Addiction News March 2nd week

1.At Last, Some Help for Meth Addiction

A decade ago I traveled on assignment to a Rocky Mountain rehab facility where the rich and famous go to dry out and confront their drug habits.(scientificamerican.com)

2.Topical steroid addiction: Patients call for more support

A woman who lost three stone (19kg) and had hallucinations while using topical steroids has called for more support for people reacting to skin treatments.(bbc.com)

3.For people with gambling addiction, March Madness not all fun and games

This year’s March Madness is highly anticipated after 2020’s NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.(radio.com) 

4.Addiction activists, some AGs wary of Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan

Some state attorneys general and opioid addiction activists pushed back Tuesday against a settlement offer from OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, saying it didn’t include enough money and goes too far in protecting the company and family members who own it from future liability.(ktla.com) 

5.How Dawn Farm in Michigan helps people battle addiction

‘The selfish nature of the disease of addiction, it convinces you that it’s your problem and you can fix it’

.(clickondetroit.com)

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Addiction News February 1st week

1.Mother shares story of recovery, fighting addiction during COVID-19

At a time when we’re being told to isolate because of COVID-19, addiction experts say that can be a dangerous message to recovering addicts.(10tv.com)

2.Oregon law to decriminalize all drugs goes into effect, offering addicts rehab instead of prison

A longtime drug and alcohol addict, Gullickson pushes back on the idea that one terrible day on the street leads to an epiphany and a climb back to normalcy. That’s what happens in movies, not real life.(usatoday.com)

3.Secret Addiction Treatment Shoppers Log Hard Sell Tactics At Some Residential Programs

Luxury rooms, help with travel, pressure to enroll and requests for family contact info.(wbur.org) 

4.10 Years Sober, Katie Collier Talks Addiction In The Restaurant Industry

The rates of alcohol and drug abuse are higher within the food service industry than in most others.(news.stlpublicradio.org) 

5.‘You are stronger than you think’: Nevadans fight drug addiction, relapse during pandemic

Sharlee Smith, 31, began drinking alcohol when she was 18. Before long, she moved on to heavier substances. It wasn’t until her sister died of an overdose that she took her sobriety seriously.(rgj.com)

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Benzodiazepine Addiction

Benzodiazepine addiction has grown as the use of these drugs has largely replaced the more dangerous barbiturates. Benzodiazepines are tranquilizers, designed, and developed to treat a variety of conditions and with a range of both toxicity and sedative potential. They are sold under various names, by prescription, to treat anxiety, insomnia, and a host of other similar medical conditions. Taken in therapeutic doses, and even when adhering to the prescribed dose, these drugs can cause addiction. Used as an illegal recreational drug almost guarantees addiction after a short while.

What Is A Benzo

Benzodiazepines are widely prescribed in place of barbiturates because it is almost impossible to lethally overdose with them, while a lethal overdose of barbiturates is very easy and dangerous. However, benzodiazepines are nevertheless addictive and although lethal overdose is not a risk, benzodiazepine addiction most certainly is.

Various benzodiazepines (for example, valium or Xanax) can be administered to treat insomnia, anxiety, tension, and similar conditions. These drugs act on the central nervous system as a sedative and help the patient to calm down and relax. The tranquilizing effect of benzodiazepines can be quite helpful for recovering alcoholics. The drugs decrease the intensity of alcohol detox symptoms, making the process of recovery more tolerable for the patients.

Other benzodiazepines can be prescribed for epilepsy, as they act as anticonvulsants, helping muscles to relax. They also affect kidneys, not allowing them to excrete certain medications too fast, thus helping the medications to stay longer in the body and extending their effect. Benzodiazepines are also used in dentistry and surgery, because they help to prepare patients for various operations, relieving their anxiety and blocking unpleasant sensations from memory.

Of course, benzodiazepines are not just used for medical purposes – they are bought and sold illegally, mostly by teenagers as they are cheap. The youngster’s mix benzodiazepines with alcohol. In such cases, benzodiazepine addiction develops many times faster, and withdrawal symptoms can be far more severe.

