Drug rehab is an excellent option if you are struggling with drug addiction. You have likely tried to quit drugs on your own, only to succumb to cravings or painful withdrawal symptoms. It is important to recognize that trying to detox from drugs on your own can be extremely dangerous. Your body has become accustomed to these powerful drugs, and withdrawal symptoms can be extreme without medical intervention.
In choosing a drug rehab you want to find a place that offers a medically monitored detox and understands the risks of withdrawal. Some rehabs use replacement therapies, such as Suboxone, to alleviate many of the symptoms. However, be aware that some drug rehabs will be all too happy to leave you hooked on the replacement drug. If you truly want to be free of addictive drugs, you want to choose a drug rehab program that will slowly taper you off the replacement drug while giving you the tools and strategies you will need to move into true recovery.
What happens in drug rehab? It really depends on the treatment center you choose, but the best rehabs have a number of methods of dealing with addiction. Here is a typical scenario in a high-quality drug rehab.
1. Physician assesses drug use and creates a detox plan, then monitors the detox process
2. Psychiatrist does assessment to determine if there are underlying issues that need to be addressed (known as dual diagnosis, this could be clinical depression, trauma/PTSD, OCD or other anxiety disorders, ADHD, bipolar disorder)
3. You are assigned a team that includes an individual therapist, registered nurse, and family therapist who will work with you (the psychiatrist will continue to see you during your stay as well)
4. Process groups to work through issues with your peers
5. Targeted specialized therapies to address specific needs, such as EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) for trauma clients, equine therapy, neurofeedback, and dialectical behavioral therapy
6. Holistic approach to rebuilding your health (physical, spiritual, mental) which might include daily trips to the gym, yoga, meditation, motivational interviewing, art therapy, and other activities
7. Family program to help re-unify the family and guide them in how life will be in recovery so you will have the support you ened
8. Develop appropriate after-care plan so you have support when you return home
9. Exposure to 12-step meetings, so you can get continued peer support at home (rehabs that skip this step are doing you a disservice)
10. Follow-up upon discharge to ensure you are getting the most out of your aftercare plan and are not at risk of relapse.
Tuesday 15 November 2011
Treating Physical Symptoms of Eating Disorders Prevents Relapse
Relapse is common among those treated for eating disorders. By the time patients enter treatment, often their behavior patterns have been set for years, and they have a very difficult time reentering normal life without reverting to the disordered eating patterns. Anorexia is particularly challenging to treat, but researchers have good reason to find a solution. It is the deadliest of any mental disorder.
A new treatment focused on the physical symptoms instead of on underlying psychological causes has achieved high rates of extended remission for patients with eating disorders. A report published in the July 9 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science shows that remission rates were approximately 75 percent for patients suffering from anorexia or bulimia nervosa.
Cecelia Bergh of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and colleagues authored the study. She explained that existing treatments have not been effective at treating eating disorders, with relapse after entering remission, a major problem.
The researchers examined 32 patients. 19 of the participants were diagnosed with anorexia and 13 were diagnosed with bulimia. 16 of the patients were randomly selected to receive no treatment, and 16 participated in a program in which they were trained to eat and recognize satiety using computer support. The researchers also restricted physical activity in the patients and the patients rested in a warm room after each meal.
A new treatment focused on the physical symptoms instead of on underlying psychological causes has achieved high rates of extended remission for patients with eating disorders. A report published in the July 9 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Science shows that remission rates were approximately 75 percent for patients suffering from anorexia or bulimia nervosa.
Cecelia Bergh of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and colleagues authored the study. She explained that existing treatments have not been effective at treating eating disorders, with relapse after entering remission, a major problem.
The researchers examined 32 patients. 19 of the participants were diagnosed with anorexia and 13 were diagnosed with bulimia. 16 of the patients were randomly selected to receive no treatment, and 16 participated in a program in which they were trained to eat and recognize satiety using computer support. The researchers also restricted physical activity in the patients and the patients rested in a warm room after each meal.
Studies of Hallucinatory Drugs Show Promise in Treating PTSS
Scientists in the United States and Great Britain are experimenting with using hallucinatory drugs to treat people with post-traumatic stress syndrome and other psychological issues that do not always respond to conventional therapy. They are finding that some patients experience breakthroughs to better mental health and even positive personality changes that could be permanent.
The hope is that drugs such as "magic mushrooms" and Ecstasy could someday be used in clinical settings to help people deal with treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress syndrome, as well as helping terminally ill patients come to peace with death.
One big take-away message from these scientists is "Don’t try this at home."
The research teams emphasize that in their experiments with "magic mushrooms," participants were screened for mental health issues, and many had post-graduate degrees. Participants were supervised during every session, and every aspect of the setting, such as the music played and the degree of light in the room, was carefully controlled.
"We’ve conducted our research under conditions where we’ve screened out people who are potentially vulnerable to adverse effects. And we’ve given the drug in a hospital setting with two people at their side throughout, so there’s virtually no opportunity for the patient to do something dangerous," said Roland R. Griffiths, a professor in the departments of psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and author of one of the studies.
"But we know that, shockingly, all the time people who use mushrooms recreationally sometimes end up getting into accidents or engage in homicidal behavior or suicide. So we certainly don’t want to imply that there’s not risk associated with these compounds," he said. "And we wouldn’t want to be a reason for an uptick for non-medical, uncontrolled use of this sort of thing."
In experiments performed in South Carolina, Dr. Michael Mithoefer recruited 20 women who had been in therapy for an average of 19 years because of post-traumatic stress syndrome. He gave twelve of them a drug commonly known as Ecstasy, with a chemical name of MDMA or 3.4-methylonedioxyamphetamine. Eight women got a placebo. Ten of the twelve women who got the drug showed significant improvement within two months after the second time they took it. They had no serious side effects and no long-term negative side effects.
The main problem that these women had in conventional trauma treatment is that every time they remembered their original trauma, they would experience negative emotions such as fear and panic. They told Dr. Mithoefer that Ecstasy did not provide a euphoric experience, but it enabled them to remember the trauma without feeling overwhelmed. One patient said, "I feel like I am walking to a place I’ve needed to go for so long and just didn’t know how to get there." Another said that she no longer felt that her anger and fear were too big to deal with. This study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Professors David Nutt and Ben Sessa are now beginning clinical trials recreating Dr. Mithoefer’s work in Great Britain.
"Post-traumatic stress syndrome is an extraordinarily disabling condition and we don’t have any really effective treatments," said Dr. Nutt. "In order to deal with trauma, you have to be able to re-engage with the memory and then deal with it. For many people, as soon as the memory comes into consciousness, so does the fear and disgust."
Another study, this time by Dr. Griffiths at Johns Hopkins University, was published in the same journal. He and his colleagues asked 51 carefully screened people to complete a series of personality tests, and then to participate in three to five sessions that were three weeks apart. Each session lasted eight hours.
The participants took psilocybin, the ingredient in "magic mushrooms" native to the tropics of South America, Mexico, and the United States. Harvard psychologist Timothy Leary first popularized its use and LSD in the 1960s when he advised people to "Turn on, tune in, and drop out (of society)."
The 30 participants who told Dr. Griffiths that they had experienced a mystical experience under the influence of the drug showed improvements in traits such as openness, aesthetics, feelings, ideas and values. The changes lasted even 14 months later when they were retested. The 22 who had no mystical experiences showed no such changes.
"Now this finding is really quite fascinating," Dr. Griffiths said. "And that is because personality is considered a stable characteristic of the psychology of people. It’s been thought to be relatively immutable, and stable across the lifespan. But, remarkably, this study shows that psilocybin actually changes one domain of personality that is strongly related to traits such as imagination, feeling, abstract ideas and aesthetics, and is considered a core construct underlying creativity in general, and the changes we see appear to be long-term."
The hope is that drugs such as "magic mushrooms" and Ecstasy could someday be used in clinical settings to help people deal with treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress syndrome, as well as helping terminally ill patients come to peace with death.
One big take-away message from these scientists is "Don’t try this at home."
The research teams emphasize that in their experiments with "magic mushrooms," participants were screened for mental health issues, and many had post-graduate degrees. Participants were supervised during every session, and every aspect of the setting, such as the music played and the degree of light in the room, was carefully controlled.
"We’ve conducted our research under conditions where we’ve screened out people who are potentially vulnerable to adverse effects. And we’ve given the drug in a hospital setting with two people at their side throughout, so there’s virtually no opportunity for the patient to do something dangerous," said Roland R. Griffiths, a professor in the departments of psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and author of one of the studies.
"But we know that, shockingly, all the time people who use mushrooms recreationally sometimes end up getting into accidents or engage in homicidal behavior or suicide. So we certainly don’t want to imply that there’s not risk associated with these compounds," he said. "And we wouldn’t want to be a reason for an uptick for non-medical, uncontrolled use of this sort of thing."
In experiments performed in South Carolina, Dr. Michael Mithoefer recruited 20 women who had been in therapy for an average of 19 years because of post-traumatic stress syndrome. He gave twelve of them a drug commonly known as Ecstasy, with a chemical name of MDMA or 3.4-methylonedioxyamphetamine. Eight women got a placebo. Ten of the twelve women who got the drug showed significant improvement within two months after the second time they took it. They had no serious side effects and no long-term negative side effects.
The main problem that these women had in conventional trauma treatment is that every time they remembered their original trauma, they would experience negative emotions such as fear and panic. They told Dr. Mithoefer that Ecstasy did not provide a euphoric experience, but it enabled them to remember the trauma without feeling overwhelmed. One patient said, "I feel like I am walking to a place I’ve needed to go for so long and just didn’t know how to get there." Another said that she no longer felt that her anger and fear were too big to deal with. This study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Professors David Nutt and Ben Sessa are now beginning clinical trials recreating Dr. Mithoefer’s work in Great Britain.
"Post-traumatic stress syndrome is an extraordinarily disabling condition and we don’t have any really effective treatments," said Dr. Nutt. "In order to deal with trauma, you have to be able to re-engage with the memory and then deal with it. For many people, as soon as the memory comes into consciousness, so does the fear and disgust."
Another study, this time by Dr. Griffiths at Johns Hopkins University, was published in the same journal. He and his colleagues asked 51 carefully screened people to complete a series of personality tests, and then to participate in three to five sessions that were three weeks apart. Each session lasted eight hours.
The participants took psilocybin, the ingredient in "magic mushrooms" native to the tropics of South America, Mexico, and the United States. Harvard psychologist Timothy Leary first popularized its use and LSD in the 1960s when he advised people to "Turn on, tune in, and drop out (of society)."
The 30 participants who told Dr. Griffiths that they had experienced a mystical experience under the influence of the drug showed improvements in traits such as openness, aesthetics, feelings, ideas and values. The changes lasted even 14 months later when they were retested. The 22 who had no mystical experiences showed no such changes.
"Now this finding is really quite fascinating," Dr. Griffiths said. "And that is because personality is considered a stable characteristic of the psychology of people. It’s been thought to be relatively immutable, and stable across the lifespan. But, remarkably, this study shows that psilocybin actually changes one domain of personality that is strongly related to traits such as imagination, feeling, abstract ideas and aesthetics, and is considered a core construct underlying creativity in general, and the changes we see appear to be long-term."
Study Examines Methods for Reducing Risk of Post-Natal Depression
Postnatal depression can be a debilitating condition for new mothers, but studies are demonstrating effective methods for improving postnatal well-being and reducing the risk for postnatal depression (PND).
A recent release in the Science Daily showed that a physical therapy exercise and health education program is effective in reducing PND. This major health issue affects up to 13 percent of all new mothers throughout the world. Most cases begin in the first three months of the postnatal period.
The duration of PND can vary among different mothers, which is thought to be determined by socio-cultural factors, including the self-esteem of the mother, the childbirth experience and the availability of support and local services.
Earlier studies done in this area have shown that standard exercise can improve the state of mood in younger and older women, improves well-being and leads to a reduction in depressive symptoms in mothers diagnosed with PND. By contrast, there are no studies conducted to evaluate the benefits of group physical therapy exercise approaches to improve psychological health outcomes of women in the postnatal stage.
“Giving birth involves many changes in a woman’s physical, emotional, and social health,” said Mary P. Galea, BAppSci (Physio), BA, PhD, in the Science Daily. Galea is a Professor of Clinical Physiotherapy in the School of Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, one of the authors of this study.
“A group exercise program led by a physical therapist, who is an expert in improving and restoring motion to people’s daily lives, can help mothers who may be at risk for PND improve their well-being and enable them to better care for their children.”
A recent release in the Science Daily showed that a physical therapy exercise and health education program is effective in reducing PND. This major health issue affects up to 13 percent of all new mothers throughout the world. Most cases begin in the first three months of the postnatal period.
The duration of PND can vary among different mothers, which is thought to be determined by socio-cultural factors, including the self-esteem of the mother, the childbirth experience and the availability of support and local services.
Earlier studies done in this area have shown that standard exercise can improve the state of mood in younger and older women, improves well-being and leads to a reduction in depressive symptoms in mothers diagnosed with PND. By contrast, there are no studies conducted to evaluate the benefits of group physical therapy exercise approaches to improve psychological health outcomes of women in the postnatal stage.
“Giving birth involves many changes in a woman’s physical, emotional, and social health,” said Mary P. Galea, BAppSci (Physio), BA, PhD, in the Science Daily. Galea is a Professor of Clinical Physiotherapy in the School of Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, one of the authors of this study.
“A group exercise program led by a physical therapist, who is an expert in improving and restoring motion to people’s daily lives, can help mothers who may be at risk for PND improve their well-being and enable them to better care for their children.”
Long-term abstinence may resolve many of the neurocognitive deficits associated with alcoholism
Alcoholism can cause neuropsychological deficits, that much is clear. There is much less clarity, however, concerning to what degree recovery may occur with abstinence from alcohol. New findings indicate that long-term abstinence from alcohol can resolve many – but not all – neurocognitive deficits.
Results are published in the September issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
"Previous research has shown some but not total recovery with abstinence from alcohol," said George Fein, president of and senior scientist at Neurobehavioral Research, as well as the corresponding author for the study. "The continuing presence of deficits is not a trivial issue as it may interfere with day-to-day functioning."
"The nature of alcoholism as a dynamic condition is largely underappreciated by most people, including clinicians," added Edith Sullivan, a professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. "Alcoholics may have periods of abstinence, during which time they give their nervous system time for repair. Thus, longitudinal studies of alcoholics are critical for identifying functional areas that are targeted by alcoholism, those that are relatively spared, and those that can recover with sobriety."
Longitudinal studies in alcoholism, however, are very difficult to conduct, Sullivan added. "Tracking active alcoholics is challenging, finding alcoholics in recovery is also difficult - there is still a stigma associated with the condition. Furthermore, those who are in denial of their condition, by definition, will not avail themselves for study."
In this case, researchers performed a number of neuropsychological assessments on 96 participants, divided into two groups: 48 (25 males, 23 females) long-term abstinent alcoholics, and 48 (25 males, 23 females) age-matched "controls" who either drank lightly or not at all. The alcoholics were abstinent from six months to 13 years, for an average of 6.7 years. Performance was measured in nine domains: abstraction/cognitive flexibility, attention, auditory working memory, immediate memory, delayed memory, psychomotor function, reaction time, spatial processing, and verbal skills. Fein said that the only domain they did not examine was gait and balance, regarding it as separate.
"We found that the cognitive and mental abilities of middle-aged alcoholics who had been abstinent for six months to 13 years are indistinguishable from those of age and gender comparable non-alcoholics," said Fein, "with the possible exception of spatial processing abilities. Recovered functions would include short- and long-term memory, planning, learning, comprehension, etc. In other words, they would be able to support a normal home, work and social life; these people should be able to function cognitively normally."
"These findings further indicate the selectivity of alcoholism's untoward effect on visuospatial processes," added Sullivan, "which are important for many daily activities, including driving. We might also predict that these recovering alcoholics would have difficulties in reading a map, assembling things, and performing tasks that require spatial orientation."
Both Fein and Sullivan noted that these findings provide hope for recovering alcoholics, and can be used to encourage abstinence from alcohol.
However, cautioned Sullivan, "it is important to conduct careful investigation of cognitive and motor functions because they are multifaceted and complex, and component processes and functions can be impaired or recover piece by piece," she said. "It may be that only when enough of the pieces recover to at least some minimum level that we can then observe improved function."
In addition, said Fein, "we cannot definitively say that these individuals had deficits when they stopped drinking. We don't have data on this. Furthermore, these people were middle-aged. We're not saying that you will have full recovery if you stop drinking in your 50s or 60s; we are saying that these people stopped drinking earlier, and they appear to have close-to-full recovery function."
Researchers believe that the older brain may be more vulnerable than the younger and middle-aged brain to the damaging effects of alcohol. Fein and his colleagues are now examining recovery of cognitive functioning among abstinent alcoholics 65 to 85 years of age who stopped drinking before the age of 50, between 50 and 60, and after 60 years of age. This data, said Fein, will address the degree to which alcohol abuse is more damaging to the older brain, as well as the extent of recovery of function with long-term abstinence among older alcoholics.
Results are published in the September issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
"Previous research has shown some but not total recovery with abstinence from alcohol," said George Fein, president of and senior scientist at Neurobehavioral Research, as well as the corresponding author for the study. "The continuing presence of deficits is not a trivial issue as it may interfere with day-to-day functioning."
"The nature of alcoholism as a dynamic condition is largely underappreciated by most people, including clinicians," added Edith Sullivan, a professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. "Alcoholics may have periods of abstinence, during which time they give their nervous system time for repair. Thus, longitudinal studies of alcoholics are critical for identifying functional areas that are targeted by alcoholism, those that are relatively spared, and those that can recover with sobriety."
Longitudinal studies in alcoholism, however, are very difficult to conduct, Sullivan added. "Tracking active alcoholics is challenging, finding alcoholics in recovery is also difficult - there is still a stigma associated with the condition. Furthermore, those who are in denial of their condition, by definition, will not avail themselves for study."
In this case, researchers performed a number of neuropsychological assessments on 96 participants, divided into two groups: 48 (25 males, 23 females) long-term abstinent alcoholics, and 48 (25 males, 23 females) age-matched "controls" who either drank lightly or not at all. The alcoholics were abstinent from six months to 13 years, for an average of 6.7 years. Performance was measured in nine domains: abstraction/cognitive flexibility, attention, auditory working memory, immediate memory, delayed memory, psychomotor function, reaction time, spatial processing, and verbal skills. Fein said that the only domain they did not examine was gait and balance, regarding it as separate.
"We found that the cognitive and mental abilities of middle-aged alcoholics who had been abstinent for six months to 13 years are indistinguishable from those of age and gender comparable non-alcoholics," said Fein, "with the possible exception of spatial processing abilities. Recovered functions would include short- and long-term memory, planning, learning, comprehension, etc. In other words, they would be able to support a normal home, work and social life; these people should be able to function cognitively normally."
"These findings further indicate the selectivity of alcoholism's untoward effect on visuospatial processes," added Sullivan, "which are important for many daily activities, including driving. We might also predict that these recovering alcoholics would have difficulties in reading a map, assembling things, and performing tasks that require spatial orientation."
Both Fein and Sullivan noted that these findings provide hope for recovering alcoholics, and can be used to encourage abstinence from alcohol.
However, cautioned Sullivan, "it is important to conduct careful investigation of cognitive and motor functions because they are multifaceted and complex, and component processes and functions can be impaired or recover piece by piece," she said. "It may be that only when enough of the pieces recover to at least some minimum level that we can then observe improved function."
In addition, said Fein, "we cannot definitively say that these individuals had deficits when they stopped drinking. We don't have data on this. Furthermore, these people were middle-aged. We're not saying that you will have full recovery if you stop drinking in your 50s or 60s; we are saying that these people stopped drinking earlier, and they appear to have close-to-full recovery function."
Researchers believe that the older brain may be more vulnerable than the younger and middle-aged brain to the damaging effects of alcohol. Fein and his colleagues are now examining recovery of cognitive functioning among abstinent alcoholics 65 to 85 years of age who stopped drinking before the age of 50, between 50 and 60, and after 60 years of age. This data, said Fein, will address the degree to which alcohol abuse is more damaging to the older brain, as well as the extent of recovery of function with long-term abstinence among older alcoholics.
