Heroin Addiction
By Stacy Barnes | February 7, 2011
About 810,000 Americans are addicted to heroin. Heroin is a highly addictive drug that has a devastating impact on society and cost billions of dollars each year. Major health problems caused by heroin abuse include miscarriages, heart infections and death from overdose. People who use heroin intravenously are also at risk for infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. Although heroin addiction has decreased during the past several years, its pervasiveness is still higher than in the early 1990s. Heroin also is increasing in purity and decreasing in price, which makes it a more attractive drug.
Heroin (chemical name diacetylmorphine) is an opiate that belongs to the morphine-codeine family and is derived from the opium poppy. Heroin is consumed intravenously, or through smoking or snorting through the nostrils. However, most abusers prefer injection. Heroin primarily acts on the central nervous system and in the few seconds of its being absorbed into the system causes euphoria. Immediately after being consumed, heroin enters the area that is the barrier between the brain and blood causing it to be converted into morphine. After the euphoria wears off the user will immediately experience withdrawal symptoms such as dry mouth, skin flushing, and a feeling of heaviness. This in turn can lead to vomiting, nausea and itching. The user then normally becomes sedate and sleepy for many hours. Many of the vital cognitive functions slow down and get impaired including the ability to reason. Heartbeat and breathing slow down considerably.
Long-term heroin drug addiction leads to damage to the arteries, lungs, liver, kidneys and veins, and several infections, abscesses and bone diseases such as arthritis. Heroin withdrawal symptoms, which begin within hours of the last use, include muscle and bone pain, restlessness, diarrhea, insomnia, cold flashes with goose bumps, strong body movements, convulsions and vomiting. These symptoms can last for months. A client will need to detox before entering a drug rehab. Behavior therapies are also helpful, these may include cognitive behavioral interventional therapies that strive to restructure the addict’s outlook on life and help him deal with stressful situations without recourse to the drug.
Heroin use in many parts of America is changing. Sugar cane farmers in Mexico use aggressive sales tactics and low prices to increase black-tar heroin sales in the United States. Black-tar is a semi-processed form of heroin that now has a demand in cities and small towns that previously had little to no demand for heroin. In many of these places with low demand for heroin, those who suffer from addiction more commonly used prescription pain pills. However, black-tar heroin is less expensive than pain medications. Aggressive tactics helps the sales, users can phone in their orders and drivers will bring the drug to them, and sometimes they are even called to check on the quality of customer service they received. Over the last decade, production of Mexican heroin has climbed rapidly while Columbian output has dropped due to U.S. funded efforts to eradicate Columbian poppy fields according to the U.S. Justice Department 2009 National Threat Assessment. The report estimates that black tar now accounts for two-thirds or more of the U.S. heroin market.
After a 2009 study where a vaccine reduced cocaine use in 38% of addicted individuals, it is now believed that vaccines are scientifically achievable to provide addiction treatment for nicotine, heroin, and methamphetamines. Vaccines against nicotine and cocaine are the most progressive, but versions to block the effects of methamphetamine, heroin and phencyclidine, or PCP, are also in development. In 2010, the FDA approved a new treatment for addiction to heroin or prescription narcotic painkillers. Vivitrol is different from traditional heroin treatments such as methadone and buprenorphine. Vivitrol is injected monthly, instead of orally daily, so it’s easier to stick to. Although patients can obtain buprenorphine at a drug store, they must go to clinics daily to get methadone. And, unlike methadone and buprenorphine, Vivitrol isn’t an opioid but a long-acting form of naltrexone, which blocks opioids. There are drug and alcohol rehab programs that oppose the use of methadone or buprenorphine; and Vivitrol may be more acceptable.
Methadone, like heroin, directly stimulates opioid receptors in the central nervous system, and therefore has many of the same risks and liabilities as heroin. However, whereas heroin rushes into the brain when used, leading to an intense and very psychologically addictive “high,” methadone comes into the brain slowly and stays there for quite a while at stable concentrations. This allows methadone to protect someone with a heroin addiction from opioid withdrawal and to do so in a legal and medically controlled manner. Suboxone is a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. Unlike methadone, buprenorphine acts like an opioid at lower doses and like an “anti-opioid” at higher doses. As a result protects against heroin withdrawal, but is not as likely to lead to abuse as is methadone. Naloxone further reduces the danger of abuse, because if the medication is abused it will immediately set off severe withdrawal symptoms. Whatever the treatment strategy is for someone addicted to heroin, they will need inpatient detox and then intensive treatment at a drug rehab center.