Benzodiazepine Dependence

Any drug dependence starts with tolerance, and benzodiazepine addiction is no different. The sedative effects of benzodiazepines are the first to go — usual doses cease to produce the desired effect within a month of daily use. The patient then has to increase the dose to keep the initial effects, and psychological benzodiazepine addiction starts to develop. If an individual does not stop taking benzodiazepines psychological addiction will be followed by the physical one. After a month or so of regular benzodiazepine intake, the addiction is full-blown.

Benzo Addiction Symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms become much more severe. They include panic attacks, confusion, insomnia, sweating, tremors and spasms, headaches, involuntary cough, and light oversensitivity. These symptoms may be more or less pronounced, depending on the addict and his unique benzodiazepine experience. The heaviest withdrawal symptoms appear within a week after stopping benzodiazepine intake, but they can continue (even though in a less intense form) for several months and occasionally return.

An overdose of benzodiazepines is unlikely to cause death, but it will speed up benzodiazepine addiction development. Those who deliberately take these drugs in overdoses to feel euphoria usually mix them with alcohol or other drugs, such as barbiturates. Such “cocktails” might lead to coma and even death.

Benzodiazepine addiction can affect people of all ages, as these tranquilizers are very common and very often prescribed. Another danger of benzodiazepines is the speed at which tolerance and addiction develop. Doctors may prescribe them for a short period of time, but if a patient happens to become dependent on benzodiazepines during that period, he may continue asking for them and can even simulate some disorders to continue getting the drug, even though the actual condition for taking benzodiazepines is long gone. No matter how many warnings they receive, people fail to realize the dangers of prescribed drugs. Patients think that if a medication is prescribed legitimately, they can take it for longer or in higher doses than needed and that it is safe.

As people age, they often become prone to depression and anxiety because of various disorders and solitude, and eventually, doctors can prescribe one or another kind of benzodiazepine to help them. Elderly people are more sensitive to benzodiazepines, and cannot metabolize the drugs as fast as younger ones, so the tranquilizers stay in their bodies for longer. Moreover, benzodiazepines are contraindicated with certain other medications and this can result in severe consequences.

Benzo Addiction Recovery

Benzodiazepines should not be stopped abruptly. The withdrawal symptoms are very difficult to get through and addicts will need proper support as well as a weaning off period and possibly detox and rehab to really get clean.

The danger of dependence on prescription drugs should not be underestimated – it is more common than addiction to street drugs, and reaches every age, culture, social strata, and profession.

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Mental Health News-December 5th week

1.Collaborative care model for mental health, addiction treatment

Patients are more comfortable talking to primary care physicians about their mental health in general and especially when we have resources available to support their mental health needs, according to Matthew Press, MD, and Cecilia Livesey, MD.(ama-assn.org)

2.Managing addiction recovery over the holidays, during a pandemic

PORTLAND, Ore. — Everywhere we look this time of year, there are reminders that we are supposed to be happy. But for people struggling with addiction, the holidays can be tough.(kgw.com)

3.KPMB Unveils Designs for Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)

KPMB has unveiled its designs for a major research building to accompany the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto – Canada’s largest teaching hospital and a world-leading research center.(dexigner.com) 

4.40% of Canadians struggling with mental health, addiction amid coronavirus pandemic: Ipsos

Amid a year of job loss, social isolation and travel restrictions, the coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll on Canadians, as many struggled with mental health and addiction issues, according to recent Ipsos polling.(globalnews.ca) 

5.Congressman shares story of nephew’s addiction

WASHINGTON — Four years ago, on New Year’s Eve, U.S. Rep. David Trone (D-Md.) and his family suffered a loss that many families across the district he serves and the country would, sadly, likely find relatable.(times-news.com)

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Marijuana Addiction

Marijuana addiction is a trap that is just as easy to step into as caffeine, tobacco, or alcohol addiction. We probably all know how easy it is to just try smoking a marijuana cigarette at a party; it is almost as easy as drinking your first beer or smoking your first ‘normal’ cigarette. Often it is even considered to be ‘cool’ to smoke ‘weed’ and get high. But before we know it, this innocent occasional smoking of marijuana, or cannabis, will slowly but surely lead to a desire to use more, more often, and in stronger concentrations. And then after a while, we can no longer speak of the occasional fun moments of being high, it can become a serious addiction that influences our body and mind intensely daily and can start ruling our life.

