What is ADHD?
- 6.28.2010
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Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a common behavioral disorder that effects many children and continues into adulthood. It is most easily identified by the attention problems associated with the disorder and has become the most internationally common disorder found in children.
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Treating Prescription Drug Abuse
- 4.16.2010
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Illicit or prescribed drug abuse addiction is a brain disease, that like any other disease, can be treated effectively. Years of research has proven this. there is not one single treatment that is appropriate fro all individuals addicted to prescription medications. The type of drug used and the needs of the individual must be taken into account when deciding on a proper treatment. In order for a treatment o be successful, several components, including detoxification, counselling, and in some cases, pharmacological therapies all need to be incorporated. In order for a patient to make a successful recovery, multiple courses of treatments may need to be used.
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The Role of Patients and Pharmacists in Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse
- 4.14.2010
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Pharmacists play a key role in preventing Rx drug misuse and abuse by providing clear info and advice about how to take a medication properly. They also need to provide information on the effects this medication may have and about any possible drug interactions. Pharmacists can help prescription Freud by looking for false or altered prescription forms. Many pharmacies have developed 'hotlines' to alert other pharmacies in the region when a fraud is detected.
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The Role of Health Care Providers
- 4.12.2010
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About 70% of Americans, approximately 191 million people, visit a health care provider at least once every two years. Therefore, health care providers are in an exclusive position to prescribe medications to their patients in need, as well as recognize and prevent a prescription drug addiction when it exists. They are also responsible for setting goals for recovery and seeking the appropriate treatment when need be. What can also be incorporated into a routine history in taking any past or current drug abuse issues. This screening can be done by asking questions about what prescriptions and OTC medications the patient is taking and what for. Screening can also be done if the patient a question presents symptoms associated with drug abuse.
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Living a Double and Lonely Life
- 1.18.2010
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"I am 29 years old, a mother of a 2 ½-year old son and I live with his father. Jeff and I have been together for four years.
I was raised with a very close small family. I have a mother whom I adore, a stepfather who is great, and my father is one of my best friends.
I wasn’t surrounded by drugs, poverty, or abuse. I graduated at Kent State University with a communications degree and I have worked for every penny since I was 16 years old.
When I was 26 years old I tried my first drug ever -- Ecstasy. From that point on, I experimented with different drugs but they never really grabbed me. They were just an escape here and there.
In 2002, I got pregnant. That day I found out I stopped using drugs or alcohol. Problems arose with Jeff and we split up last summer. I moved out with our son, got an apartment, worked 50 hours a week and was depressed out of my mind. During this time, I ran into an old high school friend at the gas station. He gave me his number so we could catch up.
Within one week of meeting up, he introduced me to meth. I did one line in hopes of feeling a tad bit better -- he told me it wasn't addicting and I felt on top of the world.
After a couple of weeks I felt amazing-- never tired, I could go to work, take care of my baby -- take care of EVERYTHING. Within two months, however, nothing seemed to matter but making sure I was high.
I decided to tell my son's father that I thought I had a problem, but I was scared.
My friend Ron (not his real name), had showed me how to shoot it up, wich was a entirely different ball game. He was also a cook, so I was able to get dope whenever I wanted.
I moved out of his apartment, quit my job, and my son and I moved back in with Jeff 120 miles away. We thought, as a family, we could beat this. We told no one what had happened.
Looking back, I had never intended to quit. I would drive and meet Ron to get dope after we moved. Finally, he just picked up and moved into hotels near me. We thought we were in love.
He taught me how to cook. He told me since I was a beautiful woman with no previous police record I would never get in trouble. I spent four months hiding and protecting my addiction. I would fake sleeping next to Jeff every night so he would think I was not using and I would pitch food away so he thought I was eating. We had our son put in daycare, because my family thought I was going to therapy and doctors for my problem. I made them believe my eating disorder was back. That's why I was loosing so much weight. I was living a double and lonely life.
The days weren't long enough. I could no longer live like this. I was shooting 2 grams a day, cooking in hotels, and when Jeff would go out of town for work I would cook at my house.
Finally, in November, Jeff found out everything. He put me in the car and drove me to my parents. They had planned an intervention. My whole family sat waiting for me in my parent’s living room. That night, I had Ron Pick me up at the end of the driveway and I ran.
I left my son to get high, and cook dope.
Meth made me believe I needed nothing else but it. Now, I have lost my car, my son and I told my whole family to f*ck off.
Ron told me he would take care of me. We would get ahead and I would get my son back. For eight weeks I injected about 3-4 grams of meth I made a day. I was never not high. I could not face the reality of what I had done to my family. My arms. legs and neck were bruised from stabbing my self. If I wasn’t cooking I was shopping for ingredients. I was the devil.
Ron would leave me all the time for days with no food, car or phone. It would be just me and the meth lab. I remained scared out of my mind daily. Still, never high enough.
Once, we thought I overdosed because I began bleeding out of my vagina everywhere -- it would not stop. Ron threw me in a car and dropped me off to a hospital. He left me there. He was so paranoid; he thought they would arrest him.
It turns out, the miscarriage I had two months prior was not fully finished which is why I was bleeding.
I got a cab, and went to the hotel, finished a cook and got high. I did not care if I died at this point. Ron came home and made me understand why he did what he did. I fell for it and we got high again.
We cooked just enough to feed our intense addiction and made enough money to throw another batch on. That's how we continued to live. We didn't go out. We ate every few days to keep our buzz on. At this point I was maybe 90 pounds and I couldn’t fit into adult clothes at Wal-Mart.
