MusiCares is a really cool organization that works in conjunction with the Grammys, and helps entertainers with drug and alcohol problems enter treatment programs. According to Voice of America, “Those who work with celebrities say the key to dealing with drug abuse is early intervention, effective treatment and a support system. They say recovery can be a lifelong process.”

That’s all true! But early intervention, effective treatment and a support system is key for any addict, whether or not he or she is famous.

Last year, MusiCares and the Grammys held a contest for musician teens who had experienced treatment and were recovering. “The contest was open to teens ages 14-18. Entrants were asked to compose or create an original song and/or music video that explores, encourages, and celebrates a healthy lifestyle or accurately depicts a story about drug abuse.” The winners won a slew of prizes, including backstage passes to this past year’s Grammy rehearsals.

It is amazing to see such an organization shed light on the importance of treatment and the hope for recovery it provides people with such creativity, talent and potential for drug-free careers, working in an industry with drugs and alcohol a-plenty.

Need a little inspiration today? Listen to the MusiCares contest’s winning songs.

One Salem, MA mother had that very mentality; Tiffany Clark was sentenced to six months in jail for providing alcohol to her 15-year-old daughter — who was also a minor who threw a Halloween party for fellow freshman and sophomore friends at their home in 2010.

Tiffany wanted the courts to know she was innocent, and some may argue that yes, it’s much better to allow your child a party in your own home, rather than a place that may be unsafe. And six months may seem like a rather harsh verdict. However….

One of the young party attendees at the Clark’s house was taken to the hospital that night for acute intoxication — a fact that brings everything back down to reality.

The Newbury Port News reports, “Most parents want their children to be popular and have fun. And some defend allowing drinking in their home as better than the alternative: having kids do it in a place without any adult supervision. The fact is that neither is acceptable. Certainly, adults shouldn’t be hosting them, and as for those unsupervised parties, parents must drill the message into their kids that when the alcohol comes out, it’s time for them to leave.”

Do you think Tiffany’s sentence is fair?

• In 2010, four Phoenix firefighters took their own lives over the course of seven months. Each one suffered from mental illness, substance abuse or a combination of the two. Phoenix Fire Chief Bob Khan said, “…you’re a little bewildered as to why that happens. There’s a stigma… associated with it… feelings of guilt.”

• In March of 2012, a young boy died in a Missoula house fire. The local fire department pulled together, held mandatory group therapy sessions and spoke to the public about the crippling mental issues that firefighters face. Jeff Dill, Illinois battalion chief and founder of Counseling Services for Fire Fighters and Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, spoke to NBC: “Not all firefighters are willing to admit that… It’s just that stigma that if we ask for help, we’re weak and we’re failing ourselves.”

There’s that word: stigma. So commonly linked to PTSD, the stigma attached to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a main reason why firefighters, military personnel and/or citizens who suffer may not ask for the help they need — which can put them at more risk of emotional, mental and physical breakdowns and beyond.

Removing the “disorder”

In May of 2012 (the week this article was written) a group of top psychiatrists met at their annual psychiatric conference in Philadelphia, to debate changing “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” to “Post-Traumatic Stress Injury,” a change that would be included in the updated Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM — the American Psychological Association’s encyclopedia of mental illnesses that originally helped coin the “disorder” in PTSD back in 1980.

The word “injury,” both many psychiatrists and military officers feel, will help reduce that stigma, as it evokes a sense of hope in the ability to heal. And the military has already began calling it “PTS,” removing the last piece of the acronym altogether.  “Injury” also suggests a pain that has, in some form or another, been inflicted on someone, by someone else, and was not pre-existing. You can be born with a disorder, but not so much an injury.

But there are those in opposition to the name change, who feel the word “injury” suggests a short-lived affliction, rather than an issue that commonly and potentially haunts people for what could be lifetimes.

According to PBS, Army Vice Chief of Staff Peter Chiarelli spoke at the psychiatric conference and said, “I believe language means something — and it means something if your desire is to help and to treat everyone… To allow a word like disorder — which may be no barrier to you whatsoever — to get in the way of the help they need, I find this just absolutely unconscionable.”

Dr. Matthew Friedman, chairman of the committee in charge of updating DSM, said, “The net effect of such a modification would be to tinker with a psychiatric diagnosis rather than help patients. To change to PTSI without anything else would accomplish nothing positive.”

Weigh in!

We’re very interested to hear what you, the NVFC community, thinks.

Do you feel changing the name of PTSD will help reduce the stigma, and change its perception? Are you against a name change, and find it insulting? Do you think it even matters at all?

Thomas Kincade

According to the Aiken Standard, the medical examiner “‘described the 6-foot, 254-pound Kinkade as mildly obese and noted that he suffered from systemic hypertension and cardiovascular disease. His heart was so big that at any time he was vulnerable. Apparently he had given up drinking and maybe he had just started again. His levels were definitely in the toxic range.’

