011-11-29T13:03:00.000-08:00

Here is an October 7, 2011 article from Tonya Page of the Family Bail Blog:

California Inmates Transferred to County Jails

The LAPD and the LA Sheriff’s Department are suddenly finding themselves a bit more stretched. Mandated under the Public Safety Realignment Act of 2011, each of California’s 58 counties, including Los Angeles, will need to take responsibility of certain current and future state prisoners within their jurisdiction. The Act, also known as AB109, went into effect on Oct. 1.

Under the direction of the Act, non-serious, non-violent and non-sex offenders (known as “non-non-non”) will now serve out their sentences in county jails instead of in state prisons.

Los Angeles Impact

LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck, and other city officials point to increased expenses to the city, including the need to hire additional officers. Additional gang intervention and prevention personnel will also need to be trained, points out Los Angeles gang expert Connie Rice.

Response times for 911 services may also increase, Beck said.

For the average citizen, the question may be “why?”.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) suggests that approximately 7,000 inmates currently sentenced to serve time in state prisons will now be housed within the Los Angels County Jail System.

According to an Aug. 2011 report prepared by the County of Los Angeles Community Corrections Partnership (CCP), the CRCR also projects that “approximately 9,000 offenders will be released to the Los Angeles Postrelease Community Supervision (PCS) in FY2011-12. By the end of year two, between 14,000 and 15,000 individuals are expected to be under PCS in Los Angeles County”. It’s further projected that 44 percent of the PCS population will be comprised of drug offenders, 41 percent will have been convicted of property offenses, 14 percent convicted of “other”.

LA County Chief Probation Officer Donald. H. Blevins has emphasized that “the Act is limited to serving non-violent, non-serious non-sex offenders after they are released from state prison to be supervised at the county level,” Blevins said in an earlier statement. ”This is the offender that my operation will be supervising.”

Immune System May Determine How Alcohol Affects Behavior

2011-10-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

An Austrialian researcher has uncovered new evidence that immune cells in the brain may affect how people behave when under the influence of alcohol. This would include changes in motor function, such as difficulty in controlling the muscles that regulate walking and talking. Researchers found that there was a correlation between the immune responses in the brain and behavioral responses to alcohol.

Certain receptors in the brain activate the immune system when they encounter foreign substances that have breached certain barriers to and inside the body, such as the skin and the gut wall. The brain receptors that do the activating are called TLR4 or "toll-like" receptor 4.

By using drugs to inhibit TLR4 signaling in the brain (or actually block this part of the immune system), the behavioral effects of alcohol were reduced. This means that alcohol causes both an immunological and neuronal response.

According to Dr. Mark Hutchinson of the Australia Research Council:

"Such a shift in mindset has significant implications for identifying individuals who may have bad outcomes after consuming alcohol, and it could lead to a way of detecting people who are at greater risk of developing brain damage after long-term drinking," he said, explaining that drugs targeting TLR4 could help treat alcohol addiction and overdoses."

How Physical Fitness and Exercise Can Benefit Mental Health

2011-10-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

Please Click on the Attached Link:

http://www.helium.com/items/2244816-mental-health-physical-fitness-exercise

Meth Kills

2011-10-20T15:48:00.000-07:00

Methamphetamine (or Meth) is a powerful, addicting drug that stimulates the central nervous system and delivers an intense euphoria that lasts anywhere from an hour or two to 24 hours at a time. Withdrawal from methamphetamine, though, is no easy endeavor.

What are Meth’s Withdrawal Symptoms?

Withdrawal from methamphetamine causes long and short-term symptoms which may include:

•Anhedonia (the inability to experience pleasure)

•Drug cravings

•Irregular heartbeat

•Extreme irritability

•Depression

•Sweating

•Hyperventilation

•Convulsions

•Confusion

•Nausea

•Insomnia or excessive sleeping

•Loss of energy

•Tremors of the hands

Loss of Control:

When an addict gets to the point where he goes into treatment, it is usually because he has reached the end -- or his “bottom.” He has nowhere else to go, and may even enter drug rehabilitation because he has been mandated there by the court system.

Why Enter Treatment?

The best way for a meth addict to withdraw from his drug is to enter drug treatment. A medical-model facility is best because the withdrawing addict is monitored at all stages of his withdrawal. Often a medical-model detox facility will provide a withdrawing addict with “step-down” drugs to make the withdrawal less painful.

After Detox, What Happens?

After withdrawal, the recovering meth addict should go directly to treatment, where he will learn strategies to help him cope with life as a thinking, feeling person without the use of methamphetamine to make it more tolerable. This is the most difficult part of recovery from meth because many life skills must be re-learned, and this can be painstakingly difficult.

In rehab, the recovering addict continues to recover physically, as he learns more about the destructiveness and danger of his drug and assimilates into his life the new coping strategies he is being taught.

A Relapse Plan:

Before leaving treatment, the recovering meth addict will learn how to prevent relapse and develop a relapse plan where he contracts with his counselor to utilize his relapse plan, if he ever has a strong urge to resume using methamphetamines.