Topics: Detox, Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction, Drug Rehab Center, Heroin Addiction | Comments Off
Self Medication and Dual Diagnosis
By Stacy Barnes | February 4, 2011
Many individuals suffer from a variety of mental and emotional disorders. Unfortunately, some use drugs, illicit or prescription, to self-medicate, attempting to find relief from their disorders. This, only leads them down a path of destruction, as their eventual use becomes repeated and a drug addiction is formed. Fortunately, individuals suffering from both a mental or emotional disorder, as well as addiction, can find solace and professional help at a drug rehab center. With this help, they can begin treatment for their dual diagnosis and start to live the lives they once had, by regaining full control of themselves.
Self-medication is a form of unprofessional treatment that many attempt while trying to avoid facing their problems. When an individual with a mental or emotional disorder self-medicates they are attempting to mask their symptoms. Whether an individual suffers from bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or any other mental or emotional disorder, they may turn to drugs to hide their symptoms and attempt to find relief. However, the relief is very short-lived and the substance abuse exacerbates their current disorder and leads an individual to eventual drug addiction. So not only does the drug abuse worsen the current symptoms of the mental or emotional disorder, it is also very likely that abuse will lead to dependence, because of a tolerance and a subsequent need for a higher dosage. While temporary relief may be sought, the long-term effects of the self-medication will be symptoms that have only worsened since the onset of the drug dependency. Fortunately, despite the severity of a dual diagnosis of a mental or emotional disorder and a drug addiction, there is help in the form of dual diagnosis rehab. During this type of rehabilitation, both diseases can be treated.
There are many varieties of mental and emotional disorders that individuals try to treat by self-medicating. For example, depression, bipolar disorder and attention deficit disorder are very common diseases; cocaine is often used as a self-medication to help to treat the depressive symptoms of fatigue and low self-esteem, as well as the impulsive and hyperactive states of attention-deficit disorder and the manic-depressive states of bipolar disorder. Due to the chemistry makeup of cocaine, it can often lead to feelings of increased confidence and self-esteem, as well as a more assertive temperament, and a more lively character. While these effects of the drug may seem appealing, they often lead to an array of problems caused by their highly addictive qualities. So, in the long run, despite the temporary relief that cocaine may bring, it will ultimately lead to an exacerbation of the mental or emotional disorder and the added pain and suffering of a drug addiction.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is another mental/emotional disorder that may cause individuals to seek self-medication to “fix” their disease. For many suffering from PTSD, depressants provide a solace or an escape from the hyperactivity and hyper-arousal symptoms of the disorder. For example, with depressant abuse, individuals can become numbed to their tendency to react quickly to certain situations. However, like other forms of self-medication, the substance abuse only provides a temporary escape; before long, the substance abuse will heighten to dependency. So, not only will an individual suffer from both post-traumatic stress disorder and a drug addiction, but the symptoms of the former disorder will be exacerbated as a result of the drug addiction. Overall, self-medication via drugs, whether they are illicit or prescription drugs, will not help to overcome PTSD – or any other mental or emotional disorder.
Mental and emotional disorders can be immensely painful for those who suffer from them, as well as for their loved ones. Oftentimes, because of the pain and turmoil that mental and emotional disorders cause, an individual will turn to drugs, illicit, prescription or both, to try to self-medicate and find relief from their disease. However, this only heightens the pre-existing symptoms and creates a dual diagnosis of the initial mental or emotional disorder and drug addiction. Fortunately, even though the recovery is tough, there is help for those who suffer from a dual diagnosis at drug rehab centers. At these facilities, individuals can seek out the professional medical help they need and begin to regain control of their lives.
Topics: Drug Addiction, Drug Rehab, Dual Diagnosis, Self Medicating, Substance Abuse | Comments Off
Barbiturate Drug Interactions in Pregnant Women
By Stacy Barnes | February 2, 2011
The way barbiturates work is not entirely understood yet. Doctors believe that barbiturates activate what are called “GABA” receptors in the brain. GABA receptors work in the brain by telling different body functions to slow down when activated. Barbiturates activate these GABA receptors, producing the side effects of sedation. Barbiturate use essentially tells different brain functions to slow down. All barbiturates work in this way. They are depressants; therefore, they depress different functions in the body, especially the brain. Additionally, barbiturates contain anticonvulsant properties. Individuals who are prone to seizures can prevent them with the use of barbiturates.
Barbiturates have the potential to cause drug addiction and are regularly abused. The abuse of barbiturates is motivated by the desire to obtain feelings of intoxication. Barbiturate use results in a “high” that is often followed by a drunken sensation that is similar to the feelings felt after consuming alcohol. According to research, in the year 2001, 8.7 percent of high school seniors admitted that they had, at one point, used barbiturates to get high. This statistic is quite alarming because the abuse of barbiturates comes with an extremely high risk of accidental overdose. An overdose of barbiturates can lead to the shutting down of necessary organs in the body. If the heart fails or breathing stops, the consequences can be fatal. Because the abuse of barbiturates has such dire consequences, it is highly recommended that those suffering from this addiction seek treatment from a Florida drug rehab center.