Several other drugs, including two other prescription tranquilizers, were present in his bloodstream. Kinkade’s urine contained gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, or GHB, which occurs naturally in the human body but can also be used as the so-called date rape drug.”

Alcohol and prescription meds are often a deadly combination, and this is yet another example of the tragedy it can so easily can cause. The addition of GHB only adds more fuel to the fire, which acts as a sedative and can result in hallucinations and tremors.

While his artistry came into question by art critics and enthusiasts who disliked his style and mass-marketing sense — and while his business practices came under fire for things like personal conduct and unlawful disclosures — Kinkade made more than $50 million throughout his career.

The bill, which takes effect on July 1, was inspired by a female University of Indiana student who vanished last summer after a night spent out drinking; it primarily targets college students and young people in the Hoosier state. According to the UDETC, underage drinkers made up 9% of alcohol treatment admissions in 2009, and The Star Press reported that over the past seven years, 21 underage drinkers died from alcohol poisoning. Needless to say, underage drinking is a huge problem in Indiana, and the Lifeline Law is setting out to create a hopeful solution.

Another goal of the new law is to also promote the support of friends, who will hopefully be more motivated to call 911 if a friend has had too much to drink. The Indiana Lifeline Law website says that in order to receive immunity from charges, the person must provide their full name and any other relevant information requested by law enforcement officers, remain on the scene until law enforcement and emergency medical assistance arrives and cooperate with authorities on the scene. Hey, that’s not so bad…

It might seem a bit intimidating — and even unrealistic — to imagine someone who has been drinking a lot of alcohol stopping to call 911 on themselves and then deal with the police — especially a college student out partying with friends… the law will probably take a little bit of time to catch on. Ideally, it will help “groom” more responsible drinkers, and will be enough of a success to spread across the country. And in the end, if reaching out for medical help saves just one person from what could be instead something tragic, then every state should adopt the Lifeline law.

Do you think the Lifeline law will be effective?

According to Fox News: “The thieves hit warehouses and stole tractor-trailers around the country, often from highway rest stops, and brought the drugs to South Florida in an attempt to sell them.

The medications included antidepressants, anti-psychotics and treatments for cancer, acne, epilepsy, arthritis, autoimmune disorders and other ailments, authorities said. Undercover FBI agents were able to buy all the stolen drugs to prevent them from entering the marketplace, said John Gillies, chief of the Miami FBI office.

“This investigation represents the largest takedown in U.S. history involving cargo theft,” Gillies said. “There were a lot of missing pieces to this case. We had no idea of the scope.”‘

Between January-March of 2010, 37-year-old ring leader Amaury Villa led brothers and friends in a crime spree that reads like the perfect plot for a Hollywood movie, involving back-and-forth flights from Miami to New York, shady emails about tractor trailer leases, car rentals and a surveillance video that surfaced, actually catching the thieves in the act. In the end, as The Boston Herald reported, “Amed Villa allegedly touched a water bottle that had been stored in the warehouse and left it there after he departed, prosecutors said. His fingerprints provided a clue that apparently helped investigators zero in on the brothers as suspects.”

In some instances, criminals posed as genuine prescription salesmen, possibly tampering with the drugs along the way, according to the FBI — which could have harmed many innocent, unwitting people. Depending on their sentences, the suspects will be in jail up to 10 years, max. Not enough, if you ask me.

Do YOU think crimes like these will cause prescription drugs to become more regulated? Should they be more regulated, to do whatever it takes to prevent criminals from stealing and selling massive amounts of prescription drugs to people who may not even need them for health reasons, and putting people who do, in danger?

…And who will play Amaury Villa when this is all made into movie? So many questions!

Family time is a fabulous investment.

Various studies show that kids whose families regularly sit down to have dinner together nightly are 20% less likely to drink, smoke or use illegal drugs. On the other hand, children not eating dinner with their families are 61% more likely.(1) Time spent with involved parents helps to reassure children they are loved, family time is a priority and their parents have expectations of them — and  also helps them see more clearly a difference between right and wrong.

A parent’s influence is a powerful thing; it’s up to parents to help kids grow up to be confident and responsible, and to avoid drugs. It’s imperative that the parents of today spend time with their kids and build solid relationships, as studies reveal that kids who learn about the risks of drugs and alcohol from their parents are up to 50% less likely to use than those who do not.

Sources:
(1) Uniquely Wonderful Secret to Children’s Success

The Magic of the Family Meal

8 Reasons to Make Time for Family Dinner

Pro-Marijuana

First, let’s see some people say about marijuana being harmless, with medical benefits.