Useful New Addiction Treatment News
All major classes of drugs of abuse in our society, including opioids (fentanyl, hydrocodone, and oxycontin) and cocaine, exert their addictive properties through the mesolimbic dopamine system in the brain where the receptors for these chemicals reside. It has been assumed that pharmacologic treatments for cocaine or heroin abuse would have to be somehow different. Despite acting on the same area of the brain, different drugs bond to different receptors within this system, even though the concurrent abuse of both drugs is common.
A new synthetic opioid medication originally developed as a pain reliever has shown great promise for the treatment of "polydrug" abuse involving both cocaine and opioids. This drug, called buprenorphine, is unusual in that it both activates opiate receptors in the brain and then blocks them from further binding with other opiates. Thus, like most opioids, it effectively relieves pain but the risk for overdose is minimal.
Clinical studies found buprenorphine to be effective as a treatment for heroin addiction and to have some advantages over methadone in terms of safety. However, researchers were surprised to discover that buprenorphine was also found to reduce cocaine abuse in individuals who are dependent on both heroin and cocaine. Finding these dual effects by buprenorphine provides new insights into the mechanisms of cocaine and heroin dependence and suggests that these mechanisms may be more closely related than was previously thought.
A new synthetic opioid medication originally developed as a pain reliever has shown great promise for the treatment of "polydrug" abuse involving both cocaine and opioids. This drug, called buprenorphine, is unusual in that it both activates opiate receptors in the brain and then blocks them from further binding with other opiates. Thus, like most opioids, it effectively relieves pain but the risk for overdose is minimal.
Clinical studies found buprenorphine to be effective as a treatment for heroin addiction and to have some advantages over methadone in terms of safety. However, researchers were surprised to discover that buprenorphine was also found to reduce cocaine abuse in individuals who are dependent on both heroin and cocaine. Finding these dual effects by buprenorphine provides new insights into the mechanisms of cocaine and heroin dependence and suggests that these mechanisms may be more closely related than was previously thought.
Moss Rehab Again Named Among "America's Best Hospitals
We are honored that MossRehab is consistently recognized as one of the leading rehabilitation facilities in the country,” said Ruth Lefton, Chief Operating Officer, MossRehab. “This recognition clearly reflects the ongoing commitment of our entire staff to providing the highest level of quality patient care and services.”
MossRehab offers a wide range of specialized services, including comprehensive programs for brain and spinal cord injury, stroke, amputation and orthopaedic conditions. In addition, MossRehab is one of only a few rehabilitation hospitals in the nation to be designated by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research as a Model System of Care for traumatic brain injury.
Rehabilitation medicine was one of five out of the 16 medical specialties ranked whose outcome was based solely on reputation. The survey, conducted over a three-year period by RTI International in Triangle Park, N.C., involved a sampling of board-certified physicians randomly selected from the American Medical Association’s database. The physicians were asked to list up to five hospitals they believe to be top in this specialty, without considering cost or location. The reputational score, which corresponds to the hospital’s overall USNews ranking, represents the percentages of responding doctors who named that hospital.
MossRehab offers a wide range of specialized services, including comprehensive programs for brain and spinal cord injury, stroke, amputation and orthopaedic conditions. In addition, MossRehab is one of only a few rehabilitation hospitals in the nation to be designated by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research as a Model System of Care for traumatic brain injury.
Rehabilitation medicine was one of five out of the 16 medical specialties ranked whose outcome was based solely on reputation. The survey, conducted over a three-year period by RTI International in Triangle Park, N.C., involved a sampling of board-certified physicians randomly selected from the American Medical Association’s database. The physicians were asked to list up to five hospitals they believe to be top in this specialty, without considering cost or location. The reputational score, which corresponds to the hospital’s overall USNews ranking, represents the percentages of responding doctors who named that hospital.
Monitoring Your Teens for Drug Use Without Appearing to be Spying
Even if your teenagers do not use drugs, you still need to keep an eye on them. It is much better to realize that things could change, and anticipate that your teen COULD become a user. Essentially, it is not wise to make assumptions about topics such as drug use. Also, having been a high school teacher afforded me the opportunity to witness peer pressure, and how even good kids could be convinced to try drugs - just to fit in. It is important that you play a proactive role in ensuring that your teenagers and the rest of your family remains drug free.
About drug use
Initially, I learned that the signs of drug use included three basic symptoms:
Teens who experiment with drugs don't start out addicted so logically, they do not show any symptoms. They generally look healthy and nothing seems to be wrong. In fact, teens can casually use drugs for over a year before their parents would even suspect any drug or alcohol use.
Many teenagers who decide to experiment with drugs start out casually, using them with friends and then progressing towards regular use. It is important that you look for clues pertaining to casual drug use so that if your teen is prone, you can proactively deal with it.
What you can do
You need to monitor your teen's behavior and watch for signs of drug use, without appearing to be spying. Your goal should be to prevent him or her from feeling free to experiment with drugs or alcohol. The best way to accomplish this is to keep abreast of your teen's activities and friends. You will be able to spot a problem early if you keep your eyes and ears open, and believe that YOUR teenager is capable of using drugs. Many parents get blind-sided by thinking that their teen would never try drugs. Only then will you be ready to intervene if the situation presents itself.
The following are ten ways to monitor your teenager's behavior and watch for signs of drug use, without appearing to be spying:
1. Hug your teen as soon as s/he arrives home. Check for odors of possible marijuana smoke or alcohol. Remember that cologne or chewing gum may be used to hide the odor.
2. Teenagers under the influence will usually go straight to their room when they arrive home. While making eye contact, hold a brief conversation. Check for bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and their sense of balance.
3. Keep the lights on and stay up until your teenager comes home.
4. Ask your teen for the time and watch the way s/he looks at his or her watch.
5. If your teenager unexpectedly wants to spend the night at a friend's house, and you have concerns, say no.
6. Maintain a flexible schedule. Be unpredictable so your teen cannot find it easy to plan around your activities.
7. Keep abreast of what your teen is really doing when away from home. Meet their friends and their parents and participate in mutual activities. This is a very effective form of networking.
8. Ask your neighbors to discretely keep an eye on any activities that may take place while you are not home.
9. Check to see how your teens are doing in school. Ask their teachers if there is any cause for concern or if your teen has been behaving differently.
10. After you meet your teenager's friends, always ask them to identify themselves when they call. Get to know them. Always encourage your teens to invite their friends over while you are home.
Remember, your goal should be to prevent your teenager from feeling free to experiment with drugs or alcohol. The best way to accomplish this is to keep abreast of their activities and friends using the above methods.
Lastly, but most important, talk to your teenager on a regular basis about the drug use she witnesses, and how she feels about it. Also, if she has been approached, have her describe how she handled the situation. Strive for honesty and ask how you can help her to remain drug free.
About drug use
Initially, I learned that the signs of drug use included three basic symptoms:
- A loss of interest in hobbies
- A change in friends
- A drop in grades
Teens who experiment with drugs don't start out addicted so logically, they do not show any symptoms. They generally look healthy and nothing seems to be wrong. In fact, teens can casually use drugs for over a year before their parents would even suspect any drug or alcohol use.
Many teenagers who decide to experiment with drugs start out casually, using them with friends and then progressing towards regular use. It is important that you look for clues pertaining to casual drug use so that if your teen is prone, you can proactively deal with it.
What you can do
You need to monitor your teen's behavior and watch for signs of drug use, without appearing to be spying. Your goal should be to prevent him or her from feeling free to experiment with drugs or alcohol. The best way to accomplish this is to keep abreast of your teen's activities and friends. You will be able to spot a problem early if you keep your eyes and ears open, and believe that YOUR teenager is capable of using drugs. Many parents get blind-sided by thinking that their teen would never try drugs. Only then will you be ready to intervene if the situation presents itself.
The following are ten ways to monitor your teenager's behavior and watch for signs of drug use, without appearing to be spying:
1. Hug your teen as soon as s/he arrives home. Check for odors of possible marijuana smoke or alcohol. Remember that cologne or chewing gum may be used to hide the odor.
2. Teenagers under the influence will usually go straight to their room when they arrive home. While making eye contact, hold a brief conversation. Check for bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and their sense of balance.
3. Keep the lights on and stay up until your teenager comes home.
4. Ask your teen for the time and watch the way s/he looks at his or her watch.
5. If your teenager unexpectedly wants to spend the night at a friend's house, and you have concerns, say no.
6. Maintain a flexible schedule. Be unpredictable so your teen cannot find it easy to plan around your activities.
7. Keep abreast of what your teen is really doing when away from home. Meet their friends and their parents and participate in mutual activities. This is a very effective form of networking.
8. Ask your neighbors to discretely keep an eye on any activities that may take place while you are not home.
9. Check to see how your teens are doing in school. Ask their teachers if there is any cause for concern or if your teen has been behaving differently.
10. After you meet your teenager's friends, always ask them to identify themselves when they call. Get to know them. Always encourage your teens to invite their friends over while you are home.
Remember, your goal should be to prevent your teenager from feeling free to experiment with drugs or alcohol. The best way to accomplish this is to keep abreast of their activities and friends using the above methods.
Lastly, but most important, talk to your teenager on a regular basis about the drug use she witnesses, and how she feels about it. Also, if she has been approached, have her describe how she handled the situation. Strive for honesty and ask how you can help her to remain drug free.
Anesthesia Drug Rapidly Lifts Depression, Researchers Say
The researchers said, however, that the drug, ketamine, is unlikely to be used in the treatment of depression because of possible side effects, including psychosis. But the new finding does signal an important direction for future research.
Currently available antidepressants can take weeks to work. "That was similar to the sound barrier. We felt we couldn't pass it," said Dr. Carlos A. Zarate Jr., lead author of the study and chief of the mood disorders research unit at the National Institute of Mental Health.
He added, "Now the sound barrier is broken. That doesn't mean you can get on the plane and take off right away, but it means it's possible that we can come up with a treatment that works very rapidly. That's down the road."
Ketamine is novel not only for the speed of its effect, but also because it targets a new system in the brain. "It's novel because all antidepressants that are currently available work on neurotransmitters that are monoamines like dopamine and serotonin. That's the focus of the current antidepressant armamentarium," explained Dr. Richard A. Friedman, director of the psychopharmacology clinic at Cornell University's Medical Center in New York City. "Ketamine involves a particular system of the brain called glutamate. It's the main excitory neurotransmitter in the brain," he said.
Depression is a chronic, disabling condition affecting almost 15 million Americans -- almost 7 percent of the adult U.S. population -- in any given year. Some 4 percent of people with depression will end their own lives, resulting in 30,000 suicides each year.
Unfortunately, about half of people with depression don't receive treatment and, of those who do get treatment, only about 40 percent get the best, "evidence-based" treatment. Some people still don't get better even with this type of treatment, however.
This is one of the first studies in humans to look at the effect of ketamine on depression, although previous animal studies had shown promising results.
For the study, which is published in the August issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, 18 treatment-resistant patients with depression were randomly assigned to receive either one intravenous dose of ketamine or a placebo. Participants had tried an average of six antidepressant medications without success in the past.
Depression improved within one day in 71 percent of participants who received ketamine; 29 percent of those became nearly symptom-free within one day. Thirty-five percent of those receiving ketamine still showed benefits after several weeks. Those in the placebo group showed no improvement.
One week later, participants were given the opposite treatment, unless they were still showing a benefit from the ketamine.
"People had tried six to seven antidepressants on average and had been ill for 30 years. The current episode was three years in duration," Zarate said. "All people who went through this reported a tremendous relief of suffering."
Short-term side effects, including perception disturbances, went away usually before the antidepressant effect kicked in. Participants were given a relatively low dose, so they did not experience the more severe side effects.
Ketamine works by blocking the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor, which receives signals for glutamate. Using ketamine to block glutamate's action on the NMDA receptor also seemed to have a secondary effect on another brain receptor, the AMPA receptor.
Zarate and his team are now looking at several ways to use this information for depressed patients. "We're looking to see if we can refine ketamine for clinical use by taking care of side effects," he said. "We're also looking at other drugs."
Currently available antidepressants can take weeks to work. "That was similar to the sound barrier. We felt we couldn't pass it," said Dr. Carlos A. Zarate Jr., lead author of the study and chief of the mood disorders research unit at the National Institute of Mental Health.
He added, "Now the sound barrier is broken. That doesn't mean you can get on the plane and take off right away, but it means it's possible that we can come up with a treatment that works very rapidly. That's down the road."
Ketamine is novel not only for the speed of its effect, but also because it targets a new system in the brain. "It's novel because all antidepressants that are currently available work on neurotransmitters that are monoamines like dopamine and serotonin. That's the focus of the current antidepressant armamentarium," explained Dr. Richard A. Friedman, director of the psychopharmacology clinic at Cornell University's Medical Center in New York City. "Ketamine involves a particular system of the brain called glutamate. It's the main excitory neurotransmitter in the brain," he said.
Depression is a chronic, disabling condition affecting almost 15 million Americans -- almost 7 percent of the adult U.S. population -- in any given year. Some 4 percent of people with depression will end their own lives, resulting in 30,000 suicides each year.
Unfortunately, about half of people with depression don't receive treatment and, of those who do get treatment, only about 40 percent get the best, "evidence-based" treatment. Some people still don't get better even with this type of treatment, however.
This is one of the first studies in humans to look at the effect of ketamine on depression, although previous animal studies had shown promising results.
For the study, which is published in the August issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, 18 treatment-resistant patients with depression were randomly assigned to receive either one intravenous dose of ketamine or a placebo. Participants had tried an average of six antidepressant medications without success in the past.
Depression improved within one day in 71 percent of participants who received ketamine; 29 percent of those became nearly symptom-free within one day. Thirty-five percent of those receiving ketamine still showed benefits after several weeks. Those in the placebo group showed no improvement.
One week later, participants were given the opposite treatment, unless they were still showing a benefit from the ketamine.
"People had tried six to seven antidepressants on average and had been ill for 30 years. The current episode was three years in duration," Zarate said. "All people who went through this reported a tremendous relief of suffering."
Short-term side effects, including perception disturbances, went away usually before the antidepressant effect kicked in. Participants were given a relatively low dose, so they did not experience the more severe side effects.
Ketamine works by blocking the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor, which receives signals for glutamate. Using ketamine to block glutamate's action on the NMDA receptor also seemed to have a secondary effect on another brain receptor, the AMPA receptor.
Zarate and his team are now looking at several ways to use this information for depressed patients. "We're looking to see if we can refine ketamine for clinical use by taking care of side effects," he said. "We're also looking at other drugs."
Finding The Finest High End Luxury Drug Treatment Facility Money Can Buy
Quite possibly the best thing that has resulted from so much publicity about people suffering from addictions and the rehab programs that treat them over the last couple of years, is that many people who need treatment are now finding the courage to get it. However, when looking for a treatment facility, it is still difficult to know which facility is the best.
Whether you have the cash to pay for treatment or insurance that will cover it, there are literally hundreds of rehabs out there promoting their treatment programs. We’ve all been inundated with promotional materials online, on television, in books, and even on the radio. How do you sift through the propaganda and know that you or a loved one will get the care you’re paying for?
On my recent search for the finest facilities in the country, I was pointed to Malibu, California. At last count, in Malibu alone, there are 29 treatment centers. OK, it’s a great area, but how was I to know which of these facilities is the best? Before spending a tremendous amount of money on treatment, It’s important to know that you or a loved one is receiving the best care possible.
Sifting through all of the information about individualized treatment, holistic approaches, cures for addiction, high-end luxury amenities, and personalized programs, it’s easy to get enamored by a facility and forget what is really important. In addition to facility and amenities, the true test of a treatment program is to know the breadth and quality of the treatment options a specific center offers as well as its success rates. Only then can you tell if you’re choosing the best facility.
Three addiction treatment centers in Malibu stood out to me for their reputation and similar price-point: Promises, Passages Malibu, and Cliffside Malibu.
Promises was one of the first luxury rehabs. For 24 years, it has been treating high profile clients for drug and alcohol abuse. Starting at around $55,000 a month for a shared room and up to $90,000 for a private room, Promises offers a chef to cater to special dietary needs, resort style amenities, and even 400 thread count sheets. It’s no wonder celebrities flock there. That may all sound wonderful, but it turns out there is a darker side to Promises. Three years ago, the facility was purchased by a private equity firm. That’s a little like your favorite local Italian restaurant being taken over by a national pizza chain. There’s no doubt that the quality will suffer. Also, though the facility touts its “confidential” treatment program, leaks about celebrity clients occur continually. Failure to maintain a confidential client list is a breach of the most egregious sort. If you’re unwilling to play second-fiddle in a celebrity focused environment, Promises may not be the best facility for you.
Passages Malibu was founded in 2000. The story of its founding is that a desperate father wanted to save his drug addicted son’s life after the son failed to be helped by attending treatment programs across the nation. The father believed his son could be cured with the “right” treatment, which involved many one-on-one therapy sessions, holistic healing principles, and “fixing” core issues. This father did not believe that his son suffered from a disease and dismissed that model entirely from his treatment program. Nor do the founders of Passages believe any twelve-step work is necessary to treat drug and alcohol addiction. They claim to have found the “cure” which is a lofty claim considering most if not all seasoned professionals for addiction treatment assert there is only treatment and not a “cure.” A book and several commercials later, Passages puts most of their emphasis on advertising their unique treatment program more so than their pricey amenities. At a similar price point to Promises, they too offer luxurious private and semi private rooms sitting on a large estate overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with tennis courts, gardens, and swimming pools. The issue with Passages is that while they purport to have a cure for alcoholism and addiction, they cannot back that promise up with real, quantifiable efficacy studies. The “evidence” of this cure is anecdotal, the story of a man and his son, and a lot of dreams…. Just read the June 25, 2008 LA Weekly article on Passages. It paints a very clear picture of what not to buy into about Passages.
Whether you have the cash to pay for treatment or insurance that will cover it, there are literally hundreds of rehabs out there promoting their treatment programs. We’ve all been inundated with promotional materials online, on television, in books, and even on the radio. How do you sift through the propaganda and know that you or a loved one will get the care you’re paying for?
On my recent search for the finest facilities in the country, I was pointed to Malibu, California. At last count, in Malibu alone, there are 29 treatment centers. OK, it’s a great area, but how was I to know which of these facilities is the best? Before spending a tremendous amount of money on treatment, It’s important to know that you or a loved one is receiving the best care possible.
Sifting through all of the information about individualized treatment, holistic approaches, cures for addiction, high-end luxury amenities, and personalized programs, it’s easy to get enamored by a facility and forget what is really important. In addition to facility and amenities, the true test of a treatment program is to know the breadth and quality of the treatment options a specific center offers as well as its success rates. Only then can you tell if you’re choosing the best facility.
Three addiction treatment centers in Malibu stood out to me for their reputation and similar price-point: Promises, Passages Malibu, and Cliffside Malibu.
Promises was one of the first luxury rehabs. For 24 years, it has been treating high profile clients for drug and alcohol abuse. Starting at around $55,000 a month for a shared room and up to $90,000 for a private room, Promises offers a chef to cater to special dietary needs, resort style amenities, and even 400 thread count sheets. It’s no wonder celebrities flock there. That may all sound wonderful, but it turns out there is a darker side to Promises. Three years ago, the facility was purchased by a private equity firm. That’s a little like your favorite local Italian restaurant being taken over by a national pizza chain. There’s no doubt that the quality will suffer. Also, though the facility touts its “confidential” treatment program, leaks about celebrity clients occur continually. Failure to maintain a confidential client list is a breach of the most egregious sort. If you’re unwilling to play second-fiddle in a celebrity focused environment, Promises may not be the best facility for you.
Passages Malibu was founded in 2000. The story of its founding is that a desperate father wanted to save his drug addicted son’s life after the son failed to be helped by attending treatment programs across the nation. The father believed his son could be cured with the “right” treatment, which involved many one-on-one therapy sessions, holistic healing principles, and “fixing” core issues. This father did not believe that his son suffered from a disease and dismissed that model entirely from his treatment program. Nor do the founders of Passages believe any twelve-step work is necessary to treat drug and alcohol addiction. They claim to have found the “cure” which is a lofty claim considering most if not all seasoned professionals for addiction treatment assert there is only treatment and not a “cure.” A book and several commercials later, Passages puts most of their emphasis on advertising their unique treatment program more so than their pricey amenities. At a similar price point to Promises, they too offer luxurious private and semi private rooms sitting on a large estate overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with tennis courts, gardens, and swimming pools. The issue with Passages is that while they purport to have a cure for alcoholism and addiction, they cannot back that promise up with real, quantifiable efficacy studies. The “evidence” of this cure is anecdotal, the story of a man and his son, and a lot of dreams…. Just read the June 25, 2008 LA Weekly article on Passages. It paints a very clear picture of what not to buy into about Passages.
Intervention and Drug and Alcohol Detox
We have been talking a lot about drug rehab and drug treatment. Before this process can begin, we have to understand the two important things that have to happen before treatment. The first is intervention. The second, depending on the severity of the addicts drug abuse, is drug and alcohol detox.
An addict will rarely take the first step to enter rehab. We commonly say that an addict has to “bottom out” before they really understand the need to enter treatment. This can be dangerous, because this “bottoming out” is actually death. Before death happens, the addicts loved ones need to take some action to help the addict understand the need for treatment. This is what we call “intervention”. We, in fact, are trying to “intervene” in the addict’s life. We are trying to help them make the decision to enter treatment. Thin intervention may be the only way an addict will make that choice. Don’t let the addict wait to decide on his or her own, because it may never happen. Take the initiative. Seek help from a professional. An intervention may be the last thing you do to get your loved one into treatment to save their life.
If you have been able to complete a successful intervention, meaning you have helped the addict enter rehab, the next step may be drug and alcohol detox. For some addicts, the drug abuse has been so severe, that completely cutting off the drug or alcohol use without medical supervision could lead to severe medical repercussions, including death. With drug and alcohol detox, a medical professional will monitor the addict continually to make sure they can complete the detox phase without any medical problems. Once the addict has been able to get enough of the drug out of their system, they are ready to begin the actual rehab program. Without a successful drug and alcohol detox program, the addict will not be able to sustain themselves in rehab. By contacting a qualified drug rehab program you will be assured of getting the right help. Don’t make the mistake of trying to do all this on your own. Help is available. Give us a call and let our team of qualified and caring professionals help you take the next step.
An addict will rarely take the first step to enter rehab. We commonly say that an addict has to “bottom out” before they really understand the need to enter treatment. This can be dangerous, because this “bottoming out” is actually death. Before death happens, the addicts loved ones need to take some action to help the addict understand the need for treatment. This is what we call “intervention”. We, in fact, are trying to “intervene” in the addict’s life. We are trying to help them make the decision to enter treatment. Thin intervention may be the only way an addict will make that choice. Don’t let the addict wait to decide on his or her own, because it may never happen. Take the initiative. Seek help from a professional. An intervention may be the last thing you do to get your loved one into treatment to save their life.
If you have been able to complete a successful intervention, meaning you have helped the addict enter rehab, the next step may be drug and alcohol detox. For some addicts, the drug abuse has been so severe, that completely cutting off the drug or alcohol use without medical supervision could lead to severe medical repercussions, including death. With drug and alcohol detox, a medical professional will monitor the addict continually to make sure they can complete the detox phase without any medical problems. Once the addict has been able to get enough of the drug out of their system, they are ready to begin the actual rehab program. Without a successful drug and alcohol detox program, the addict will not be able to sustain themselves in rehab. By contacting a qualified drug rehab program you will be assured of getting the right help. Don’t make the mistake of trying to do all this on your own. Help is available. Give us a call and let our team of qualified and caring professionals help you take the next step.
Understanding Alcohol Rehab and Alcohol Treatment
It bears noting here that alcohol rehab and alcohol treatment are no less important, and no less serious, than drug rehab and drug treatment. Too many alcoholics make the mistake of assuming that alcoholism is somehow less severe a problem than drug addiction. That's wrong. The truth is that alcohol is a drug, and that alcohol addiction is a drug addiction. Drug rehab and alcohol rehab, then, are but different sides of the same coin. And make no mistake: If you want to overcome an alcohol problem, you need alcohol rehab from a professional alcohol treatment center.
Like drug rehabilitation, alcohol rehab is a supremely important issue in the United States. As many as eight million Americans show signs of unhealthy dependence on alcohol...which of course means that as many as eight million Americans need professional alcohol rehab if they're ever going to get better. America's collective approach to drug rehabilitation is not and cannot be complete unless we resolve to incorporate alcohol treatment into our vision of our drug rehabilitation care. No alcoholic ever gets sober outside of an alcohol treatment center. There is no bottom line more important than that one.
Of course, important methodological differences do exist between alcohol rehab and illicit drug rehabilitation, and no alcoholic should ever settle for a generic alcohol treatment program. Again, if you're going to get better, it's going to be because your alcohol or drug rehabilitation plan meets your specific needs. Failing that, no alcohol rehab center can ever offer you a realistic shot at achieving your sobriety goals.
Like drug rehabilitation, alcohol rehab is a supremely important issue in the United States. As many as eight million Americans show signs of unhealthy dependence on alcohol...which of course means that as many as eight million Americans need professional alcohol rehab if they're ever going to get better. America's collective approach to drug rehabilitation is not and cannot be complete unless we resolve to incorporate alcohol treatment into our vision of our drug rehabilitation care. No alcoholic ever gets sober outside of an alcohol treatment center. There is no bottom line more important than that one.
Of course, important methodological differences do exist between alcohol rehab and illicit drug rehabilitation, and no alcoholic should ever settle for a generic alcohol treatment program. Again, if you're going to get better, it's going to be because your alcohol or drug rehabilitation plan meets your specific needs. Failing that, no alcohol rehab center can ever offer you a realistic shot at achieving your sobriety goals.
The Role of Drug Treatment and Drug Treatment Center
What is the role of drug treatment and a drug treatment center? To answer the first question we need to understand what drug treatment is. Drug treatment is not treating symptoms of drug addiction with other drugs. Simply stated, drug treatment begins by taking a comprehensive look at an addict. We look at both the physical and psychological reasons why a person abuses alcohol or drugs. We look at the history of abuse, as well as the history of a person’s rehab experiences, if any. We look at the family and social dynamics of the addict. We certainly also evaluate the addicts health history. Based on this comprehensive review a qualified drug treatment counselor can then develop a treatment program that addresses the individual needs of the client.
Once this evaluation is complete, the actual programs of a drug treatment center takes over. Typically, a drug treatment center will have their patients for a minimum of 30 days. For many, this minimum stay may not be enough to really help the addict get to the root of their addiction. The professional drug treatment counselor will know and be able to evaluate the length of stay necessary to get the addict on a solid road of recovery. Once a program has been successfully completed in a drug treatment center, the resident will leave with a plan to continue the recovery process. This usually entails having a sponsor, and continuing with a personalized aftercare program. It should be noted that even after a person completes their stay at a quality drug treatment center, they must continue to work their program to have a hope at long-term recovery.
Once this evaluation is complete, the actual programs of a drug treatment center takes over. Typically, a drug treatment center will have their patients for a minimum of 30 days. For many, this minimum stay may not be enough to really help the addict get to the root of their addiction. The professional drug treatment counselor will know and be able to evaluate the length of stay necessary to get the addict on a solid road of recovery. Once a program has been successfully completed in a drug treatment center, the resident will leave with a plan to continue the recovery process. This usually entails having a sponsor, and continuing with a personalized aftercare program. It should be noted that even after a person completes their stay at a quality drug treatment center, they must continue to work their program to have a hope at long-term recovery.
The Importance of Addiction Treatment Program
Through any prism, an addiction treatment program is the solution to pressing problems in the United States and around the world. Indeed, the increasing prevalence of painkiller addiction and prescription drug abuse in modern America means that an addiction treatment program is more important now that at any time in our collective history. With thousands of individuals falling victim to drug dependency every day, only a concerted effort to provide quality addiction treatment programs where they are needed can make our future a thing worth looking forward to. In the end, nothing could ever matter more than that.
As would perhaps be expected, it's difficult to pin an exact figure on the number of drug and alcohol addicts in the United States. Some studies suggest that as many as fifteen million Americans exhibit symptoms of unhealthy drug or alcohol dependence, a statistic which should if nothing else speak to the paramount importance of having an effective addiction treatment program available to addicts in shaping the course of postindustrial society.
And the story doesn't seem to be on the verge of any substantive improvement. Indeed, the rising incidence of painkiller addiction and prescription drug abuse around the country implies that the situation may well get worse before it gets better...which of course means that our future is very much in our hands, and is very significantly contingent upon the level of resources we devote to the drug rehabilitation fight. It's a battle, in the end, that we can't help but win or lose together.
The rub here is that you're not alone, if you or someone you care about has fallen victim to drug abuse; there are millions of other people in your same position, and millions of other people who need to enter an addiction treatment program. The good news, for you and for them, is that addiction treatment programs really do work: Drug rehab patients really do get better, and an addiction treatment program really is a place of healing. Here's hoping you have the courage to find that out for yourself.
As would perhaps be expected, it's difficult to pin an exact figure on the number of drug and alcohol addicts in the United States. Some studies suggest that as many as fifteen million Americans exhibit symptoms of unhealthy drug or alcohol dependence, a statistic which should if nothing else speak to the paramount importance of having an effective addiction treatment program available to addicts in shaping the course of postindustrial society.
And the story doesn't seem to be on the verge of any substantive improvement. Indeed, the rising incidence of painkiller addiction and prescription drug abuse around the country implies that the situation may well get worse before it gets better...which of course means that our future is very much in our hands, and is very significantly contingent upon the level of resources we devote to the drug rehabilitation fight. It's a battle, in the end, that we can't help but win or lose together.
The rub here is that you're not alone, if you or someone you care about has fallen victim to drug abuse; there are millions of other people in your same position, and millions of other people who need to enter an addiction treatment program. The good news, for you and for them, is that addiction treatment programs really do work: Drug rehab patients really do get better, and an addiction treatment program really is a place of healing. Here's hoping you have the courage to find that out for yourself.
Addiction Treatment
Addiction Treatment involves detox, various types of therapies, and development of an aftercare plan. Addiction treatment can be done on an outpatient basis, but this is rarely a good idea for someone who is actively abusing alcohol or drugs. It can be difficult to avoid triggers during the first 30 days without drugs or alcohol, so a residential addiction treatment center gives the person a much better chance of making it through this critical period.
An addiction treatment center is a residential facility that offers a safe, supportive place to begin the journey to recovery. Freedom from the paralyzing claim that drugs and alcohol have on you or a loved one can open up amazing opportunities, but it must be based on a clinically sound, structured addiction treatment program.
Addiction treatment is about much more than detox and 12 step meetings. Today’s clinically rigorous addiction treatment centers offer some cutting edge modalities to help those with addiction overcome any underlying issues that may be contributing to substance abuse. These may include neurofeedback, also known as EEG biofeedback, a powerful tool to learn how retrain your brain to stay focused on the moment and act less impulsively; equine-assisted psychotherapy, which is helpful for those who struggle with talk therapy, especially people with past trauma; EMDR, an eye movement therapy that has shown remarkable results for people who have experience trauma; cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy; adventure therapy (hiking, mountain climbing, wilderness experiences); Eastern medicine (acupuncture and nutritional therapies); and pain management (physical therapy, neurofeedback, and alternative non-addictive medication).
An addiction treatment center is a residential facility that offers a safe, supportive place to begin the journey to recovery. Freedom from the paralyzing claim that drugs and alcohol have on you or a loved one can open up amazing opportunities, but it must be based on a clinically sound, structured addiction treatment program.
Addiction treatment is about much more than detox and 12 step meetings. Today’s clinically rigorous addiction treatment centers offer some cutting edge modalities to help those with addiction overcome any underlying issues that may be contributing to substance abuse. These may include neurofeedback, also known as EEG biofeedback, a powerful tool to learn how retrain your brain to stay focused on the moment and act less impulsively; equine-assisted psychotherapy, which is helpful for those who struggle with talk therapy, especially people with past trauma; EMDR, an eye movement therapy that has shown remarkable results for people who have experience trauma; cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy; adventure therapy (hiking, mountain climbing, wilderness experiences); Eastern medicine (acupuncture and nutritional therapies); and pain management (physical therapy, neurofeedback, and alternative non-addictive medication).
Genetic Makeup and Length of Drug Abuse Can Determine Severity of Addiction
A new study from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory has shown that drug-dependent individuals with certain genetic makeup have lower gray matter density (and fewer neurons) in areas of the brain that control decision-making, self-control, learning, and memory. This shows that genes can influence the severity of addiction, according to study co-author Nelly Alia-Klein, a medical scientist at Brookhaven.
The study suggests that addicts with low MAOA genotype may need different treatment from those with high MAOA genotype, which could be breakthrough discovery for addiction treatment centers. MAOA is an enzyme that regulates neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin and dopamine. Many drugs release serotonin and dopamine in the brain, controlling mood and behavior.
More research needs to be done before making changes in treatment strategies, but this study is an important first step, and addiction treatment specialists should be informed of these findings.
Previous studies have shown that cocaine addicts have lower gray matter density in parts of the brain that are important for organizing behavior and paying attention, as well as parts of the brain that are associated with learning and memory. The current study found that cocaine addicts with low MAOA had lower gray matter in the orbitofrontal cortex than those with high MAOA or non-addicts.
The current study also found that low gray matter was associated with the number of years of alcohol, cocaine, and cigarette use among the addicts. The longer the abuse, the lower the amount of gray matter in the hippocampus and frontal brain regions. This suggests that being treated for drug addiction may help protect against these brain changes.
In the study, 82 men (40 were addicted to cocaine and 40 were not) were given physical, psychiatric, neurological, and neuropsychological tests, including test of intellectual functioning, and were determined to be healthy and not taking medication.
The researchers took DNA samples of each participant and analyzed them to determine high or low MAOA. They also performed brain scans to determine the density of gray matter in the entire brain. The brain matter volume was compared between the two groups and correlated with genetic makeup and duration of drug abuse.
The study suggests that addicts with low MAOA genotype may need different treatment from those with high MAOA genotype, which could be breakthrough discovery for addiction treatment centers. MAOA is an enzyme that regulates neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin and dopamine. Many drugs release serotonin and dopamine in the brain, controlling mood and behavior.
More research needs to be done before making changes in treatment strategies, but this study is an important first step, and addiction treatment specialists should be informed of these findings.
Previous studies have shown that cocaine addicts have lower gray matter density in parts of the brain that are important for organizing behavior and paying attention, as well as parts of the brain that are associated with learning and memory. The current study found that cocaine addicts with low MAOA had lower gray matter in the orbitofrontal cortex than those with high MAOA or non-addicts.
The current study also found that low gray matter was associated with the number of years of alcohol, cocaine, and cigarette use among the addicts. The longer the abuse, the lower the amount of gray matter in the hippocampus and frontal brain regions. This suggests that being treated for drug addiction may help protect against these brain changes.
In the study, 82 men (40 were addicted to cocaine and 40 were not) were given physical, psychiatric, neurological, and neuropsychological tests, including test of intellectual functioning, and were determined to be healthy and not taking medication.
The researchers took DNA samples of each participant and analyzed them to determine high or low MAOA. They also performed brain scans to determine the density of gray matter in the entire brain. The brain matter volume was compared between the two groups and correlated with genetic makeup and duration of drug abuse.
Holistic Drug Treatment Provides Options for Those Struggling with Traditional Treatment
Drug addiction can be a vicious cycle. Recovery is not just a simple decision to enter rehab; it may start there, but for an addict, recovery is a lifelong journey. It involves not only kicking chemical dependencies but also changing habits, altering thought processes, being careful about the environment and people with which one surrounds himself, and planning for a successful future.
One of the most popular methods of treatment for addiction is to use drugs such as Suboxone. It is usually administered by health professionals working in drug treatment facilitates to help ease the pain of withdrawals. Because withdrawal symptoms can be very strong, those wishing to detox often need chemical help. The withdrawals coming off drugs like Suboxone are much less intense and can help ease the transition from opiate or other drug dependencies to more controlled alternatives.
Critics of this method of treatment, however, challenge the logic of replacing one drug with another. Proponents of the holistic approach claim that drugs are not needed as the body has the ability to heal itself. They propose a drug-free environment where addicts detoxify via a plethora of natural methods such as exercise, proper nutrition, meditation, sauna treatments, and massage.
Holistic therapy focuses on treatment that heals the entire person including thought processes, relationships, and methods of addiction. These types of programs go much further than addressing just the chemical addiction.
While traditional treatment programs have proved very successful for helping many overcome their addictions, not everyone blossoms in this setting. Some people have a hard time aligning with the 12-step program. The holistic method of treatment provides an alternative for individuals who have struggled with other methods of recovery.
The holistic approach normally provides customized treatment as each individual’s struggle is unique. Some individuals struggle with traditional treatment programs because they don’t relate to religion-based treatment. Holistic methods are not usually affiliated with any particular religion but are more focused on the concept of spirituality in general. This removes a stumbling block for individuals who have a hard time with recovery because they don’t embrace the role that mainstream religion may have as part of that process.
One of the most popular methods of treatment for addiction is to use drugs such as Suboxone. It is usually administered by health professionals working in drug treatment facilitates to help ease the pain of withdrawals. Because withdrawal symptoms can be very strong, those wishing to detox often need chemical help. The withdrawals coming off drugs like Suboxone are much less intense and can help ease the transition from opiate or other drug dependencies to more controlled alternatives.
Critics of this method of treatment, however, challenge the logic of replacing one drug with another. Proponents of the holistic approach claim that drugs are not needed as the body has the ability to heal itself. They propose a drug-free environment where addicts detoxify via a plethora of natural methods such as exercise, proper nutrition, meditation, sauna treatments, and massage.
Holistic therapy focuses on treatment that heals the entire person including thought processes, relationships, and methods of addiction. These types of programs go much further than addressing just the chemical addiction.
While traditional treatment programs have proved very successful for helping many overcome their addictions, not everyone blossoms in this setting. Some people have a hard time aligning with the 12-step program. The holistic method of treatment provides an alternative for individuals who have struggled with other methods of recovery.
The holistic approach normally provides customized treatment as each individual’s struggle is unique. Some individuals struggle with traditional treatment programs because they don’t relate to religion-based treatment. Holistic methods are not usually affiliated with any particular religion but are more focused on the concept of spirituality in general. This removes a stumbling block for individuals who have a hard time with recovery because they don’t embrace the role that mainstream religion may have as part of that process.
Trauma Debriefing
Debriefing is an intervention done just after an adverse event in order to support those individuals who have been exposed to trauma. Also known as critical incident debriefing, psychological debriefing or post-trauma debriefing, this intervention is done as immediately after the event as possible. It is thought that debriefing should occur within the first 72 hours after a traumatic event in order to provide optimum support for survivors. Debriefing can be done individually or in groups, in a single session or in a series of sessions done in a short period of time. It usually takes place in an easily accessible setting that has been designated for that purpose. Ideally a debriefing occurs away from the scene of the incident, but may be done at the scene of a traumatic event if other arrangements are not possible.
Personnel
Debriefing personnel may have varying degrees of training and preparation. Some are debriefing professionals who receive intensive training and travel as part of debriefing teams in order to respond to critical incidents. Other personnel may be first assembled when a traumatic event occurs from available volunteers in the community or nearby locations. Many agencies and organizations which typically work in stressful and adverse situations, such as emergency responders, have debriefing personnel and procedures in place.
Goals of Debriefing
One of the most immediate goals of debriefing is to help survivors understand that the traumatic event is over. The initial shock, terror, and/or horror of an adverse event can lead survivors to believe that danger is continuing. Debriefing personnel will provide information about the event’s closure and reinforce that danger has subsided.
A second goal of debriefing is to orient survivors to the present (post-trauma) and to mobilize an assessment of current needs. Survivors typically need to share memories of what has occurred and supplement their firsthand experience with information provided by others so that they come to a greater understanding of the event. Emotional support and opportunities to express strong emotions such as fear, anger and grief are also typically needed in a debriefing intervention.
Immediate coping skills and resources for coping are provided in debriefings. It is common for a group of survivors to
brainstorm these as they move into the problem-solving phase of debriefing. Coping skills and resources are identified that will help survivors begin to reestablish a more normal daily routine.
Debriefing also identifies and explores the risks involved in traumatic exposure. Symptoms of PTSD are identified so that survivors may recognize such symptoms in themselves and in others. An awareness of usual trauma symptoms helps to lessen the fear and confusion of coping with symptoms when they occur. Becoming aware of how they may be affected increases a sense of control for survivors in a situation that has been overwhelmingly out of their control.
Effects of Debriefing
Personnel
Debriefing personnel may have varying degrees of training and preparation. Some are debriefing professionals who receive intensive training and travel as part of debriefing teams in order to respond to critical incidents. Other personnel may be first assembled when a traumatic event occurs from available volunteers in the community or nearby locations. Many agencies and organizations which typically work in stressful and adverse situations, such as emergency responders, have debriefing personnel and procedures in place.
Goals of Debriefing
One of the most immediate goals of debriefing is to help survivors understand that the traumatic event is over. The initial shock, terror, and/or horror of an adverse event can lead survivors to believe that danger is continuing. Debriefing personnel will provide information about the event’s closure and reinforce that danger has subsided.
A second goal of debriefing is to orient survivors to the present (post-trauma) and to mobilize an assessment of current needs. Survivors typically need to share memories of what has occurred and supplement their firsthand experience with information provided by others so that they come to a greater understanding of the event. Emotional support and opportunities to express strong emotions such as fear, anger and grief are also typically needed in a debriefing intervention.
Immediate coping skills and resources for coping are provided in debriefings. It is common for a group of survivors to
brainstorm these as they move into the problem-solving phase of debriefing. Coping skills and resources are identified that will help survivors begin to reestablish a more normal daily routine.
Debriefing also identifies and explores the risks involved in traumatic exposure. Symptoms of PTSD are identified so that survivors may recognize such symptoms in themselves and in others. An awareness of usual trauma symptoms helps to lessen the fear and confusion of coping with symptoms when they occur. Becoming aware of how they may be affected increases a sense of control for survivors in a situation that has been overwhelmingly out of their control.
Effects of Debriefing
Medication for PTSD May Not Be Effective
A recent study shows that the medication risperidone, which is an antipsychotic, may not be as effective in reducing the severity of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for returning veterans of combat.
The trial was a randomized, six-month study of the drug and proved that risperidone didn’t work any better than a placebo to help ease the typical PTSD signs. It was also ineffective at controlling anxiety and depression, according to a report in MSNBC news.
Dr. John H. Krystal, a professor at Yale and director of a division of the VA Center for PTSD, says PTSD is an enormous problem. It is the most costly and most common disorder to treat at the VA psychiatry department. Dr. Krystal says the standard treatments such as Paxil and Zoloft help many people, but studies show these drugs are not as effective with people who have had numerous traumas or recurring PTSD.
Two years ago over 80,000 veterans were diagnosed with such mental health issues as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and irritability related to autism. Doctors turned to alternative medicines such as risperidone to supplement their therapies.
The latest study shadowed almost 250 veterans who were diagnosed with PTSD related to their military tour of duty. Half of these vets received risperidone and the others only received placebos. At completion of the study, researchers were shocked that the risperidone wasn’t any more effective than the placebos at reducing the severity of PTSD.
However, Krystal did say that the drug was effective at reducing side effect such as daydreams, flashbacks and nightmares related to thoughts about the trauma the veterans experienced during their tours. Typical side effects of the medication include drowsiness and weight gain.
The trial was a randomized, six-month study of the drug and proved that risperidone didn’t work any better than a placebo to help ease the typical PTSD signs. It was also ineffective at controlling anxiety and depression, according to a report in MSNBC news.
Dr. John H. Krystal, a professor at Yale and director of a division of the VA Center for PTSD, says PTSD is an enormous problem. It is the most costly and most common disorder to treat at the VA psychiatry department. Dr. Krystal says the standard treatments such as Paxil and Zoloft help many people, but studies show these drugs are not as effective with people who have had numerous traumas or recurring PTSD.
Two years ago over 80,000 veterans were diagnosed with such mental health issues as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and irritability related to autism. Doctors turned to alternative medicines such as risperidone to supplement their therapies.
The latest study shadowed almost 250 veterans who were diagnosed with PTSD related to their military tour of duty. Half of these vets received risperidone and the others only received placebos. At completion of the study, researchers were shocked that the risperidone wasn’t any more effective than the placebos at reducing the severity of PTSD.
However, Krystal did say that the drug was effective at reducing side effect such as daydreams, flashbacks and nightmares related to thoughts about the trauma the veterans experienced during their tours. Typical side effects of the medication include drowsiness and weight gain.
Young Men Surprised by Sexual Problems Linked to Online Porn Use
Not only does new research indicate that men who are addicted to pornography struggle with sexual desire and performance in real-world situations with a partner, they may carry this problem with them for years.
Recent studies on young men in Italy are exploring the condition called "sexual anorexia," in which a healthy male cannot have or maintain an erection or sexual desire because of prior Internet pornography use – even as early as their teen years. The effect of excessive Internet pornography use can hinder dopamine function years later, and is leading more young males to seek help for serious challenges with their sexual response.
As the use of Internet pornography progresses, the user needs more intense or bizarre forms of the material – and in much greater quantities – until they are no longer able to reach sexual arousal without it. In most cases, the men didn’t know Internet pornography could lead to this consequence, nor that it could become addicting.
Some men in the study have participated in physical tests and are shown to have no physical health problems that would hinder sexual function. Their use of online sexual materials on a daily basis over a period of time may have instead created "overstimulation" within the brain’s reward system. As they seek more and more of the materials to achieve a sense of pleasure or a high, the brain’s reward system can become even more taxed.
Other research, including recent findings published in Psychology Today, reports that some men who are addicted to pornography need continual images from online sources to maintain sexual desire or an erection, even during a physical encounter with their partner. While people have been accessing sexual material online for decades, the recent flood of new materials that are constantly available via smartphones and wireless connections is believed to be a strong contributor to rising cases of sexual dysfunction and sexual anorexia among young men.
Women whose partners are addicted to online pornography may experience strong feelings of shame and inadequacy as they are unable to help their partner achieve a satisfactory sexual performance. They may also compare themselves to online pornography images and feel a sense of disconnect and abandonment with their partner, leading to their own emotional and sexual performance challenges.
For someone with a pornography addiction, stopping can lead to withdrawal and feelings of depression, mood swings, a sense of panic and trouble concentrating. Without the exposure to Internet pornography, however, the brain will eventually reset its reward circuits and return to typical dopamine function, bringing back full sexual performance for most men.
Recent studies on young men in Italy are exploring the condition called "sexual anorexia," in which a healthy male cannot have or maintain an erection or sexual desire because of prior Internet pornography use – even as early as their teen years. The effect of excessive Internet pornography use can hinder dopamine function years later, and is leading more young males to seek help for serious challenges with their sexual response.
As the use of Internet pornography progresses, the user needs more intense or bizarre forms of the material – and in much greater quantities – until they are no longer able to reach sexual arousal without it. In most cases, the men didn’t know Internet pornography could lead to this consequence, nor that it could become addicting.
Some men in the study have participated in physical tests and are shown to have no physical health problems that would hinder sexual function. Their use of online sexual materials on a daily basis over a period of time may have instead created "overstimulation" within the brain’s reward system. As they seek more and more of the materials to achieve a sense of pleasure or a high, the brain’s reward system can become even more taxed.
Other research, including recent findings published in Psychology Today, reports that some men who are addicted to pornography need continual images from online sources to maintain sexual desire or an erection, even during a physical encounter with their partner. While people have been accessing sexual material online for decades, the recent flood of new materials that are constantly available via smartphones and wireless connections is believed to be a strong contributor to rising cases of sexual dysfunction and sexual anorexia among young men.
Women whose partners are addicted to online pornography may experience strong feelings of shame and inadequacy as they are unable to help their partner achieve a satisfactory sexual performance. They may also compare themselves to online pornography images and feel a sense of disconnect and abandonment with their partner, leading to their own emotional and sexual performance challenges.
For someone with a pornography addiction, stopping can lead to withdrawal and feelings of depression, mood swings, a sense of panic and trouble concentrating. Without the exposure to Internet pornography, however, the brain will eventually reset its reward circuits and return to typical dopamine function, bringing back full sexual performance for most men.
Studies of Hallucinatory Drugs Show Promise in Treating PTSS
Scientists in the United States and Great Britain are experimenting with using hallucinatory drugs to treat people with post-traumatic stress syndrome and other psychological issues that do not always respond to conventional therapy. They are finding that some patients experience breakthroughs to better mental health and even positive personality changes that could be permanent.
The hope is that drugs such as "magic mushrooms" and Ecstasy could someday be used in clinical settings to help people deal with treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress syndrome, as well as helping terminally ill patients come to peace with death.
One big take-away message from these scientists is "Don’t try this at home."
The research teams emphasize that in their experiments with "magic mushrooms," participants were screened for mental health issues, and many had post-graduate degrees. Participants were supervised during every session, and every aspect of the setting, such as the music played and the degree of light in the room, was carefully controlled.
"We’ve conducted our research under conditions where we’ve screened out people who are potentially vulnerable to adverse effects. And we’ve given the drug in a hospital setting with two people at their side throughout, so there’s virtually no opportunity for the patient to do something dangerous," said Roland R. Griffiths, a professor in the departments of psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and author of one of the studies.
"But we know that, shockingly, all the time people who use mushrooms recreationally sometimes end up getting into accidents or engage in homicidal behavior or suicide. So we certainly don’t want to imply that there’s not risk associated with these compounds," he said. "And we wouldn’t want to be a reason for an uptick for non-medical, uncontrolled use of this sort of thing."
In experiments performed in South Carolina, Dr. Michael Mithoefer recruited 20 women who had been in therapy for an average of 19 years because of post-traumatic stress syndrome. He gave twelve of them a drug commonly known as Ecstasy, with a chemical name of MDMA or 3.4-methylonedioxyamphetamine. Eight women got a placebo. Ten of the twelve women who got the drug showed significant improvement within two months after the second time they took it. They had no serious side effects and no long-term negative side effects.
The main problem that these women had in conventional trauma treatment is that every time they remembered their original trauma, they would experience negative emotions such as fear and panic. They told Dr. Mithoefer that Ecstasy did not provide a euphoric experience, but it enabled them to remember the trauma without feeling overwhelmed. One patient said, "I feel like I am walking to a place I’ve needed to go for so long and just didn’t know how to get there." Another said that she no longer felt that her anger and fear were too big to deal with. This study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Professors David Nutt and Ben Sessa are now beginning clinical trials recreating Dr. Mithoefer’s work in Great Britain.
"Post-traumatic stress syndrome is an extraordinarily disabling condition and we don’t have any really effective treatments," said Dr. Nutt. "In order to deal with trauma, you have to be able to re-engage with the memory and then deal with it. For many people, as soon as the memory comes into consciousness, so does the fear and disgust."
Another study, this time by Dr. Griffiths at Johns Hopkins University, was published in the same journal. He and his colleagues asked 51 carefully screened people to complete a series of personality tests, and then to participate in three to five sessions that were three weeks apart. Each session lasted eight hours.
The participants took psilocybin, the ingredient in "magic mushrooms" native to the tropics of South America, Mexico, and the United States. Harvard psychologist Timothy Leary first popularized its use and LSD in the 1960s when he advised people to "Turn on, tune in, and drop out (of society)."
The 30 participants who told Dr. Griffiths that they had experienced a mystical experience under the influence of the drug showed improvements in traits such as openness, aesthetics, feelings, ideas and values. The changes lasted even 14 months later when they were retested. The 22 who had no mystical experiences showed no such changes.
"Now this finding is really quite fascinating," Dr. Griffiths said. "And that is because personality is considered a stable characteristic of the psychology of people. It’s been thought to be relatively immutable, and stable across the lifespan. But, remarkably, this study shows that psilocybin actually changes one domain of personality that is strongly related to traits such as imagination, feeling, abstract ideas and aesthetics, and is considered a core construct underlying creativity in general, and the changes we see appear to be long-term."
The experiments with mind-altering drugs are controversial, and critics are pointing out that they could be part of a trend toward the legalization of popular drugs. There have been an increasing number of experiments showing that marijuana has medical uses, and that is being used as an argument for its legalization. It is already legal to use marijuana for medical purposes in 16 states and Washington, DC, even though federal laws still classify it as an illegal Schedule 1 controlled substance.
The other side of the coin is that certain legal drugs, such as caffeine and cigarettes, and certain junk foods are increasingly being attacked in scientific studies as harmful. Just as one kind of experiment is leading to legalization of a formerly banned substance, other kinds are leading to curbs on the sale of legal substances.
The hope is that drugs such as "magic mushrooms" and Ecstasy could someday be used in clinical settings to help people deal with treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress syndrome, as well as helping terminally ill patients come to peace with death.
One big take-away message from these scientists is "Don’t try this at home."
The research teams emphasize that in their experiments with "magic mushrooms," participants were screened for mental health issues, and many had post-graduate degrees. Participants were supervised during every session, and every aspect of the setting, such as the music played and the degree of light in the room, was carefully controlled.
"We’ve conducted our research under conditions where we’ve screened out people who are potentially vulnerable to adverse effects. And we’ve given the drug in a hospital setting with two people at their side throughout, so there’s virtually no opportunity for the patient to do something dangerous," said Roland R. Griffiths, a professor in the departments of psychiatry and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and author of one of the studies.
"But we know that, shockingly, all the time people who use mushrooms recreationally sometimes end up getting into accidents or engage in homicidal behavior or suicide. So we certainly don’t want to imply that there’s not risk associated with these compounds," he said. "And we wouldn’t want to be a reason for an uptick for non-medical, uncontrolled use of this sort of thing."
In experiments performed in South Carolina, Dr. Michael Mithoefer recruited 20 women who had been in therapy for an average of 19 years because of post-traumatic stress syndrome. He gave twelve of them a drug commonly known as Ecstasy, with a chemical name of MDMA or 3.4-methylonedioxyamphetamine. Eight women got a placebo. Ten of the twelve women who got the drug showed significant improvement within two months after the second time they took it. They had no serious side effects and no long-term negative side effects.
The main problem that these women had in conventional trauma treatment is that every time they remembered their original trauma, they would experience negative emotions such as fear and panic. They told Dr. Mithoefer that Ecstasy did not provide a euphoric experience, but it enabled them to remember the trauma without feeling overwhelmed. One patient said, "I feel like I am walking to a place I’ve needed to go for so long and just didn’t know how to get there." Another said that she no longer felt that her anger and fear were too big to deal with. This study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Professors David Nutt and Ben Sessa are now beginning clinical trials recreating Dr. Mithoefer’s work in Great Britain.
"Post-traumatic stress syndrome is an extraordinarily disabling condition and we don’t have any really effective treatments," said Dr. Nutt. "In order to deal with trauma, you have to be able to re-engage with the memory and then deal with it. For many people, as soon as the memory comes into consciousness, so does the fear and disgust."
Another study, this time by Dr. Griffiths at Johns Hopkins University, was published in the same journal. He and his colleagues asked 51 carefully screened people to complete a series of personality tests, and then to participate in three to five sessions that were three weeks apart. Each session lasted eight hours.
The participants took psilocybin, the ingredient in "magic mushrooms" native to the tropics of South America, Mexico, and the United States. Harvard psychologist Timothy Leary first popularized its use and LSD in the 1960s when he advised people to "Turn on, tune in, and drop out (of society)."
The 30 participants who told Dr. Griffiths that they had experienced a mystical experience under the influence of the drug showed improvements in traits such as openness, aesthetics, feelings, ideas and values. The changes lasted even 14 months later when they were retested. The 22 who had no mystical experiences showed no such changes.
"Now this finding is really quite fascinating," Dr. Griffiths said. "And that is because personality is considered a stable characteristic of the psychology of people. It’s been thought to be relatively immutable, and stable across the lifespan. But, remarkably, this study shows that psilocybin actually changes one domain of personality that is strongly related to traits such as imagination, feeling, abstract ideas and aesthetics, and is considered a core construct underlying creativity in general, and the changes we see appear to be long-term."
The experiments with mind-altering drugs are controversial, and critics are pointing out that they could be part of a trend toward the legalization of popular drugs. There have been an increasing number of experiments showing that marijuana has medical uses, and that is being used as an argument for its legalization. It is already legal to use marijuana for medical purposes in 16 states and Washington, DC, even though federal laws still classify it as an illegal Schedule 1 controlled substance.
The other side of the coin is that certain legal drugs, such as caffeine and cigarettes, and certain junk foods are increasingly being attacked in scientific studies as harmful. Just as one kind of experiment is leading to legalization of a formerly banned substance, other kinds are leading to curbs on the sale of legal substances.
Stress Linked to Long-Term Absences from Work
Businesses in the U.K. are feeling the pinch of stress in the workplace. Though it is often preventable, stress has come to represent the single most significant health concern among employees in that country today.
The Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development, also known as CIPD, has just concluded research which puts stress atop the list of health reasons which lead to extended or long-term absences from work. This is the first time in the organization’s 12-year history that stress has held top rank in the category.
When this research is combined with a series of 500 interviews conducted by Group Risk Development, a solid picture of a stressed-out workforce begins to take shape. Group Risk Development, or GRiD, commissioned the survey of 500 employers to learn that 15 percent (or one in six employers) are finding that stress is the number-one reason that employees cite for their long-term absence from the office. A long-term absence is one that lasts longer than four weeks.
There was a significant difference in the number of public sector workers over private sector employees who claim stress as the reason for missing extended times of work. In fact, among the public workforce, 27 percent said stress caused their long absence while only 13 percent of private sector employees said stress kept them from their desks. It could be that public employees feel most threatened by the current economic climate.
The figures show that stress outpaces medical conditions like cancer and heart attack as reasons for long work absences. The number-one reason given for long-term work absence remains home and family concerns (20 percent of the time), but one can readily see how similar the numbers are for stress-related days missed. Consequently, business owners say that stress/mental health issues are the single greatest health concern they face.
What steps can employers take to mitigate the problem? On November 2, the U.K. celebrated Stress Awareness Day, a day given to focusing on job-related stresses. Businesses that took the day seriously took a first step toward diminishing the negative effects of workplace stress.
Other steps businesses can follow include strong emphasis on personnel management skills to identify potential stress situations and implementing Group Income Protection programs, which are essentially disability income guarantee policies. Such programs not only provide continuing income in the event of long-term absences, but they often include measures for providing vocational rehabilitation for those who are unable to continue in their present employment position due to health-related issues.
When you stop to consider current global economic conditions, perhaps it is not so surprising that stress is affecting work attendance more than ever. Evidently, having employment is not enough to stave off the worry monster. Employers who are attentive to employees and interact with them at the closest managerial levels are best able to avoid stress-related extended absences among their staff. After attention and interaction, preparation through Group Income Protection programs is the best means for setting hearts and minds at ease and ensuring uninterrupted productivity.
The Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development, also known as CIPD, has just concluded research which puts stress atop the list of health reasons which lead to extended or long-term absences from work. This is the first time in the organization’s 12-year history that stress has held top rank in the category.
When this research is combined with a series of 500 interviews conducted by Group Risk Development, a solid picture of a stressed-out workforce begins to take shape. Group Risk Development, or GRiD, commissioned the survey of 500 employers to learn that 15 percent (or one in six employers) are finding that stress is the number-one reason that employees cite for their long-term absence from the office. A long-term absence is one that lasts longer than four weeks.
There was a significant difference in the number of public sector workers over private sector employees who claim stress as the reason for missing extended times of work. In fact, among the public workforce, 27 percent said stress caused their long absence while only 13 percent of private sector employees said stress kept them from their desks. It could be that public employees feel most threatened by the current economic climate.
The figures show that stress outpaces medical conditions like cancer and heart attack as reasons for long work absences. The number-one reason given for long-term work absence remains home and family concerns (20 percent of the time), but one can readily see how similar the numbers are for stress-related days missed. Consequently, business owners say that stress/mental health issues are the single greatest health concern they face.
What steps can employers take to mitigate the problem? On November 2, the U.K. celebrated Stress Awareness Day, a day given to focusing on job-related stresses. Businesses that took the day seriously took a first step toward diminishing the negative effects of workplace stress.
Other steps businesses can follow include strong emphasis on personnel management skills to identify potential stress situations and implementing Group Income Protection programs, which are essentially disability income guarantee policies. Such programs not only provide continuing income in the event of long-term absences, but they often include measures for providing vocational rehabilitation for those who are unable to continue in their present employment position due to health-related issues.
When you stop to consider current global economic conditions, perhaps it is not so surprising that stress is affecting work attendance more than ever. Evidently, having employment is not enough to stave off the worry monster. Employers who are attentive to employees and interact with them at the closest managerial levels are best able to avoid stress-related extended absences among their staff. After attention and interaction, preparation through Group Income Protection programs is the best means for setting hearts and minds at ease and ensuring uninterrupted productivity.
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