Marijuana Abuse

For thousands of years many cultures around the world have used the hemp plant for many purposes, and they still do today. As early as 8000 BC, fabrics were made from the plant, it was used to manufacture rope and the seeds were even used as food. Somewhere along with the road people discovered it could be smoked and from this moment on, smoking dried hemp, (also known as cannabis or marijuana), became popular. It provided relaxation, which eventually evolved into using stronger concentrations of the dried plant to achieve a higher state of mind.

Understanding Marijuana

The active ingredient in marijuana is called THC. This is the substance that causes a ‘high’. Marijuana that is used for smoking usually consists of dried and shredded leaves of the hemp plant; the stems, seeds, and flowers are also used. Dried marijuana is usually green, gray, or brown and often has the structure of tobacco.

There is a higher and lower quality of marijuana; the higher quality is a composition of the flowering top and buds of the hemp or cannabis plant, while the lower quality can contain all parts of the plant. People that use marijuana usually smoke it as a cigarette, better known as a joint, or in a bong or pipe. Other ways of usage are mixing marijuana with foods (such as cookies) or brewed in the form of tea.

There is another variety of marijuana, known as hashish; this is a very high concentration of dried THC rich material of the plant, compressed into a paste-like range of different forms. The color of hashish can vary from dark red/brown to black. Pieces of hashish are broken off and smoked in pipes. There are many different names to describe marijuana, most common are; pot, weed, grass, and herb.

Is Marijuana Addictive?

Marijuana is used by people of all ages, and marijuana addiction can continue from early on until users are parents or grandparents. Naturally, if a child is brought up knowing that their parents are habitual users of a drug they are more likely to do the same. Studies have shown that usage is common from the age of 12 and most people have tried marijuana at least once in their life. There is a group of people that use the drug maybe once or twice a month and can control it, but there are others that end up using it more and more.

Because marijuana is a drug that is fairly easy to obtain, people of all ages are vulnerable to their use. People of all social backgrounds, education, and gender are users, and especially teenagers, as marijuana is reasonably cheap and thus an affordable way to get high.

In recent years new strains of the traditional hemp plant have been bred, and these give a much more intense experience or high. Often referred to as “skunk” these new strains appear to be far more addictive than the original strains of the plant.

Another worrying aspect of modern times is that it is far more common now to find that marijuana, or skunk, has been laced with other drugs that are highly addictive and dangerous. Addicts buying their weed from the street have no idea what has been added to their drug. Many dealers deliberately add particular drugs to the base plant knowing that it will be easy to persuade their customers to move up the ladder to other, harder drugs if they have already placed the marijuana with them.

Many habitual users, marijuana addicts to give them a more accurate title, harvest seeds found in the dried leaf form they buy from dealers and then grow their plants either in their houses or in their yards. Plants have been found on common land, in backyards, in attics, and bedrooms. Marijuana is easy to grow and simple to tend. Many of those who choose to grow their plants say that at least this assures them of knowing that they are using only marijuana, with nothing added to it without their knowledge.

There is another group of marijuana users; those who suffer from illnesses and have a subscription to medical cannabis. In some cases, medicated forms of cannabis can bring relief in symptoms for those undergoing chemotherapy, are suffering from AIDS and it can be very effective when used in a properly supervised environment, as an analgesic.

Substance Abuse Marijuana

Marijuana addiction or abuse can cause some mental health and physical problems. Let us just think of the health problems smoking alone can cause; chronic bronchitis, a higher vulnerability to chest colds and coughs, long-term emphysema, or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Even at a lower dose, marijuana causes loss of attention, concentration, and coordination. Under the influence of marijuana, a person is less aware of the world around him or her and becomes a potential danger to others as well as him or herself. High doses of marijuana can produce hallucinations, paranoia, personal identity loss, memory gaps, blurred or distorted vision, and loss of mental and physical control. Marijuana contains toxins and carcinogens, therefore when abuse continues over a long period; there is an increased risk of developing cancer, particularly in the respiratory system, head, and neck.

Marijuana Addicts

There are some signs which indicate marijuana addiction or abuse, all depending on how skilled the addict has become in hiding his secrets of course. Usually, the obvious smell of the typical, heavy, sweet marijuana smoke clings to clothing and hair, and there can be a bit of a sleepy, confused appearance. Pupils are often dilated and eyes can appear bloodshot. Someone under the influence of marijuana generally seems to move in slow motion and gives the impression of just not being there mentally – an absent mind. A general loss of interest in having a fresh or clean appearance might occur. For people who struggle with marijuana addiction, it can be difficult to stay active; they suffer from apathy, which often results in antisocial behavior, staying indoors, and losing touch with the outside world.

Marijuana Help

How can you help a person that might not agree with you about needing help? It often takes quite some time before someone is ready to face his or her problems. Confrontation and acceptance are the toughest moments in the early stages of recovering from marijuana addiction – both for the addict and those supporting and helping him or her.

Nowadays we are fortunate enough to live in a society where most people are admired when they seek help for their problems. That does not mean that it is an easy thing to do; admitting you have a serious problem such as an addiction to any kind of drug takes a lot of courage, getting help to overcome it takes a great deal of perseverance from the addict and those supporting them. But once that first step has been taken, when the marijuana addict can say; ‘yes I have a problem and I need to fix it’, a large part of the battle has been fought. Besides the help of the professionals and programs at rehab centers, it is of great importance to have feedback and support from friends and family.

Rehab For Weed Smokers

Many rehab programs will include family members and friends as part of discussion groups and meetings, so not only the person that is undergoing rehab but also the people who have to be strong being around them, have a chance to be heard and to feel supported. This long winding road of ups and downs ahead might be a rough one, but with combined forces a better life is possible and it is never too late to start caring for others or yourself.

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Mental Health News-December

1.Pandemic relief bill delivers $4.25 billion for mental health services

The funding is the largest amount behavioral health groups have gotten in a spending bill. Advocates say more is needed to address historic levels of depression, substance abuse.(washingtonpost.com)

2.Alcohol Drug Addiction Mental Health Services receives grants

The Alcohol Drug Addiction Mental Health Services Board of Tuscarawas and Carroll Counties recently received a grant award totaling $406,323.28.(timesreporter.com)

3.Mental Health Check: 10 tips to combat substance abuse during the holidays

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – A challenge that often appears this time of the year is increased substance abuse during the holiday season.(clarksvillenow.com) 

4.2021 New Laws | Ban on flavored tobacco products, expansion to mental health treatment

California is banning flavored tobacco products and expanding what is considered necessary treatment for health insurance coverage.(abc10.com) 

5.Unmasking mental illness and addiction in a post-pandemic world

As the COVID-19 positivity rates are again surging, so too are the under-acknowledged rates of mental illness, thoughts of suicide, and drug and alcohol misuse across the United States.(nbcnews.com)

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LSD Drug

LSD Drug addiction is difficult to identify quickly, the drug is very easy to conceal, and very little is needed for a user to get the high or trip that they seek. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide is the formal chemical name of LSD, generally a colorless tasteless substance, it can be placed by syringe or eyedropper on a piece of what is called “blotter” paper, and it is found in capsule or tablet form as well. The most popular or commonly available preparation of the drug is the blotter paper version because it is less likely to be detected if the dealer or user is searched.

