Here is a basic checklist frequently used by counselors to see if alcohol and other drug abuse may be an
issue in someone's life.
1. Frequent intoxication
• Does the person report or appear to be frequently high or intoxicated?
• Do recreational activities center around drinking or other drug use, including getting, using,
and recovering from use?
2. Atypical social settings
• Does the immediate peer group of the individual suggest that substance abuse may be encouraged?
• Is the person socially isolated from others and is substance abuse occurring alone?
• Is the person reluctant to attend social events where chemicals won't be available?
3. Intentional heavy use
• Does the person use "social drugs" with prescribed medications?
• Does the person use more than is safe in light of other medications they may be using,
or because of compromised tolerance due to illness or disability?
• Does the person have an elevated tolerance as evidenced by the use of large quantities
of alcohol or other drugs without appearing intoxicated?
4. Symptomatic drinking
• Are there predictable patterns of use which are well known to others?
• Is there a reliance on chemicals to cope with stress?
• Has the person made lifestyle changes yet the drug use has stayed the same or increased?
(eg. changed friends or moved to another area)
5. Psychological dependence
• Does the person rely on drugs as a means of coping with negative emotions?
• Does the person believe that pain can't be coped with without medication?
• Does the person obviously feel guilty about some aspect of their use of alcohol or other drugs?
6. Health problems
• Are there medical conditions which decrease tolerance or increase the risk of substance abuse
problems?
• Are there medical situations which are aggravated by repeated alcohol or other drug use?
• Did the person ever suffer an accident or disability while under the influence, even if it is
denied by the person?
7. Job problems
• Is the person underemployed or unemployed?
• Has the person missed work or gone to work late due to use of alcohol or other drugs?
• Does the person blame the drinking on work related problems?
8. Problems with significant others
• Has a family member or friend expressed concern about the person's use?
• Have important relationships been lost or impaired due to chemical use?
9. Problems with law or authority
• Has the person been in trouble with authorities or arrested for any alcohol or drug related offenses?
• Have there been instances when the person could have been arrested but wasn't?
• Does the person seem angry at "the system" and at authority figures in general?
10. Financial problems
• Is the person's spending money easily accounted for?
• Does the person frequently miss making payments when they are due?
11. Belligerence
• Does the person appear angry or defensive but doesn't know why?
• Is the person defensive or angry when confronted about chemical use?
12. Isolation
• Does increasing isolation suggest heavier substance abuse?
• Is the person giving up or changing social and family activities in order to use?
www.ncadd-sfv.org/symptoms/symptoms_checklist.html
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
TYPES OF DRUGS ABUSED
Alcohol
Alcohol is the second most commonly used psychoactive substance today -- second only to caffeine. Use of alcohol dates back thousands of years, when "Mead," the oldest alcoholic beverage, was made from honey.
In low doses alcohol causes an exhilarating or euphoria-like sensation. Things feel good, and people become happy -- even those who were not so happy before drinking. At these lower doses we actually start to like ourselves more. We even start liking the "clods" whom we hang around with.Not-so-nice people suddenly become nicer. Depressed people might use alcohol for its ability to make them feel happy. After all, doesn't everyone want to be happy?
One effect of alcohol on the brain -- and there are others -- is to stop the release of achemical called acetylcholine, which is necessary for the movement of nerve impulses from nerve to nerve. This effect comes in somewhat higher doses than the amount that causes alcohol's euphoria. Without the acetylcholine, the brain becomes depressed in its activities. People who are anxious or uptight might use alcohol for this anxiety-relieving function. Another action of alcohol is thought to be its effect on what are called GABA receptors. These receptors, when bound to a chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid, cause a slowing of nerve transmissions in the brain.
When alcohol enters the body, an enzyme converts it into a second chemical that is then removed from the body by the kidneys. This enzyme is called alcohol dehydrogenase and is found in the liver of both men and women. Men also have some in their stomachs. Because of this extra amount of enzyme in a man's stomach, men become better at tolerating larger amounts of alcohol than women.
If you took a man and a woman, both weighing the same, and gave each of them the same amount of alcohol, the woman would suffer more intoxication than the man. This means women who drink with men are at a great disadvantage regarding their ability to maintain their judgment and sobriety. Women usually weigh less than men, so equal amounts of alcohol will make them more intoxicated because of their lower weight and because they have less of the enzyme that will convert alcohol and remove it from the body.
This, of course, has many social and health implications regarding the potential for unintended pregnancy, transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, rape, and other violence. Again, when men and women drink together, the woman is at a substantial disadvantage regarding her sobriety and ability to make sound judgments.
Cocaine
The drug cocaine is found in the leaves of the Erythroxylon coca plant and causes very interesting sensations. In the fifteenth century the leaves that contain the drug were actually exchanged as money. Sigmund Freud used cocaine to relieve his own depression and described it as a drug that caused exhilaration and lasting euphoria. He called the effects of cocaine "magical." In 1885 the Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Company advertised cocaine as being able to "supply" the place of food, make the coward brave, the silent eloquent, and ... render the sufferer insensitive to pain.
Every animal that has ever been used in laboratory experiments with cocaine has self-administered cocaine voluntarily, often to the point of death. Researchers have made systems where animals are taught to push a lever if they want to receive a drug dose. If the animal likes the effects of the drug, it will likely push the lever again. This action is referred to as behavioral reinforcement.
Cocaine, caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, and narcotics are behavioral reinforcers. Animals won't push levers to get nicotine or alcohol if they have never been given these drugs previously. But once they have experience with these, they will then do what is required (push the lever) to again get the benefit of the drug's effect.
The brain contains two particular chemicals that work in our brain alerting system. Cocaine makes this alerting system work with more intensity. These two chemicals are calleddopamine and norepinephrine.
People who use cocaine don't do so as a method of making life worse; they do it because the cocaine makes life seem better. If you are emotionally stable and have adequate self-esteem, cocaine would probably not seem inviting to you. if you came from a home where you were told you were stupid and worthless, cocaine just might seem to be the greatest thing that ever happened to you. Cocaine users are typically between 12 and 39 years of age.
source:written by Gary L.Hopkins http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0826/is_n1_v14/ai_20182691
Alcohol is the second most commonly used psychoactive substance today -- second only to caffeine. Use of alcohol dates back thousands of years, when "Mead," the oldest alcoholic beverage, was made from honey.
In low doses alcohol causes an exhilarating or euphoria-like sensation. Things feel good, and people become happy -- even those who were not so happy before drinking. At these lower doses we actually start to like ourselves more. We even start liking the "clods" whom we hang around with.Not-so-nice people suddenly become nicer. Depressed people might use alcohol for its ability to make them feel happy. After all, doesn't everyone want to be happy?
One effect of alcohol on the brain -- and there are others -- is to stop the release of achemical called acetylcholine, which is necessary for the movement of nerve impulses from nerve to nerve. This effect comes in somewhat higher doses than the amount that causes alcohol's euphoria. Without the acetylcholine, the brain becomes depressed in its activities. People who are anxious or uptight might use alcohol for this anxiety-relieving function. Another action of alcohol is thought to be its effect on what are called GABA receptors. These receptors, when bound to a chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid, cause a slowing of nerve transmissions in the brain.
When alcohol enters the body, an enzyme converts it into a second chemical that is then removed from the body by the kidneys. This enzyme is called alcohol dehydrogenase and is found in the liver of both men and women. Men also have some in their stomachs. Because of this extra amount of enzyme in a man's stomach, men become better at tolerating larger amounts of alcohol than women.
If you took a man and a woman, both weighing the same, and gave each of them the same amount of alcohol, the woman would suffer more intoxication than the man. This means women who drink with men are at a great disadvantage regarding their ability to maintain their judgment and sobriety. Women usually weigh less than men, so equal amounts of alcohol will make them more intoxicated because of their lower weight and because they have less of the enzyme that will convert alcohol and remove it from the body.
This, of course, has many social and health implications regarding the potential for unintended pregnancy, transmission of sexually transmitted diseases, rape, and other violence. Again, when men and women drink together, the woman is at a substantial disadvantage regarding her sobriety and ability to make sound judgments.
Cocaine
The drug cocaine is found in the leaves of the Erythroxylon coca plant and causes very interesting sensations. In the fifteenth century the leaves that contain the drug were actually exchanged as money. Sigmund Freud used cocaine to relieve his own depression and described it as a drug that caused exhilaration and lasting euphoria. He called the effects of cocaine "magical." In 1885 the Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Company advertised cocaine as being able to "supply" the place of food, make the coward brave, the silent eloquent, and ... render the sufferer insensitive to pain.
Every animal that has ever been used in laboratory experiments with cocaine has self-administered cocaine voluntarily, often to the point of death. Researchers have made systems where animals are taught to push a lever if they want to receive a drug dose. If the animal likes the effects of the drug, it will likely push the lever again. This action is referred to as behavioral reinforcement.
Cocaine, caffeine, nicotine, amphetamines, and narcotics are behavioral reinforcers. Animals won't push levers to get nicotine or alcohol if they have never been given these drugs previously. But once they have experience with these, they will then do what is required (push the lever) to again get the benefit of the drug's effect.
The brain contains two particular chemicals that work in our brain alerting system. Cocaine makes this alerting system work with more intensity. These two chemicals are calleddopamine and norepinephrine.
People who use cocaine don't do so as a method of making life worse; they do it because the cocaine makes life seem better. If you are emotionally stable and have adequate self-esteem, cocaine would probably not seem inviting to you. if you came from a home where you were told you were stupid and worthless, cocaine just might seem to be the greatest thing that ever happened to you. Cocaine users are typically between 12 and 39 years of age.
source:written by Gary L.Hopkins http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0826/is_n1_v14/ai_20182691
Why on earth do people use drugs?
Why on earth do people use drugs? What is it that makes drug use so attractive?
Devastating results of drug use can be seen every day, whether it be in real life, in the newspapers, or on the evening news. Doesn't it seem as though people would see these awful reports and run as far as they could from the destructive effects of any or all of these substances?
As far back as history is recorded people have used drugs. No culture has avoided this problem. There have always been people who have searched for and found substances that alter their moods, feelings, or thoughts. Is this so unnatural? Don't people often look for ways to feel different or strange in search of a stimulating or exciting experience? Kids often twirl around and get dizzy. People pay $35 or $40 per day to go to large amusement parks, where roller coasters and other devices will hang them upside down, throw them back and forth, and take them to the edge of sickness, all in search of a thrill.
Historically, several naturally occurring substances have been used and abused as methods to become drunk or to feel different, to escape from reality. As science matured, some learned to concentrate these naturally occurring substances into drug derivatives, which are sometimes 100 or more times stronger than the original substances.
Before the development of modern transportation people didn't distribute these substances to other countries. They just used them at home. But as modern transportation improved and people started moving about the earth more easily, they sometimes took their drugs to other cultures and/or countries for personal use, to use as seeds for planting and cropping, or to sell.Drugs were on the move. Wars have been fought over drugs: the opium wars between the British, who had occupied what is known as India today, and China, which had tried to disallow the importation of opium into its society. The subject of drugs has always inspired passion often because of the large amount of money associated with their use and trade.
Today possibly every drug that has ever been discovered in the history of the world is available for use in the U.S. No drug of abuse has ever been eliminated completely. Trends in drug use change, but the drugs themselves tend to weather all storms. Drugs continue to be used to alleviate anxiety, produce relaxation, provide relief from boredom, alleviate pain, increase strength or work tolerance, or provide a temporary distortion of reality.
Let's take a look at several substances that are commonly used, see how they affect the brain, and try to understand drug use better. We will also describe some of the problems associated with using these chemicals. These substances are often described as psychoactive, which means capable of altering consciousness and effecting mood.
source:
written by Gary L.Hopkins http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0826/is_n1_v14/ai_20182691
Devastating results of drug use can be seen every day, whether it be in real life, in the newspapers, or on the evening news. Doesn't it seem as though people would see these awful reports and run as far as they could from the destructive effects of any or all of these substances?
As far back as history is recorded people have used drugs. No culture has avoided this problem. There have always been people who have searched for and found substances that alter their moods, feelings, or thoughts. Is this so unnatural? Don't people often look for ways to feel different or strange in search of a stimulating or exciting experience? Kids often twirl around and get dizzy. People pay $35 or $40 per day to go to large amusement parks, where roller coasters and other devices will hang them upside down, throw them back and forth, and take them to the edge of sickness, all in search of a thrill.
Historically, several naturally occurring substances have been used and abused as methods to become drunk or to feel different, to escape from reality. As science matured, some learned to concentrate these naturally occurring substances into drug derivatives, which are sometimes 100 or more times stronger than the original substances.
Before the development of modern transportation people didn't distribute these substances to other countries. They just used them at home. But as modern transportation improved and people started moving about the earth more easily, they sometimes took their drugs to other cultures and/or countries for personal use, to use as seeds for planting and cropping, or to sell.Drugs were on the move. Wars have been fought over drugs: the opium wars between the British, who had occupied what is known as India today, and China, which had tried to disallow the importation of opium into its society. The subject of drugs has always inspired passion often because of the large amount of money associated with their use and trade.
Today possibly every drug that has ever been discovered in the history of the world is available for use in the U.S. No drug of abuse has ever been eliminated completely. Trends in drug use change, but the drugs themselves tend to weather all storms. Drugs continue to be used to alleviate anxiety, produce relaxation, provide relief from boredom, alleviate pain, increase strength or work tolerance, or provide a temporary distortion of reality.
Let's take a look at several substances that are commonly used, see how they affect the brain, and try to understand drug use better. We will also describe some of the problems associated with using these chemicals. These substances are often described as psychoactive, which means capable of altering consciousness and effecting mood.
source:
written by Gary L.Hopkins http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0826/is_n1_v14/ai_20182691
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
What happens to your brain when you take drugs?
Drugs are chemicals that tap into the brain's communication system and disrupt the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. There are at least two ways that drugs are able to do this: (1) by imitating the brain's natural chemical messengers, and/or (2) by overstimulating the "reward circuit" of the brain.
Some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, have a similar structure to chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters, which are naturally produced by the brain. Because of this similarity, these drugs are able to "fool" the brain's receptors and activate nerve cells to send abnormal messages.
Other drugs, such as cocaine or methamphetamine, can cause the nerve cells to release abnormally large amounts of natural neurotransmitters, or prevent the normal recycling of these brain chemicals, which is needed to shut off the signal between neurons. This disruption produces a greatly amplified message that ultimately disrupts normal communication patterns.
Nearly all drugs, directly or indirectly, target the brain's reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that control movement, emotion, motivation, and feelings of pleasure. The overstimulation of this system, which normally responds to natural behaviors that are linked to survival (eating, spending time with loved ones, etc), produces euphoric effects in response to the drugs. This reaction sets in motion a pattern that "teaches" people to repeat the behavior of abusing drugs.
As a person continues to abuse drugs, the brain adapts to the overwhelming surges in dopamine by producingless dopamine or by reducing the number of dopamine receptors in the reward circuit. As a result, dopamine's impact on the reward circuit is lessened, reducing the abuser's ability to enjoy the drugs and the things that previously brought pleasure. This decrease compels those addicted to drugs to keep abusing drugs in order to attempt to bring their dopamine function back to normal. And, they may now require larger amounts of the drug than they first did to achieve the dopamine high—an effect known as tolerance.
Long-term abuse causes changes in other brain chemical systems and circuits as well. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that influences the reward circuit and the ability to learn. When the optimal concentration of glutamate is altered by drug abuse, the brain attempts to compensate, which can impair cognitive function. Drugs of abuse facilitate nonconscious (conditioned) learning, which leads the user to experience uncontrollable cravings when they see a place or person they associate with the drug experience, even when the drug itself is notavailable.
Brain imaging studies of drug-addicted individuals show changes in areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decisionmaking, learning and memory, and behavior control. Together, these changes can drive an abuser to seek out and take drugs compulsively despite adverse consequences—in other words, to become addicted to drugs.
source:http://www.medicinenet.com/drug_abuse/page2.htm
Some drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, have a similar structure to chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters, which are naturally produced by the brain. Because of this similarity, these drugs are able to "fool" the brain's receptors and activate nerve cells to send abnormal messages.
Other drugs, such as cocaine or methamphetamine, can cause the nerve cells to release abnormally large amounts of natural neurotransmitters, or prevent the normal recycling of these brain chemicals, which is needed to shut off the signal between neurons. This disruption produces a greatly amplified message that ultimately disrupts normal communication patterns.
Nearly all drugs, directly or indirectly, target the brain's reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that control movement, emotion, motivation, and feelings of pleasure. The overstimulation of this system, which normally responds to natural behaviors that are linked to survival (eating, spending time with loved ones, etc), produces euphoric effects in response to the drugs. This reaction sets in motion a pattern that "teaches" people to repeat the behavior of abusing drugs.
As a person continues to abuse drugs, the brain adapts to the overwhelming surges in dopamine by producingless dopamine or by reducing the number of dopamine receptors in the reward circuit. As a result, dopamine's impact on the reward circuit is lessened, reducing the abuser's ability to enjoy the drugs and the things that previously brought pleasure. This decrease compels those addicted to drugs to keep abusing drugs in order to attempt to bring their dopamine function back to normal. And, they may now require larger amounts of the drug than they first did to achieve the dopamine high—an effect known as tolerance.
Long-term abuse causes changes in other brain chemical systems and circuits as well. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that influences the reward circuit and the ability to learn. When the optimal concentration of glutamate is altered by drug abuse, the brain attempts to compensate, which can impair cognitive function. Drugs of abuse facilitate nonconscious (conditioned) learning, which leads the user to experience uncontrollable cravings when they see a place or person they associate with the drug experience, even when the drug itself is notavailable.
Brain imaging studies of drug-addicted individuals show changes in areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decisionmaking, learning and memory, and behavior control. Together, these changes can drive an abuser to seek out and take drugs compulsively despite adverse consequences—in other words, to become addicted to drugs.
source:http://www.medicinenet.com/drug_abuse/page2.htm
What is Drug Abuse?
Simply put, drug abuse is "The use of a drug (either licit or illicit) in sufficient quantity and frequency to interfere with a person’s ability to make sound life decisions, perform appropriate actions, and fulfill responsibilities with the result that the person is unable to be a law abiding and self-supporting..."source: www.doc.state.vt.us/about/policies/glossary_d
Many people do not understand why individuals become addicted to drugs or how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug abuse. They mistakenly view drug abuse and addiction as strictly a social problem and may characterize those who take drugs as morally weak. One very common belief is that drug abusers should be able to just stop taking drugs if they are only willing to change their behavior. What people often underestimate is the complexity of drug addiction—that it is a disease that impacts the brain and because of that, stopping drug abuse is not simply a matter of willpower. Through scientific advances we now know much more about how exactly drugs work in the brain, and we also know that drug addiction can be successfully treated to help people stop abusing drugs and resume their productive lives.
What is drug addiction?
Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences to the individual that is addicted and to those around them. Drug addiction is a brain disease because the abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain. Although it is true that for most people the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, over time the changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a person's self control and ability to make sound decisions, and at the same time send intense impulses to take drugs.
It is because of these changes in the brain that it is so challenging for a person who is addicted to stop abusing drugs. Fortunately, there are treatments that help people to counteract addiction's powerful disruptive effects and regain control. Research shows that combining addiction treatment medications, if available, with behavioral therapy is the best way to ensure success for most patients. Treatment approaches that are tailored to each patient's drug abuse patterns and any co-occurring medical, psychiatric, and social problems can lead to sustained recovery and a life without drug abuse.
Similar to other chronic, relapsing diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, drug addiction can be managed successfully. And, as with other chronic diseases, it is not uncommon for a person to relapse and begin abusing drugs again. Relapse, however, does not signal failure—rather, it indicates that treatment should be reinstated, adjusted, or that alternate treatment is needed to help the individual regain control and recover. source: http://www.medicinenet.com/drug_abuse/article.htm
Many people do not understand why individuals become addicted to drugs or how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug abuse. They mistakenly view drug abuse and addiction as strictly a social problem and may characterize those who take drugs as morally weak. One very common belief is that drug abusers should be able to just stop taking drugs if they are only willing to change their behavior. What people often underestimate is the complexity of drug addiction—that it is a disease that impacts the brain and because of that, stopping drug abuse is not simply a matter of willpower. Through scientific advances we now know much more about how exactly drugs work in the brain, and we also know that drug addiction can be successfully treated to help people stop abusing drugs and resume their productive lives.
What is drug addiction?
Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences to the individual that is addicted and to those around them. Drug addiction is a brain disease because the abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain. Although it is true that for most people the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, over time the changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a person's self control and ability to make sound decisions, and at the same time send intense impulses to take drugs.
It is because of these changes in the brain that it is so challenging for a person who is addicted to stop abusing drugs. Fortunately, there are treatments that help people to counteract addiction's powerful disruptive effects and regain control. Research shows that combining addiction treatment medications, if available, with behavioral therapy is the best way to ensure success for most patients. Treatment approaches that are tailored to each patient's drug abuse patterns and any co-occurring medical, psychiatric, and social problems can lead to sustained recovery and a life without drug abuse.
Similar to other chronic, relapsing diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease, drug addiction can be managed successfully. And, as with other chronic diseases, it is not uncommon for a person to relapse and begin abusing drugs again. Relapse, however, does not signal failure—rather, it indicates that treatment should be reinstated, adjusted, or that alternate treatment is needed to help the individual regain control and recover. source: http://www.medicinenet.com/drug_abuse/article.htm
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