Combining other medications with barbiturates has been reported to change the effects of barbiturate use. A majority of these drug interactions have been reported with the specific barbiturate “Phenobarbital.” Barbiturates interact with the other medications in two main ways. The additives in each drug are one factor that determines how the body will react to the combination. How the combination affects the liver is the other factor. These factors can change how the body processes and uses certain medications. The body increases the depressive effects of barbiturates when they are combined with substances such as alcohol, tranquilizers, antihistamines, and other sedatives. When barbiturates interact with other medications by increasing the rate that the liver processes and eliminates other drugs, the result can cause a decrease in the effectiveness of certain medications. This phenomenon is especially true for medications such as corticosteroids and doxycycline. It is important for patients to discuss the potential drug interactions with their doctor or health care provider before starting a new prescription while on a barbiturate. Often times, a doctor will suggest drug rehab for a patient who is requires a medication that cannot be used in combination with barbiturates. Sometimes patients will require professional addiction treatment in order wean themselves off of a barbiturate they have become dependent on.
Barbiturate use can have some devastating effects when used by pregnant women. In pregnant women, the placenta is the tissue that connects the mother and the fetus. The job of the placenta is to transport nourishment to the unborn child and to remove waste. Barbiturates are known to travel through the placenta with ease. This means that when women use barbiturates while pregnant, they are essentially giving their unborn child the same dose of drugs that they are using. Additionally, babies who are exposed to barbiturates in utero might experience negative side effects. Babies in utero (still in the mother’s uterus) are still prone to the hazards of substance abuse. Pregnant women who use barbiturates have a high risk of delivering children with birth defects and should immediately seek professional treatment from a drug rehab center. Some of the potential birth defects caused by barbiturate use include: smaller head circumference, bleeding disorders, cognition problems, and other malformations. Babies born to women who have abused barbiturates may experience life-threatening internal bleeding within their first day of life. Additionally, these babies will suffer withdrawal symptoms within a few weeks of their birth. Some of the withdrawal symptoms of barbiturates include severe irritability and seizures, which can be life threatening. It is recommended that women never take barbiturates while pregnant. Only in the rare instance when a woman has a serious medical condition that can only be treated with barbiturates should a woman accept the risk to her unborn child.
Topics: Addiction Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Rehab Center, Substance Abuse | Comments Off
Terms Related to Substance Abuse
By Stacy Barnes | February 1, 2011
Psychoactive substances can be defined as drugs that alter your mind and thought process. The abuse of psychoactive substances is not so easy to define. The American Psychiatric Association, or APA, published the fourth edition of the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” commonly referred to as the DSM-IV. The APA uses this manual to define standards related to mental disorders, including drug abuse. The manual uses technical language that is mainly used for research purposes, however many health care professionals try to simplify its definitions for everyday use in their practice. Many drug rehab facilities refer to the DSM-IV when treating their patients. Addicts who suffer from a dual diagnosis (a mental disorder in addition to their addiction problem) often require addiction treatment that can only be offered at a specialized drug rehab facility. When it comes to defining the abuse of psychoactive substances, a distinction must first be made between substance use and substance abuse. The following definitions have been suggested:
- Prescription drug use – The use of a medication in a socially accepted way. It is often recommended by a doctor or healthcare professional to control mood or state of mind. An example of prescription drug use would be a patient taking a medication prescribed to them by their physician in order to treat their anxiety. The medication does affect their mind and body, but it is being used in a recommended way.
- Prescription drug abuse – Problematic substance abuse. The use of a medication to alter or control state of mind in an illegal manner or a way that induces harm to one’s self. An example of this could be an individual stealing a family member’s medication and using it to get high. Substance abuse is dangerous. Even medications that are considered safe can be harmful when used inappropriately.
When discussing prescription drug use, it is also important to define the difference between drug addiction and physical dependence. Such a distinction helps prevent confusion with appropriate drug use (such as pain medication after a surgery or accident), which can potentially lead to a physical dependence.
- Drug addiction – The repeated, compulsive seeking or use of a drug despite the negative physical, social, or psychological effects that are caused by its use. Individuals with drug addictions will continue using a drug even if they don’t require it to treat a medical condition. An example of drug addiction can be seen by an individual who continues using a substance to get high despite the fact that they have missed days of school or have had an automobile accident while using.
