Teenagers are often the target demographic of drug abuse and underage drinking awareness campaigns. They represent a vulnerable population that’s dealing with a variety of emotional and social pressures, and may also have easy access to potentially addictive substances like prescription pills.

A research study, Monitoring the Future, follows the trends of behaviors and attitudes of secondary school students, college students and young adults. The study has provided important addiction statistics since 1975, producing research that helps tailor anti-drug campaigns, law enforcement crackdowns and similar tools designed to help fight teen addiction and alcohol abuse.

Data for 2010 shows mixed results in terms of teens and addictions. Some drugs are on the rise, as is alcohol consumption, but the study also shows that tobacco use has decreased.

Prescription pills and marijuana are the most frequently abused drugs by today’s youth. Doctors typically attribute these addictions to a teen’s maturity level, which hasn’t fully developed. The teen, therefore, may be unable to make good choices when it comes to drug and alcohol use.

Young adults cannot make the same choices as a developed adult. Consider this example, as cited in a story about the study on RenewEveryday.com A teenaged girl was caught with prescription drugs at school and was sent to the principal’s office. She was so concerned about getting caught that she ingested all the pills and nearly killed herself. This sort of scenario illustrates a teenager’s immaturity; a more developed mind may have thought to flush the pills down the toilet.

Teenagers are undeniably impulsive, and their decisions are molded around this behavior. Many teens now perceive marijuana as a “safe” drug, a perception that’s resulted in an increase in marijuana use. The same theory applies to prescription drugs. Because they’re available from doctors, teens consider them safe or harmless as opposed to “harder” drugs like cocaine, heroin and meth, which are more likely to be turned down.

Results shown in the Monitoring the Future study align with this thinking. An emerging trend in 2010 is an accelerated addiction to prescriptions such as Percocet, yet the study also shows that most teens that turn to prescription drugs started with marijuana.

Perception drives use, an important realization that can be used by parents and influential adults. A teen’s family can make a big difference in changing the teen’s perception of drugs and alcohol, and this sort of education is key in helping a teen avoid destructive choices. Consider the ongoing anti-tobacco campaigns that have targeted teens. They’re proving to be effective, as shown in the Monitoring the Future survey. Tobacco use has dropped from 75 percent of kids having tried a cigarette in 1976 to 42 percent in 2010.

The key to changing these trends not only understanding how the teenage brain works, but also being present in the life of a teen close to you so that you can help mold that person’s perception and give them the mental tools they’ll need to avoid drug and alcohol use.

At AA meetings across the country, alcoholics and drug addicts struggle with how they define addiction. Their sponsors tell them that one must choose how they classify themselves—but are alcoholics and addicts that much different from each other?

As quoted in a story published on The Fix, an Alcoholics Anonymous member said, “There’s almost an unspoken taboo in AA where you’re not supposed to talk about drugs or refer to yourself as an alcoholic and addict.”

She adds, “I snicker when someone identifies as an alcoholic and an addict, but the fact is that everyone in that room is an addict – they’re just addicted to alcohol.”

Many perceive alcoholism and addiction to be two separate things: alcoholism, an abuse of alcohol and addiction, the abuse of drugs. Yet alcoholism is a specific type of addiction. When a person’s brain acts in an addictive way to one substance, it will typically act in a similar way to another.

Heroin addicts, for example, can move out of their primary addiction by acquiring a secondary addiction; in place of heroin, they turn to alcohol.

Addiction psychiatrist Dr. Reef Karim says that there is no clinical term for addiction; instead, he says that it’s derived from popular culture, according to The Fix. Substance abuse disorder, however, can range from a variety of substances like cocaine and alcohol. People may also display addictive disorders that don’t involve substances, such as compulsive gambling or porn addiction.

So what’s the difference? It’s all about the words, according to experts. Regardless of the substance, addiction is a disorder that not only impacts the brain, but also creates behavioral changes that result in an array of consequences.