• Studies conducted at UCLA in 2005 and at Kaiser Permanente in 1997 examined the records of more than 65,000 patients and found that there was no evidence linking marijuana to cancer. (1)
• According to federal data, marijuana treatment admissions referred by the criminal justice system rose from 48% in 1992 to 58% in 2006. Just 45% of marijuana admissions met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for marijuana dependence. (2)
• The InfoFacts page on drugabuse.gov states: Marijuana has been shown to be effective in reducing the nausea induced by cancer chemotherapy, stimulating appetite in AIDS patients, and reducing intraocular pressure in people with glaucoma. There is also appreciable evidence that marijuana reduces muscle spasticity in patients with neurological disorders. (3)
• According to Fred Gardner, managing editor of a leading pro-cannabis research magazine, The National Institute on Drug Abuse “looks for the negative stuff on purpose, and disregards anything positive about cannabis. This medicine actually has great benefits, and more people need to know that.” (1)
• “Nature gives us everything for a reason,” Steve DeAngelo, whose cannabis dispensary is the largest in the country, said. “It doesn’t make any mistakes. And with cannabis it gave us the single most valuable plant on the planet – no plant can cure so many illnesses and relieve so many symptoms. People need to know that.” (2)

Anti-Marijuana

Others, including many health officials and the government, tell a different story of marijuana, one that involves addiction, mental illness and a transition to harder drugs.

• The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that marijuana contains 70% more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco, increases a user’s heart rate by as much as 100%, and can worsen anxiety and depression. (1)
• Research by Harvard University says that marijuana is responsible for 14% of car accidents involving injuries, that people who become addicted mostly say it’s degraded their lives, and that inhaling pot smoke damages lungs. (1)
• A 2006 paper issued by the DEA, based on research by the national Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and other agencies, contended that 14.6 million people had smoked or otherwise ingested marijuana over a recent one-month period, making it the most commonly used illegal drug in the nation. It also said more people ages 12-17 entered rehabilitation treatment programs for marijuana dependence than for alcohol and all illegal drugs combined. (1)
• Drugabuse.gov says that long-term marijuana abuse can lead to addiction. 9% of users become addicted to marijuana; this number increases among those who start young (to about 17%) and among daily users (25-50%). (3)
• “Some people think marijuana is just something they may have used when they were younger, and have different perceptions about its harmfulness, but we want people to know that there are risks out there,” said Susan Weiss, a policy chief for the drug abuse institute. “It’s not just harmless, especially for young people.” (1)

Sources:
(1) How healthy – or dangerous – is marijuana use?

(2) Marijuana Facts

(3) InfoFacts: Marijuana

Helping others overcome addiction or preventing people from using is very therapeutic for someone affected by addiction, as helping others strengthens a recovered addict’s resolve to stay sober by watching others fighting the battle. And to be assured that another parent won’t have to go through the pain can offer a grieving parent some much-needed comfort.

Sheila Savitz lost her son to drug abuse and said, “I lost my battle but I’m never going to give up trying to help them fight theirs.” (1) Savitz has since dedicated her life to helping hundreds get into treatment. While it can never bring back her son, she can see the benefits of her work today. Nearly every treatment facility, prevention program and drug prevention bill going through legislation includes families who have lost someone to drug abuse, and within those families are individuals compelled to make a difference in the lives of others.

Sources:
(1) Portales woman dedicated to fighting drug abuse

Suncoast mothers fight back against prescription drug abuse

Brother’s addiction spurs senator’s support for changes to drug laws

Treatment programs have been successful

With budget cuts affecting nearly every state, committees across the country must find ways keep their inmates out of jail. This can be done by offering the best state-run drug and alcohol treatment programs at the lowest cost — however, more and more states are considering cutting those programs.

Washington Country, TN has decided to cut its drug and alcohol rehab programs for inmates. “We worked since ’99 to keep it,” Sheriff Ed Graybeal said. “Everybody else lost it in the state but us, we were able to keep it until year and funding just went south on us and we couldn’t do it anymore. We tried to find some more funding out there for it, but there’s nothing there right now.” (1)

Tennessee’s 6-to-9-month program was successful, in that 60-65% of inmates who went through it avoided returning to jail. “It just taught them they could do something with their life basically and kind of give them some structure to go with it,” Graybeal said. “If a person wanted to get in it and wanted to do himself or her some good, it worked, but they had to want to. They had to want to make the change.” (1)

Keeping RSAT programs

Other states are committed to continuing their Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) programs, even if it means more costs up front, because keeping inmates on the out of jail and on the right track benefits everyone. Michigan has some strong RSAT programs that help inmates rehabilitate. “(It is a part of) the whole intervention/detention center philosophy we have here,” Sheriff Tim Donnellon said. “You have an obligation to make these people better equipped to handle life when they leave than they were when they got here.” (2)

Illinois is divided with people on both sides of the issue. While many see the money that would be cut from the budget if they discontinued funding to the RSAT programs, others say those kinds of cuts would mean more inmates would be back in the system.”If you remove those programs, you’re essentially adding more people to the prison system,” said John Maki, executive director of the John Howard Association, a prison watchdog group. (3) However, authorities in Illinois have proposed to close six of the state’s eight prisoner transition centers. Other rehab programs could face cuts as large as $1 million.

Sources:

(1) Jail substance abuse program ending due to cut in funding

(2) Jail’s drug-education program saving county money

(3) Prison cuts include reductions to drug counseling, job training