- Physical dependence – Physical dependence results when an individual’s body becomes used to a medication and cannot properly function without it. Not all medications cause a physical dependence, though. People who are physically dependent on a medication cannot abruptly stop using the substance. Instead, they have to slowly wean themselves off of the medication, usually with the help of addiction treatment at a drug rehab center. If the medication is stopped suddenly, patients will suffer from physical withdrawal symptoms and will become very sick.
Just because someone is physically dependent on a certain substance or medication, does not make them an addict. There is a distinction because people who are just physically dependent will want to stop taking a medication after they don’t require it to treat their medical condition. Addicts on the other hand, will continue taking the medication to get high and have no goal of stopping. An example of physical dependence is a cancer patient who needs large amounts of pain medication that would experience a physical withdrawal if the use of that particular medication were to stop. This type of patient wouldn’t seek out such a medication if they did not require it, so their dependency doesn’t necessarily make them a drug addict. Sometimes though, drug rehab is required to help individuals terminate their physical dependence.
Individuals suffering from drug addiction can become physically dependent on the drugs that they use, but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes drugs won’t cause a physical dependence. However, it is always possible to develop a psychological dependence on a drug. At any rate, an addict will always seek a medication for the purposes of getting high, rather than to treat a medical condition.
Topics: Drug Addiction, Drug Rehab, Dual Diagnosis, Substance Abuse, prescription drugs | Comments Off
Alcohol Abuse On The Rise Among Women
By Stacy Barnes | January 31, 2011
What image do you get of when you think of a woman who suffers from alcoholism, or a woman who drinks heavily? Do you think of a “bag lady” sleeping on skid row? How about a promiscuous woman hanging out in bars? Perhaps a lonely and unhappy woman who does nothing but sit in front of the T.V. while slowly getting drunk, or maybe even of a woman who no longer takes care of her children, her husband, or herself?
As is clear from the stereotyped images of women who have alcohol abuse issues, society is harsh in its treatment of women who drink in excess. Such women may be described as “lushes,” “easy” or “unfit” for parenting. Such women might be hesitant to seek alcohol treatment at an alcohol rehab center fearing the associated stigma of drug addiction.
What do we know about women and alcohol? Is there a difference between women who have a drinking problem and men who drink too much? Is there a difference between the sexes in their use and abuse of alcohol? Or do the sexes only differ in the ways society treats the male drinker and the female drinker?
Researches have only recently begun to investigate these and other questions regarding women and alcoholism. Until a few years ago most researchers believed that only about one out of seven alcoholics were female; today, most social scientists believe that of the approximately 14 million problem drinkers in the United States, half of them are women. Does this mean women drink more today than they have in the past? Or are their problems simple becoming more visible? Probably both. But the fact that we are now acknowledging that women make up half the population of problem drinkers has opened the doors to further research on the subject of women and alcohol. Because of the staggering number of women who require treatment, many alcohol and drug rehab facilities have been popping up around the nation.
There are also certain groups in our society that are hidden. Until recently, homosexuals, sexually abused women or children, victims of rape, to name a few, were all relatively invisible. If we were asked about them, we might admit they existed but, by ourselves, we usually didn’t think about them because it made us uncomfortable and so we chose to ignore their existence.
Women who have problems with alcohol also fell into this category. In part they were invisible because they wished to remain invisible, they drank in secrecy and rarely sought outside help. But they were also invisible because they were “protected” by others. Family members, employers, and even doctors often refused to acknowledge that a woman had a drinking problem. They made excuses for her and conspired to keep the problem out of sight. In an effort to examine the problems some women have with alcohol, we much explore how social attitudes, cultural values, and female biology contribute to our feelings about female drinkers in our society.
According to studies by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, women have continued to have higher risks than men for certain serious medical conditions resulting from alcohol abuse. Some of these medical conditions include liver damage, brain damage, and heart damage. One of the reasons women have a higher risk is because they achieve higher concentrations of alcohol in their blood compared to men. An increased blood-alcohol concentration causes females to become more impaired than males even after consuming equivalent amounts of alcohol. This leaves them more susceptible to alcohol-related organ damage as well as potential trauma from car crashes or violence. Additionally, it is reported that moderate to heavy alcohol consumption by women increases the risks for breast cancer.
The alcohol research field has started recognizing how important it is to understand the gender differences in the development of alcohol dependence. It is no surprise that there are alcohol rehab centers that specialize specifically in the treatment of women. Alcohol treatment can potentially involve several phases, including emotional therapy. Because of this, it is important to speak with a doctor in order to assess the severity of the problem before seeking treatment.
Topics: Alcohol Rehab, Alcoholism, Drug Addiction, Drug Rehab | Comments Off