The biggest difference between an alcoholic and a drug addict is the social consequences. The cultural aspect of alcoholism makes the disorder different from drug abuse. For example, people typically congregate at a bar to drink with friends, yet you’re not likely to participate in a similar outing to a crack house.

The differences between the two are so slight, in fact, that many see alcoholism as a brand of addiction. Many who use drugs use alcohol to cope, and vice versa. Instead of polarizing the two conditions, experts believe alcoholism and addiction to be one disease that can have disastrous mental and physical consequences, regardless of the substance that’s involved.

As prescription drug abuse continues to grip the nation, law enforcement and legislative efforts typically focus on the addicts, doctors and pill mills. The sad truth, however, is that prescription drug abuse affects others, too, including children.

Unfortunately, Americans are being falsely comforted by the fact that these drugs are prescribed to them and are therefore safe. What we don’t understand is that prescription abuse can be just as addictive and even more deadly than street drugs such as heroin and cocaine. With parents having easier access to prescription drugs than ever before, this false comfort trickles down to those who are vulnerable to these vices: young adults and children. While other preventable death statistics drop, deaths due to prescription drug overdoses continue to rise.

For 25 percent of today’s children between ages 10 and 19, prescription drugs are already a part of a daily routine. While adults can seek out education for their own prescriptions and the danger of interaction with other drugs or alcohol, a teenager may or may not understand that the mixture of these substances can be deadly. Most importantly, these drugs can be found as close as the nearest medicine chest. For parents of teenagers that take prescription narcotics, such as an opioid, be aware of these dangers and enlist the help of prescription drug resources to ensure that your children are aware of them, too.

It may be safest to consider keeping prescriptions completely out of the reach of all children in the home. A parent may want to make him or herself responsible for keeping medication in a safe place and distributing to adults and children as they are prescribed. Taking this step is especially important if small children are in the house. If a prescription goes unused, it can be safely disposed of, instead of sitting, expired, in your home, posing an unnecessary risk to children and teenagers. Although most prescription bottles are meant to keep children out, studies show that with the rise of prescription drugs in the home, there has been a corresponding increase in accidental deaths of children due to prescription drug overdose.

Although accidental deaths due to prescription drug overdose represent needless tragedies, the good news is that these deaths can be prevented. Educate yourself and your family about safe handling of prescriptions, the effects of prescription drug and the safe disposal of unused medication. Studies show that prescription medications pose more of a threat than over-the-counter medications when it comes to accidental poisonings, so taking the time to make your family aware of the potential hazard can go a long way in helping to prevent a tragedy.

The simple truth — that there is no known cure for alcoholism — is not one that a lot of drinkers like to hear. There is always some story floating around the news about a ‘magic pill’ being developed that could provide a cure for alcoholism. But for now, those stories are mere fantasies.

For anyone who is struggling with alcoholism, there are only two realistic outcomes the can occur as a result of drinking:

1. The individual will stop drinking.

This is the solution that virtually every treatment center in the country, as well as 12-step programs, advocates. Why? If you don’t drink, you’ll avoid any problems caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Those who remain abstinent from alcohol do not experience any new (or recurring) problems that result from alcohol use.

2. They continue to drink and it will get worse.

A defining characteristic of alcoholism is that it is progressive. Most people only think of the progression of the disease in terms of quantity and frequency of alcohol consumed. Yet alcoholism is also progressive in terms of the severity of the consequences incurred from continued use. Alcohol affects health, psychological and cognitive functioning, and causes social and relationship problems, as well as moral and spiritual issues.

Though the reality of having only two possible outcomes for an alcoholic seem simple, and the ideal solution is to stop drinking, the truth is that successfully treating alcoholism is much more complicated.

Many factors come into play that will keep an alcoholic active. Dealing with issues such as obsession, detoxification and withdrawal, physical and psychological addiction, and health issues all need to be addressed, preferably during a treatment program that’s targeted to alcoholism.

The good news is that help is available, and finding financial resources doesn’t need be a factor. You really do owe it to yourself or your loved one to gain more information so that you can take action and help yourself or someone else begin a treatment program.

One of the first challenges in getting help for yourself or a loved one, is knowing where to start. We can help with a free assessment and someone to talk with right now.

Through each stage of addiction recovery there are lessons to be learned, growth opportunities, and tasks that must be completed before moving to the next stage. A defining characteristic of addiction is that a person loses control over the use of alcohol and drugs. This causes negative consequences in their lives, psychologically, physically, spiritually, and in relationships. A large part of addiction recovery is about systematically gaining back control of those areas of one’s life, while admitting a lack of control over the drugs and alcohol. Here are the three stages of recovery:

Early Recovery: The primary lesson to be learned in early recovery is deceivingly simple and that is the importance of abstinence from all mood altering drugs, including alcohol. It is only through removing the substance from the body, in giving the brain a chance to heal, that you have a chance of regaining normalcy in your life. In early recovery, you must gain understanding of addiction, begin to form a social support network, and work on a relapse prevention plan. All these activities are directed toward the goal of gaining the skills necessary to maintain abstinence over drugs and alcohol.

Middle Recovery: In the middle stage of recovery you continue to hone the skills necessary to maintain abstinence. The focus tends to be on vigilance and avoiding a slide into complacency. Here you need to learn lessons that may have been lost, forgotten, or never learned. It is important to examine and start to identify and repair damages caused by addiction and move toward attaining a balanced lifestyle. If an issue needs to be addressed, we admit it and take some action to make it right. Here is the time to start healing relationships with one’s self, family, higher power and the community at large. A good indicator that the necessary lessons have been learned and goals have been met in middle recovery is when one feels ‘balanced’ within and starts to be at peace the world about them.

Late Stage Recovery: Once you have achieved stability and security in recovery, it may be time to deal with ‘underlying issues.’ These may be issues that are deeply ingrained, perhaps reaching back into childhood. The idea is that if you work on and process issues that have caused unease and turbulence in your life, that work undermines the need to seek relief from these problems through drugs and alcohol. Some issues that are commonly addressed in a later phase of recovery might be abuse, low self-esteem, abandonment, or recognition of a dysfunctional family system. It is suggested that these “core issues” be reopened only when you are stable in recovery, and preferably with professional support.

Progression through phases of recovery depends more on accomplishing and learning the specific lessons, rather than an accumulation of time abstinent from drugs and alcohol. The final phase of recovery is a growth and continuation phase that really never ends. It is highly suggested that wherever one is in recovery, education should continue.

One of the first challenges in getting help for yourself or a loved one, is knowing where to start. We can help with a free assessment and someone to talk with right now.

Heroin use produces several common signs of heroin addiction, which can help you identify if someone you know is using heroin. Signs of heroin use include:

• Contracted pupils
• Needle marks
• Sleeping at unusual times
• Sweating
• Coughing
• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Twitching
• Disorientation
• Poor memory
• Shallow breathing

You may also notice physical, behavioral and psychological signs that are commonly displayed in those who are using drugs, regardless of the type. These include:

• Bloodshot eyes
• Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
• Unusual smells on a person’s breath, body or clothing
• Drop in school/work attendance or performance
• Unexplained need for money
• Unexplained changes in personality or attitude
• Lack of motivation
• Sudden and unpredictable mood swings

Heroin is derived from morphine and is typically injected, snorted or smoked. Once heroin is ingested, it binds itself to opioid receptors in the brain, producing a high level of euphoria. This is one of many reasons that heroin is so addictive—users continually crave this powerful high and, as they build up a tolerance, use higher quantities of the drug to achieve the same results.

Research indicates that heroin addiction is slowly on the decline, yet heroin abuse remains more prevalent now than it was in the 90s. Law enforcement and health officials also fear that as prescription drug crackdowns result in a decreased supply of prescription drugs, addicts are turning to heroin as a more readily available (and less expensive) substitute since the two drugs produce a similar high.

If you suspect someone you know is using heroin, encourage that person to seek help from a professional treatment facility like Challenges. Heroin addicts will likely experience strong withdrawal symptoms that can last up to a week. Heroin users don’t necessarily require a medical detox, but medical supervision is ideal for those going through withdrawal so that their health can be carefully monitored throughout the process. Once withdrawal has been completed, a treatment program that’s specific to heroin use can help an individual understand and move past the addiction.

Alcohol dependence is both mental and physical. Those affected by this dependence have lost every ounce of control they have when it comes to consuming alcohol. They feel as if they must drink and they usually don’t stop until they have actually passed out from drinking too much.

Eventually, it gets to the point where they have to drink more and more to get the same feelings of euphoria that alcohol provided in the past. If they try to quit drinking, they’ll experience withdrawals, including anxiety, nausea, and similar symptoms. This withdrawal is similar to what drug addicts experience when they stop taking drugs.

Most people experience negative consequences in their life because of their alcohol addiction. These consequences can include problems at work, relationship troubles, issues with health, and even problems with the law. When someone is addicted to alcohol, they will continue to drink even as these negative consequences and problems continue to destroy their life.

Once these negative consequences begin to happen, it is common for addicts to try and cover up their drinking habits. If you suspect that someone you love is hiding their addiction, look for some of these common indicators:

• Drinking early in the morning
• Hiding your drinking
• Having feelings of guilt when drinking
• Others have mentioned that you may have a problem
• If you do not drink, you experience anxiety
• You want to quit, but cannot seem to control the urge to drink
• If you do not drink, you actually feel sick

If these problems sound familiar, you may be dealing with alcohol addiction. For someone struggling with the debilitating disease of alcohol addiction, there seems to be no hope for recovery but help is available through treatment. It’s also important to turn to friends and family for emotional support during your addiction recovery.

The key to alcoholism recovery is abstinence. Some people may try to quit drinking a little at a time, but this will not work because addicts lose all control around alcohol. This is true even for individuals who have the best of intentions.

Alcohol addiction is a widespread disease. Nearly 45 percent of Americans drink excessive amounts of alcohol. In addition to this, many preteens and teenagers are also drinking recklessly and increasing their chances of alcohol addiction.

Alcoholism doesn’t just affect the addict; it can take a toll on the people that love and care about you. If you suffer from alcohol addiction, take a stand and get the assistance that you need.

One of the first challenges in getting help for yourself or a loved one, is knowing where to start. We can help with a free assessment and someone to talk with right now.

Heroin addiction is most commonly treated through medications and/or behavioral therapies. Regardless of the treatment type, the program begins with a medically supervised detox to help heroin addicts overcome their withdrawal symptoms, which can last for up to a week.

Once treatment begins, one of several medications may be used to help prevent a relapse. They include:

*Methadone: Likely the most common medication used to treat heroin addiction,  methadone is a synthetic opiate medication that binds to the same receptors in the brain as heroin. Over time, methadone reduces an addict’s desire for other opioid drugs and also helps prevent withdrawal symptoms. Methadone is typically used in conjunction with individual and/or group counseling.

*Naltrexone: According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, naltrexone “is approved for treating heroin addiction but has not been widely utilized due to poor patient compliance.” Naltrexone blocks opioids from binding to their receptors in the brain, which prevents an addict from feeling the effects of an opiate drug. The medication is usually prescribed in an outpatient setting.

*Buprenorphine: This medication is a newer treatment that’s used for heroin addiction, as well as addiction to other opiate drugs. Buprenorphine generally causes fewer withdrawal symptoms than methadone, giving addiction treatment professionals another option. Buprenorphine users also tend to experience a decreased level of physical dependence as compared to methadone users. Some addicts, however, may not respond to buprenorphine and may need to continue a methadone-based treatment program.

In addition to medication, heroin addicts will typically receive behavioral treatments that are available in residential or outpatient facilities. At Challenges Addiction Treatment and Relapse Prevention Center, for example, treatment programs may include group sessions, full day treatment, neurofeedback, yoga or intensive outpatient treatment, depending on the individual. Regardless of which medication or treatment program is used, resources are available for heroin addicts who want to overcome their addiction and move forward on a path to recovery.