I missed my baby, but I was no longer worth being a mother, a daughter, a girlfriend, a friend. I was nothing and I wanted to get high until I died.
Ron has left me again -- he wouldn’t answer his phone for five days.
My arm was swollen because I have missed again and my bottom has hit. I took about four grams of dope and every water soluble pill in the house and put it in a needle. I said goodbye to my baby boy, and shot it in my arm. I wanted to die.
I woke up 18 hours later still alone. I surrendered myself to my family. They had a rehab all lined up waiting for me in Florida and I got on the plane two days later."
If you just read this story and can relate to Brandi's life than you know it's time to Get Help. Meth can destroy your life and if you don't stop, it can eventually kill you. We are here to help you! You don't have to hide your double and lonely life anymore.
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Should I Self-Medicate?
- 12.21.2009
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People with depression often try to self-medicate using drugs or alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant, which is the biggest problem when depressed people try to self-medicate because alcohol will only intensify their depression. On the other hand, people with depression will often turn to drugs trying to elevate their depressed mood by taking a substance. When alcohol and substance abuse gets out of control, mental disorders can develop.
There are multiple sources that can trigger depression and drinking. Having Brain Developmental issues, Genetic factors, and Environmental factors like stress and trauma can be strong precursors of developing substance abuse and depression. To have the best results of treatment you must treat both the addiction and the depression. Self-medicating will only hurt you. If you notice that you have been turning to alcohol or drugs to treat your depressed mood it is time to get help. Contact us now and we can help you find the right kind of treatment.
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Do I have Bipolar Disorder?
- 12.16.2009
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Bipolar Disorder is a very complex illness. There are many symptoms that can be present during a bipolar manic and depressed episode. During a manic episode you may feel “excessive happiness, excitement, irritability, restlessness, increased energy, less need for sleep, racing thoughts, high sex drive, and a tendency to make grand and unattainable plans. During a depressed episode you may feel sadness, anxiety, irritability, loss of energy, uncontrollable crying, change in appetite causing weight loss or gain, increased need for sleep, difficulty making decisions, and thoughts of death or suicide.” (http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/guide/bipolar-disorder-symptoms-types)
Know one entirely knows what causes Bipolar Disorder, but evidence suggests the cause may be from a chemical imbalance in the brain. Something you need to know if you have bipolar disorder is it’s completely out of your control, but it’s something that can be treated.
“While medication is the foundation of bipolar disorder treatment, therapy and self-help strategies also play important roles. You can help control your symptoms by exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, eating right, monitoring your moods, keeping stress to a minimum, and surrounding yourself with supportive people.” (http://helpguide.org/mental/bipolar_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm)
“It’s best to work with an experienced psychiatrist. Bipolar disorder is a complex condition. Diagnosis can be tricky and treatment is often difficult. For safety reasons, medication should be closely monitored. A psychiatrist who is skilled in bipolar disorder treatment can help you navigate these twists and turns.” (http://helpguide.org/mental/bipolar_disorder_symptoms_treatment.htm)
Do you think you or someone close to you might have Bipolar Disorder? Check out the next blog where it will feature 2 self-test questionnaires for Bipolar Disorder that you can take in the privacy of your own home. Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment below!
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The Trigger Point
- 6.17.2009
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Set-ups lead addicts to a point in the craving process that can render them defenseless to the pressures of cocaine; a trigger point. Terence Gorski says there are four primary types of triggers that activate immediate craving. These triggers include thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and situations that activate craving.
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Keeping a Clean Scene. Avoiding Social Pressures of Cocaine.
- 6.15.2009
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Recovering addicts fight tremendous cravings on a regular basis. These cravings are often very difficult to overcome, especially in volatile social settings. Three social set-ups that may spark the craving process are:
1. lack of communication: Cocaine addicts stop talking about their experiences in recovery and, as a result, they get into trouble. They replace rigorous honesty with superficial communication. This isolates them and prevents them from doing a sanity check on their recovery experiences.
2. Social Conflict: Out of isolation and a refusal to communicate comes a tendency to get into arguments and disagreements with other people. This social conflict prompts the recovering cocaine addict to avoid sober social situations and isolate themselves from others, spending more time alone.
3. Socializing With Other Drug-Using Friends: Out of loneliness and desire to be with people who understand them, many recovering cocaine addicts decide to associate with people who they used to drink and drug with. This puts them in the proximity of the drug and sets them up to have a craving.
A recovering cocaine addict must avoid these social set-ups that lead to cravings. Surrounding oneself with friends and family that want to see recovery success, allows a cocaine addict to receive necessary support. Finding a social scene far from the scene of their 'using' days will protect the recovering addict from peer pressure and social temptations.
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Mind Game. Understanding the Psychological Set-Ups of a Cocaine Craving.
- 6.12.2009
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This week we have followed Gorksi through the biopsychosocial process of a craving. Understanding the set-ups and triggers may help a recovering addict fight off cravings and stay clean. Wednesday, we learned about the way an addict's body sets them up for a craving. Today we are getting into the head of an addict, learning about the tricks the mind uses to get its drug.
Gorski highlighted fives ways that the mind sets a recovering addict up for a craving. They are:
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Memorial Day: Remembering those whose lives are changed forever.
- 5.22.2009
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Although no sculptured marble should rise to their memory, nor engraved stone bear record of their deeds, yet will their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored. ~Daniel Webster
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