12-Step Program:

After treatment, every addict should enter a 12-step program, like Narcotics Anonymous, where he will find empathy and understanding from other recovering addicts. Because it is one addict helping another, the 12-step support system is very effective in preventing drug relapse.

Addiction is a Disease:

Both the American Psychological Association and the American Medical Association classify addiction as a disease because it is chronic, progressive, and fatal, if not arrested. But because of the behaviors associated with the Disease of Addiction, such as stealing and lying, along with the burden it places on families, it is difficult for an addict’s family to look at addiction as a disease. This is understandable because they end up experiencing, sometimes, more pain than the addict. Hence, the family of an addict needs to heal also. Most treatment programs offer help for families of addicts.

How Do I Begin?

If you are an addict in the throes of methamphetamine withdrawal, take heart, because, as they say in Narcotics Anonymous, "This, too, shall pass." You only have to stay off meth one day at a time.

If you are looking for help with a methamphetamine addiction, I have listed places and resources that will put you on the path of recovery.

Don’t let methamphetamine ruin your life. Free yourself today.

Resources:

Help Finding Treatment: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/tx.htm

Narcotics Anonymous: http://www.na.org/

Alcoholics Anonymous: http://www.aa.org/?Media=PlayFlash

Al-Anon and Alateen: (Organizations for Family Members of Addicts and Alcoholics): http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/meetings/international.html

I'll Quit Tomorrow by Vernon E. Johnson. Available at bookstores and on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Ill-Quit-Tomorrow-Practical-Alcoholism/dp/0062504339

** The author, Jenna Pope, is a Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor and has spent the last seven years writing about addiction and helping addicts to break free from meth and recover.

Changing Our View of Addiction

2011-10-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in 2009, 50.7 percent of the inmates in United States federal prisons were there for drug offenses. This percentage represents an increase of 28.2 percent from 2000 to 2009. Just in case you’re not convinced that these figures are problematic, let me give you some more.

Drug Incarcerations on the Rise:

With drug incarcerations rising so consistently, the decrease in releases from prison and re-incarceration for technical parole violations, there is a gargantuan problem of overcrowding in state and federal prisons. In 40 out of 50 states, the prisons are at 90 percent or more over capacity. Twenty-three of those states are operating at over 100 percent capacity. How cou any addict become rehabilitated in an environment like that? It could, therefore, be surmised that nonviolent drug offenders enter prison with a drug problem and are paroled from prison with a drug problem. Only now, violence may have become part of the equation because of repeated exposure to violence while in prison.

The Disease Concept:

The American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association use the disease-model approach to addiction. This is because addiction is chronic, progressive and fatal, if not put into remission. This is like cancer, but if you entered prison with cancer, you would receive chemotherapy, radiation and other aggressive cancer treatment. Even one the Manson Family murderers, Susan Atkins, received cancer treatment while in prison.

Drug Program Failure:

In California, the SAP (Substance Abuse Program) was an abysmal failure. While not going into the reasons for this failure, it must be said that though it didn’t work, there are other models of treatment that should be implemented until a successful one is found. Otherwise, we are going to waste more taxpayer money incarcerating drug offenders, releasing them and then re-incarcerating them for similar drug or drug-related offenses. To even a totally uninformed citizen, this revolving-door approach to drug addiction must seem entirely counter-productive.

Look at this quote from the Justice Policy Institute:

"Substance-involved people have come to compose a large portion of the prison population. Substance use may play a role in the commission of certain crimes: approximately 16 percent of people in state prison and 18 percent of people in federal prison reported committing their crimes to obtain money for drugs. 21. Treatment delivered in the community is one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent such crimes and costs approximately $20,000 less than incarceration per person per year.22 A study by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy found that every dollar spent on drug treatment in the community yields over $18 in cost savings related to crime.23 In comparison, prisons only yield $.37 in public safety benefit per dollar spent. Releasing people to supervision and making treatment accessible is an effective way of reducing problematic drug use, reducing crime associated with drug use and reducing the number of people in prison."

It is time to stop sending addicts to prison. Lowering recidivism will cut down on prison costs, elevate the status of addicts to people suffering from a disease, and it will cut down on crime.

Re-educate Society:

Why can’t society be re-educated in the disease-concept of addiction when it must be obvious to most people that the “Lock-‘em-up-and-throw-away-the-key” approach isn’t working and is a colossal waste of money that could be directed into solutions that do work.

Addiction is not a criminal problem or a failure of will. Rather, it is about biology and resultant behavior – a disease that society is treating like a crime.

Sources:

1. Justice Policy Institute, "How to safely reduce prison populations and support people returning to their communities,"(Washington, DC: June 2010), p. 8. /www.justicepolicy.org/images/upload/10-6_FAC_ForImmediateRelease...

2. American Psychological Association, “What does it mean that addiction is a brain disease ,” Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D.; June 2001 http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun01/sp.aspx

3. Get the Facts: Prisons & Drug Offenders; 2011 http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/node/63

Food Addiction

2011-10-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

Compulsion is what fuels addiction cravings. So when you are trying to stop an addiction, the compulsion or obsession is what must be dealt with first. The most effective method of addressing this persistent desire to eat is through a 12-step group. There you will receive support and a plan for overcoming your addiction by working through the 12-Steps of Recovery.