Generally speaking there is extremely little risk of physical addiction to LSD. Usually, an individual will take a tab (a drop on blotter paper) or two, and then not require the use of the drug for quite sometime thereafter. There is no withdrawal after taking an initial dose and then allowing time to pass, even an extremely significant length of time between uses. There is, however, a very strong psychological pull on the user from the drug, and therefore LSD Drug addiction becomes more and more likely as more of the drug is consumed, and the user wants to re-experience the alternate psycho-physical world to which the LSD allows them access.

The Origins of LSD

Albert Hofmann was the creator of LSD in 1938. Due to lack of research funding, the discovery was shelved for 5 years until 1943. The famous incident when Hofmann inadvertently took a dose of LCD just by handling it, and a minute amount was absorbed through the skin on his fingertips has passed into popular folklore, but it is not a myth, it did happen, and Hofmann became intimately aware of the drug’s powerful effects.

Beginning in1960, Dr. Timothy Leary of Harvard University began testing the drug on his graduate students. The drug gained popularity very quickly, and with the political or rather anti-political sentiment of the day, continued to gain popularity in young people steadily.

Psychological LSD Addiction

The psychological world that the ingestion of LSD creates is an alternate “reality” that the user will never experience, from any other drug, at any other time in their life. Once the user enters that world, unless they have what is referred to as a “bad trip” meaning that the drug simply does not agree with their system, or amplifies a “bad place” emotionally or mentally that they happen to be in at the time the drug is consumed, they have a deep desire to return to that “alternate” world as soon as possible.

Generally speaking LSD or Acid addiction begins out of curiosity on the part of the user. LSD is introduced to them as a clean, non-addictive alternative to other drugs. Peer pressure can play a part as well, and so they ask themselves, “what will one time hurt?” They may be right, that one time, may hurt nothing at all, the experience may be enjoyable, the hallucinations pleasant. But on the other hand, that first foray into LSD experimentation could just as easily turn bad and be the user’s last experience, ever.

LSD Drug addiction occurs when the user finds the escape of the drug to be so enjoyable that it becomes an escape from their entire reality. If they are bored – they take the drug, or if they feel a need for “inspiration’ out it comes again, if the real world is not to their liking an LSD addict just has to pop another dose and replace their world with something else. LSD addiction begins when the abuser begins to favor an alternate reality of the “trip” to the relatively mundane situations and experiences available in the real world.

LSD Addiction and Tolerance

Tolerance builds quite rapidly with LSD Drug addiction. Unlike drugs such as marijuana, where tolerance builds, only much more slowly, with LSD a dose is taken the next day will have a greatly lessened effect on the abuser. This nearly immediate tolerance causes the addict to need more and more, and due to the relatively unpredictable outcome of a trip, can open the addict up to a world of psychological danger.

The Dangers of LSD Addiction

Essentially there are two types of experiences, which are known as “trips” when it comes to the use of LSD. The first of these experiences are good, usually when the addict is in a good headspace, not weighed down with the weight of the world on their shoulders, takes the LSD with friends, and uses the drug in a safe and secure location for them. Without external stresses and problems, the whole experience can be exactly what the user begins to crave.

The dark side though, a so-called bad trip, can be immensely destructive. The effects of external factors can have a disastrous result, although even in a secure and safe environment an LSD addict can never predict if their trip will be good or not. A bad trip can prompt feelings of intense paranoia and discomfort, a living nightmare that is so distressing that the addict never returns to reality. Basically for the addict who has such a severely bad trip, that particular trip never ends. Usually, the effects of LSD last for between 10 to 12 hours, but a bad trip can last forever.

Flashbacks are a major long-term concern for users and addicts. Completely unpredictable as to when a flashback might occur, how long it will last – an LSD addict is at the mercy of the drug and its toxic side-effects. Flashbacks can be good or bad, depending again on the circumstances and mental state of the individual at the time, and of course, when they happen so unexpectedly they can be devastating. Imagine operating a piece of heavy machinery or driving and suddenly the real world is gone, the user is in another reality entirely…

Some users never get a flashback; others can have them occasionally, or frequently. Ceasing to use LSD Drug is no guarantee that flashbacks will not happen either. They can occur and reoccur for years after the addict stops and the LSD addiction subsides, or they can last on and off, forever.

Although LSD is not strictly considered to be an addictive drug, according to NIDA (the National Institute of Drug Awareness) it can be extremely psychologically addictive. And while most individuals afflicted with psychological LSD addiction eventually taper off or completely discontinue use on their own, often, the damage that is done to their brain chemistries is irreversible, and they do require some sort of long term assisted living program.

LSD Treatment and Recovery

People often ask how they can identify LSD addiction. This is not easy to answer, although there are pronounced signs when a person is tripping such as profuse sweating, lowered or raised body temperature, an elevated heart rate, dilated pupils, and impaired or altered judgment and perception. The conversation may be impossible, and often responses are complete nonsense. But this is only the physical presence of a user on a trip, and similar symptoms will present in flashbacks. LSD addiction could be identified by increased and regular use of LSD, a withdrawal from reality when the addict is sober, and a general state of confusion with memory gaps impaired speech.

LSD Drug addiction treatment is generally a combination of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and medication, when necessary. Also, some programs can assist the addict in staying sober long term, mainly through giving them time to readjust to reality as it truly is, and helping them re-learn to live life on life’s terms. Residential and outpatient programs are available, and guidance for the most appropriate treatment path from professionals is the best approach to beginning the process.

It may be useful to consider why an individual has experimented with such a dangerous drug, CBT, and psychiatric or psychological assessments and evaluations may be part of a good treatment program. Often previously hidden anxieties and problems can be dealt with during a rehab program, and this can make the difference to success or failure long-term.

Above so many other things though, the addict must realize that recovery is a process and that if they decide to be active participants, that they want to reclaim the life they left behind, the results can and often are outstanding.

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News Articles About Addiction-November 4th week

1.13 Investigates ‘safer ways’ for homeless to get mental health, addiction help

When Jason Cavitt started feeling hopeless again, his family said the 40-year-old thought the best way to get help for his addiction and mental health struggles was to get arrested again. (abc13.com)

2.First Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act public hearings held

The Maryland Insurance Commission held its first virtual public hearing Monday on how to comply with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.(stateofreform.com)

3.InFocus: Addiction recovery and childrens’ mental health services on the rise during COVID-19

The challenges of dealing with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic is creating a mental health crisis across the country. The increase in stress and anxiety is reflected in the growing demand for mental health services .(wwlp.com) 

4.Freeport hospital invests in battling drug addiction and mental illness

A local hospital makes an important addition. It’s designed to help people battling drug addiction or going through a mental health crisis. (mystateline.com)

5.Faulty Maryland payment system threatens mental health and addiction professionals, providers say

Dozens of mental health and addiction treatment providers in Maryland say a faulty state payment system is jeopardizing their work at a time when the coronavirus pandemic is increasing demand for their services.(baltimoresun.com)

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News Articles About Addiction-November 3rd week

1.DHHS: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Help Available

The Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services would like to remind residents of the resources available for residents who are feeling increased mental health crises and substance use due to the isolation of COVID-19 lockdowns. (northcoastjournal.com)

2.Delaware’s First Mental Health Parity Examinations Complete

Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro has announced the completion of the first in a series of Mental Health Parity examinations on health insurers in Delaware.(news.delaware.gov)

3.Unequal treatment for mental health care brings $597K in fines for 2 Delaware insurance companies

Two Delaware insurance companies are facing nearly $600,000 in fines after the Delaware Department of Insurance found them offering disparate care when it came to behavioral and mental health coverage .(delawareonline.com) 

4.Gillibrand calls for increase in mental health, addictions treatment funding

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is urging Senate leadership to include increased funding for drug treatment and mental health care services in the next coronavirus relief package. (oleantimesherald.com)

5.Gillibrand pushes for more funding for overdose, mental health services for the state

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is pushing for additional funding for substance abuse and mental health services in New York.(mytwintiers.com)

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