Image via the BBC

If you are among the millions of people in this country who have a parent, grandparent, or other close relative with alcoholism, you may have wondered what your family’s history of alcoholism means for you. Are problems with alcohol a part of your future? Is your risk for becoming an alcoholic greater than for people who do not have a family history of alcoholism? If so, what can you do to lower your risk?

Many scientific studies, including research conducted among twins and children of alcoholics, have shown that genetic factors influence alcoholism. This research shows that children of alcoholics are about four times more likely than the general population to develop alcohol problems. Children of alcoholics also have a higher risk for many other behavioral and emotional problems.

But alcoholism is not only determined by the genes you inherit from your parents. In fact, more than one half of all children of alcoholics do not become alcoholic.

Genes are not the only things children inherit from their parents. The way parents treat each other and their children has an influence on children as they grow up. These aspects of family life also affect the risk for alcoholism. Researchers believe that a person’s risk increases if they are in a family with the following difficulties:

- An alcoholic parent that is depressed or has other psychological problems.
- Both parents abuse alcohol and other drugs.
- The parents’ alcohol abuse is severe.
- Conflicts that lead to aggression and violence in the family.

The good news is that many children of alcoholics from even the most troubled families do not develop drinking problems. Just as a family history of alcoholism does not guarantee that you will become an alcoholic, neither does growing up in a very troubled household with alcoholic parents. The risk is higher but it does not have to happen.

If you are worried that your family’s history of alcohol problems or your troubled family life puts you at risk for becoming alcoholic, here is some advice to help you:

People with a family history of alcoholism have a higher risk for becoming dependent on alcohol and should moderate drinking carefully. Maintaining moderate drinking habits may be harder for them than for people without a family history of drinking problems. Once drinking develops from moderate to heavy, the risks of social and medical problems increase greatly.

Discuss your concerns with health care professional; they can recommend groups or organizations that could help you avoid alcohol problems.

One of the first challenges in getting help for yourself or a loved one, is knowing where to start. We can help with a free assessment and someone to talk with right now.

While it’s true that men are more likely than women to have opportunities to use drugs, men and women are just as likely to try drugs, and they progress from experimental drug use to addiction equally. But men and women seem to differ in their vulnerability to specific drugs.

Both are equally likely to become addicted to or dependent on cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, tobacco, and inhalants.

Women are more likely than men to become addicted to or dependent on sedatives and drugs designed to treat anxiety or sleeplessness, and less likely than men to abuse alcohol and marijuana.

Emerging evidence suggests that there are distinct gender patterns of addictive disorders. Studies show men and women differ in their motivations to use, susceptibility to addiction, and response to pharmacological and psychological treatment.

There are also differences between men and women who seek treatment for drug abuse. Women in treatment programs are less likely than men to have graduated from high school or to be employed. Women are also more likely than men to have other health problems, to have sought previous drug treatment, to have attempted suicide, and to have suffered sexual abuse or other physical abuse.

Cocaine addiction research also shows that women become dependent after using cocaine for shorter amounts of time in smaller doses compared with men.

Motivation to use cocaine, both initially and in relapse from drug abuse treatment, also seems to vary by gender. Studies show that women tend to use cocaine to self-medicate when feeling depressed and unhappy. Men, on the other hand, generally use cocaine when they are feeling good, in order to feel even better.

Cigarette smoking also shows gender-specific patterns. Women tend to use smoking to regulate their mood and suppress their appetite, while men are more likely to smoke to improve their attention and performance at work, ease feelings of aggression and relieve pain.

Not surprisingly, men and women required different methods of quitting in order to be successful. Nicotine replacement therapy, which was developed and tested primarily for men, is less effective in women. Instead, studies show that women have greater success using antidepressants to break the habit. Support groups and psychotherapy focused on quitting smoking tends to be more helpful for women than men.