There are as many 12-step groups as there are maladies. For food addiction, Overeaters Anonymous is a good place to start. They have online and in-person meetings all over.

Here is their link:
http://www.oa.org/

The 12-step groups are based on the principle that, if your compulsion has gotten out of control and is negatively affecting other areas of your life, i.e., your self-esteem, your relationships, your career, your marriage, your level of motivation, and/or your ability to engage in leisure activities, then they can help you to overcome it.

An obsession or compulsion is never voluntary. For most people, it is a thorn in the flesh. Being powerless over how to stop the compulsion is frightening and a source of great frustration.

There are things that many food addicts have in common. Though some food addicts report that they were "born" with the compulsion to eat, there may have been a triggering event that caused the compulsion to "light up." A younger sibling with a chronic medical problem can spark a food obsession in the older sibling. Food becomes a source of comfort and a substitute for the disproportionate amount of attention that the younger sibling is receiving from the parents . Food is used as a mood changer, just like any other drug.

In food addiction, brain chemicals are triggered when certain foods are eaten. Carbohydrates and sugars are two foods that, for many food addicts, stimulate the brain to release dopamine, a brain chemical that gives a feeling of happiness and wellbeing. Peanut butter is another common binge food for food addicts, and so is chocolate.

When taking on your food addiction, it is important for you to be committed to changing. See your medical provider to investigate the possibility of underlying depression as the root cause of your addiction. This can be treated with counseling/therapy and, sometimes, medications. Attend your 12-step group as often as possible, and in those meetings, share your struggle with other people going through the same experience. There, you will find a sponsor to guide you through the process and provide moral support.

Food addiction does not have to ruin your life. With medical help and 12-step-group participation, you can overcome the obsession to eat and break free from the chains of addiction.

Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS)

2011-10-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

Jeremy has been clean and sober for seven months. This is a miracle because it's the longest period of abstinence that Jeremy has managed to put together since he began using drugs 12 years ago.

Everybody is happy with him. His boss pats him on the back regularly, and his wife has stopped nagging him. His kids want him to play catch and take them to the park. Jeremy's parents are ecstatic and consider him the "poster child" for recovering addicts.

But there's a fly in the ointment: Jeremy feels miserable. He's depressed all the time and can't seem to find enjoyment in anything he does. His family irritates him. Even simple tasks overwhelm him, and he can't remember things from one day to the next. He puts on a "happy faade" for his family and friends, but inside he is dying. Jeremy feels condemned to a life sentence of being half the person he was before he started using drugs.

Jeremy is experiencing Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome.

* What is Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome? *

Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) is an adjustment the brain makes while in the process of returning to life without chemicals. It is the time period when neurotransmitters start acting again. During periods of addiction to drugs, alcohol and/or other substances of abuse there is artificial stimulation and disruption of normal brain function. Your brain gets used to the drug. Altered brain cells and their functioning take 6 to 36 months to return to normal. Symptoms of PAWS can be mild to moderate to severe. PAWS is the cause of most relapses.

* Symptoms of Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome *

1. Difficulty thinking clearly

2. Difficulty managing feelings and emotions

3. Becoming accident prone

4. Difficulty managing stress

5. Denial

6. Becoming forgetful

7. Sleep difficulties

8. Self-pity

9. Defensiveness

10. Compulsive behavior

11. Over-reacting or just feeling "numb"

* You are Normal *

The most important thing to know about PAWS is that all of the above symptoms are normal and, in fact, should be expected. Though it takes time for the symptoms to go away, there are things you can do to help yourself.

* These Things will Help *

1. Keep expectations reasonable.

2. Attend 12-Step Groups. (AA, NA, CA, etc.)

3. Eat three regular meals a day.

4. Take vitamins.

5. Meditate and learn relaxation techniques.

6. Limit work to 40 hours per week.

7. Maintain family relationships.

8. Continue a spiritual connection.

9. Journal feelings.

10. Don't isolate.

11. Call sober friends.

12. See a counselor.

* So whatever happened to our guy, Jeremy? *

Jeremy decided to try some of our suggestions. He started drinking orange juice as soon as he woke up, instead of coffee. He began feeling less irritable. Then he started eating breakfast, and this helped too. At work Jeremy took his breaks every day and developed the habit out of going for a walk during the first 30 minutes of his lunch hour. He also reconnected with his 12-step group and dropped his facade of "wellness."
At his 12-step meetings Jeremy opened up about his bad feelings and began making friends. The support of his 12-step group made a big difference in his life.

One day during his lunchtime walk, Jeremy reflected on how much happier he was. His life was back on track, and even though he thought that it was never going to happen, the PAWS had lifted.

Jeremy had received a pardon from a life sentence of misery. At last -- Jeremy was free.

Helpful Links on PAWS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ynAgvHTy5k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXZZXIzbnTQ