Drug Abuse

How Meth can Destroy a Life

In school, most children are taught of the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, and other common drugs. For many people, these lessons are enough to keep them away from drugs for a lifetime; however, one widely used drug that is not receiving the attention it needs, is Methamphetamine, also known as (Crystal) Meth or Ice.

Meth is often used as a cheap form of cocaine, since many of its effects are the same, such as increased concentration and alertness. Meth is usually made in a make-shift laboratory, usually just referred to as “Meth Labs,” and is popular with very low-income drug users. While the exact location is disputed, the majority of experts agree the “Meth capital of the World” is somewhere in America, though some say it is actually Japan.

What many people are not taught are the harmful effects of Methamphetamine use. Meth is one of the most debilitating drugs available, both physically and mentally. There are an incredible number of effects of meth use, but some of the more common ones are anorexia, headaches, hypertension, hypo-tension, aggressiveness, schizophrenic hallucinations, depression, and psychosis. Meth is also one of the hardest drugs to quit and has some of the worst and most severe long-term effects of any drug, sometimes with hallucinations lasting six months after quitting and increased chance for heart problems.

Meth addiction is a very serious problem. If you or anyone you know uses methamphetamine, it is very important that you seek help immediately. Meth is known to destroy people and whole families, but only if you let it.

Filed Under: Drug Abuse Tagged With: Drug, Japan, Methamphetamine

The Dangerous Effects of Substance Abuse Among Medical Professionals

So take this frying pan — it’s sizzling with butter, right? Let’s call that your brain.

Add an egg to that pan — watch it crack and pop, the yolk turning hard and bulbous. Lovely…. And yummy. Guess what — that’s your brain on drugs. Questions? I thought not.

You remember that classic promo about drugs? It’s a no-brainer that such substances are a dance with death. And even more so if you’re a medical professional. Why?

This is the one field of work that requires your absolute best in reflex, confidence, and trust. Think about it — you’re entrusted with the lives and deaths of people everywhere. You could be the bridge between a patient making it through whatever health detriment and suffering serious consequences. Moreover, when you’re surrounded by tons of prescriptions, it’s really easy to succumb to the constant addiction of substance abuse, making it much less possible to get past it and come out on top. Something any California medical malpractice law firm would jump on and lick their lips.

Think of that frying pan and egg mixed with a little arsenic and iocane, and you have an even bigger recipe for disaster, making breakfast a date with the devil. You happen to be handling the welfare of medical practice, be sure you’re doing yourself a favor to stay away from everything contrary to that. Like drugs. It can not only destroy your life — but the lives of the patients you’re trying to help. Any questions?

Filed Under: Drug Abuse Tagged With: California, Health care provider, Substance abuse

Gateway drugs are more than just marijuana

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Marijuana is considered to be ‘the’ gateway drug that typically starts people down a path of using drugs. A recent explosion of people using prescription drugs means marijuana is not alone in its contribution to beginning drug problems.

There are millions of people that smoke marijuana and never move on to something harder. Recent trends show many young people are starting to use prescription drugs like OxyContin and Percocet as their beginning choice of drug that starts them down a path of addiction.

One of the real dangers of prescription drugs is most people are able to function on them. It’s not hard to tell if your child, or someone you love, has been drinking because of their lack of focus, concentration and because alcohol gives off an odor. Prescription drugs are dangerous, because most loved ones can’t tell if their kids or spouse are impaired when the drugs are used on a moderate level.

Whether you believe that some people are predisposed to be drug addicts or triggers like marijuana or OxyContin, start people on a downward spiral, it’s safe to say they may contribute. Young people that ‘hang-out’ with other people that smoke marijuana are likely to start missing commitments and forgetting responsibilities. A prescription drug addict that needs to feed an addiction will likely come into contact with people of ill repute to garner their next fix.

Perhaps its guilt by association! If you spend your time with people that are doing drugs, someone is likely to have harder drugs around. Spend enough time in that environment, and a loved one will be exposed to hard drugs.

Filed Under: Drug Abuse

Casual Drug Use Can Lead to Addiction

So many people say “Nah, not me. I’ll never get addicted to drugs, I just use them from time to time.” And a majority would be wrong. Becoming addicted takes time and creeps up on the user quietly. All it takes is one extra line of cocaine, or trying heroin one too many times and the unconscious part of the brain takes over, demanding more and more.

There are some individuals who never get hooked on drugs and can use them casually throughout their lives. These people have non-addictive personalities which means their brains don’t take ahold of the drug like an addict does. Many are fooled by the non-addictive, thinking that if someone else can get away with taking drugs and not getting addicted, they can too. And that’s a bad assumption to make.

Addiction of any kind changes the brain chemistry, even something as mild as a cigarette. There is some type of reward for partaking in the substance, which in turn starts to hardwire itself into the brain. The more that is consumed, the more the brain changes, and not for the better. Two parts of the brain, the hippocampus and striatum have been found to be the areas that respond to drugs. The striatum is especially implicated as it is responsible for forming habits. It results in that one day, the user wakes up to realize that they are addicted and have to figure out how to stop it.

The unfortunate issue at stake here is the fact that the brain has been irrevocably changed. Neural pathways have adapted to the consumption of the drug and the eurphoria that comes with it. There is no switch that can be turned off anymore. It is stuck in the on position for the rest of the addict’s life, in turn creating an every day battle with the desire to get a buzz.

Filed Under: Drug Abuse Tagged With: Drug, Helping Addicts, Substance dependence

Alcohol and Caffeine: A Dangerous Combination For Teens

Following a growing number of incidents involving caffeinated, alcoholic beverages, the FDA is working toward banning the drinks, a step the state of New York recently took. The beverages are sold in convenience stores, and tend to be marketed in fun, brightly colored packaging to attract kids and teenagers.

The beverages contain high levels of alcohol, up to twelve percent, which has proven to be dangerous in combination with the caffeine they also contain. The combination of a depressant with a stimulant results in increased intoxication. What’s more, the higher level of intoxication might go unnoticed—which is problematic in today’s teens, who tend to be binge drinkers.

When alcohol and caffeine are combined, alcohol works the same way in the body, but the person consuming feels better when also drinking caffeine. The brain is also tricked into thinking the person is not as intoxicated as they actually are. The drinker also perceives that motor skills and coordination are better than they really are, which can result in injury or even death.

Statistics show that about 60 percent of teens engage in binge drinking; this combined with an altered perception of how drunk they really are can be deadly. A number of teens have recently been treated for alcohol poisoning after drinking alcoholic energy drinks. Teens struggling from alcohol or other substance abuse should consider seeking help from places like lapalomatreatment.com, where information is available to start the recovery process.

The FDA is hoping to ban alcoholic energy drinks upon the finding that caffeine is not a safe additive to alcoholic drinks. They have recently given manufacturers of such beverages 30 days to prove that their products are safe. In the meantime, parents can work to educate their kids about the dangers of these beverages to keep them from temptation, and avoid potentially dangerous situations.

Filed Under: Drug Abuse Tagged With: Alcoholic beverage, Caffeine, Food and Drug Administration

Heavy Drinking During Pregnancy Increases Risk of Birth Defects, Other Developmental Problems

Research continues to show that heavy consumption of alcohol while pregnant can harm the fetus, while light or occasional drinking appears to have virtually no effect on the development of the unborn child. Recent studies that took many factors into consideration, including health, education, and lifestyle habits evaluated a large population of five-year olds in England. It was concluded that the children of mothers who drank occasionally or lightly (one to two drinks per week, or one or two drinks at a time) did not exhibit signs of impaired cognitive, behavioral or emotional problems.

However, male children of women who drank heavily, or binge drank (seven drinks per week, or six drinks at a time) while pregnant tended to have lower behavioral scores and signs of emotional problems. Interestingly, the effects of maternal drinking were less apparent in female children. Additional research in an Australia study analyzed the relationship between pattern, timing, and dose of fetal exposure to alcohol, yielding similar results, with no association between light drinking and increased rates of birth defects.

When compared to mothers-to-be who abstain from alcohol during pregnancy, those who engaged in heavy prenatal alcohol consumption, especially in the first trimester, had a greater risk of their child being born with birth defects.

These studies are not meant to encourage drinking during pregnancy, although an occasional drink isn’t likely to harm the unborn baby. The conclusions from studies like these will help support education and prevention efforts. Anyone who is pregnant or considering getting pregnant, and think they may have a drinking problem should seek help immediately. MichaelsHouse.com is a good resource to turn to for more information, and to learn how to start the recovery process. Friends and families can also take advantage of information and opportunities to support expectant mothers if they struggle with addiction.

Filed Under: Drug Abuse Tagged With: Congenital disorder, England, Pregnancy

Study Links Neighborhoods to Addiction

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A current study utilizing GPS units to track drug users’ locations is helping researchers understand the link between tough neighborhoods and drug abuse. A small test group of 25 drug addicts undergoing treatment at a methadone clinic wear the GPS unit, which tracks their movements when they move 25 meters, and every 25 minutes when sitting still.

Study participants are also given handheld personal digital assistants (PDAs) to record answers to questions regarding their drug use, at four different times per day. Most of the questions pertain to state of mind. The devices are also used each time subjects used drugs, to record answers to further questions about details of the usage.

The researchers say that study participants have been reliable so far when it comes to using the PDAs, and disclosing information about their drug use habits. They have also returned to the clinic to receive further treatment. The research team hopes to include up to 125 participants in the study to collect a more comprehensive data-set.

PDA data collected in an 18-week period in the flagship study with one man in Baltimore has been lined up with his GPS data, and analyzed to reveal that drug use was indeed higher when the man spent time in rough neighborhoods. The research team hopes that by collecting more data from a larger test group, they can start asking more detailed questions about how people’s travels affect drug use. This might shed light on whether or not people who avoid certain neighborhoods are able to stay clean longer, and whether immediate, on-site interventions would cut the risk of relapse.

Data from this study could aid in the development of more geographically targeted prevention and treatment programs. Internet resources, like Rehab-International.org, are available for learning about drug abuse, and anyone struggling with addiction should seek help immediately.

Filed Under: Drug Abuse Tagged With: Baltimore, Substance abuse, Substance dependence

Brain Enhancing Drugs

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Brian enhancing drugs are like Viagra for the brain. Scientists openly agree to using these sorts of drugs. Just like a Viagra pill is popped before having sex, the same way brain enhancing drugs are used when they require a brain boost to make that next big break though. The availability of mind enhancing drugs are well known in the scientific community. College students come to know about these drugs from scientific geeks and their use is quite noticeable during peak exam times. Unlike drugs which are addictive, these drugs on the other hand are quite safe and instead of having detrimental effects on the professional and personal lives, they have quite the opposite effect. These mind enhancing drugs are used of mental disorders such as ADD and OCD but are excessively useful for scientists who require to curb the mind from diverting to other things than the problem at hand. These drugs promise along with increased focus also the enhancement of other cognitive skills such as memory. An rough estimate has put the number of users in colleges to 7% and the number of scientists who agree to using these drugs are about 20%. These figures are completely based on self disclosure but could almost triple if all the scientists were truthful about their use. Some scientists consider as cheating since it gives them unspecified advantage above other scientists which makes them perform better than other non users. No scientific study on the side effects of this drug has yet been done but like any other drug this too should have side effects. Some of the less reported side effects are decreased physical strength, but this could be because of stress. Hence it is yet to be fully studies for all the effects of this drug to be known.

Filed Under: Drug Abuse Tagged With: Brain, Drug, Mental disorder, Sildenafil

Methadone Addiction Fact Sheet

Although Methadone is prescribed to people for a number of different legitimate reason, addiction to Methadone can and does occur. It can happen surprisingly quickly to an unsuspecting individual who receives Methadone for a legitimate reason such as for pain. Many people end up having to go through a rapid detoxcification program in order to rid their body of the Methadone and the addiction withdrawal symptoms that it causes. Methadone is an opiate, and opiates are unfortunately quite capable of becoming addictive, wreaking havoc on the body in the process.

Methadone addiction is a type of addiction that has a tendency to creep up quite quickly and unsuspectingly on many people. Once you have developed an addiction to Methadone, you will quickly find yourself out of solutions to overcome that addiction on your own. This is because Methadone is notorious for being one of the most difficult types of drugs to detoxify your body from. It is readily stored within your body’s tissues and the effects that it causes are extremely long lasting. Methadone can be just as addictive as heroin or morphine, meaning that you must take care to follow all of your physician’s instructions when taking it. If you take it more frequently than you are supposed to, or if you take a larger amount than you are supposed to, it can result in an addiction. The same is true for if you take the Methadone for longer than you are supposed to.

Methadone is prescribed as a treatment for some existing addictions, but you must take it exactly how you are supposed to in order to reap the benefits. Users that are prescribed Methadone are told to follow the directions completely and strictly. Methadone should never be used for non-medical reasons, and you should never use it without a prescription and express permission from your physician. Methadone is a highly-potent opioid medicine that requires careful monitoring and periodic evaluation to make sure that the treatment is working and not actually exacerbating the problem that led to using it in the first place.

Filed Under: Drug Abuse Tagged With: Alternative Drug Treatments, Helping Addicts, Methadone, Opiate

Cocaine Addiction Fact Sheet

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What is it: Cocaine is a powdered extract form of a plant called the coca plant. It can be consumed in various ways, including modified to be smoked, in which case it is known as crack cocaine. Cocaine is typically water soluble, but the crack cocaine form is not water soluble. Many people take the cocaine base and dissolve it in water so that they can inject it, though it is also simply snorted in powder form. There is enough water in the sinus cavity and the nose lining that the cocaine can be dissolved, allowing the base drug to be absorbed right into the blood stream.

Cocaine addiction is serious enough that it typically requires professional help to overcome it, including a combination of detoxification and rehabilitation. Cocaine is perceived as being a highly addictive illegal drug. Cocaine use quickly becomes addictive because the high associated with the drug is so short lived. The effects that come with snorting cocaine typically only last for an hour, meaning that secondary and tertiary doses are required in order to maintain the high. Many people end up falling into a cycle of binge administration, taking multiple doses of the drug in order to maintain the intended high for as long as possible.

Cocaine works by causing a sense of control combined with euphoria. Cocaine is said to be capable of making shy people more outgoing, increasing conversational skills, giving courage to the fainthearted and giving people more vitality while increasing the capacity for work. All of these effects make cocaine seem like an attractive drug, especially when life is troublesome. This is only an illusion, however, because cocaine solves no problems and only creates additional problems. Cocaine begins an endless cycle of introducing new problems and only appearing to make them go away while doing nothing positive for the user.

People who become addicted to cocaine need to seek help. The right type of help is typically a physical detoxification coupled with emotional rehabilitation to overcome the physical and emotional effects of the drug.

Filed Under: Drug Abuse Tagged With: Cocaine, Cocaine dependence, Crack cocaine