Alcohol Detox and Drug Detox; The First Step
January 6, 2008
Drug detox and alcohol detox is the first step on the road to recovery Drug detox and alcohol detox refers to the period during which all traces of the drug are being removed from the body. There are medications to facilitate drug detox and alcohol detox; some of which ease the physical pain and discomfort of alcohol withdrawal and drug withdrawal .
This crucial stage of drug detox and alcohol detox is vital to a complete recovery but should not be taken lightly or without the help of an addiction treatment professional. The withdrawals from some of the more dangerous drugs can be just as, if not more, physically dangerous than the use of the drug itself. Opiate withdrawal is one of the most serious drug detox processes and should be monitored closely by an addiction treatment professional to ensure success and to minimize potential side effects. Some of the side effects associated with certain drug detox periods are tremors, vomiting, severe body pain and breaks in psychological functioning. However uncomfortable some types of drug detox and alcohol detox may be, it is necessary to first rid the body of the substance it depends on so it may return to a state of functioning without it. It is only when a client’s mind and body are clear of the substance from drug detox that the psychological aspects of recovery can begin.
Drug detox and alcohol programs can be found in drug rehab programs, alcohol rehab programs, addiction treatment centers, local hospital and even in some jails or prisons. Law enforcement officials are now more educated about the dangers of drug detox and some offer medical care during the process to newly booked offenders. Although a very scary and daunting thought to drug dependent individuals, drug detox and alcohol detox is the first vital step in returning to a healthy lifestyle.
Major Study To Examine Effects Of Alcohol On Gay Community
January 5, 2008
(Buffalo, New York) The University of Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions is preparing to embark on what is generally regarded as the biggest study ever undertaken on the role of gender and sexual identity in alcohol use and victimization.
The five-year study will involve 400 gay and bi men and women. The research will include alcohol use and interpersonal violence, “including childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence” said Dr. Amy Hequembourg who will lead the study.
There are a range of risk and protective factors associated with alcohol abuse and victimization among individuals who face stress associated with social stigmatization of their sexual identities, according to Hequembourg.
She will investigate social support systems, involvement in GLBT community activities, and relationships with family, friends, and coworkers.
What is Alcohol Abuse?
January 5, 2008
Alcohol abuse differs from alcoholism in that it does not include an extremely strong craving for alcohol, loss of control over drinking, or physical dependence. Alcohol abuse is defined as a pattern of drinking that results in one or more of the following situations within a 12-month period:
- Failure to fulfill major work, school, or home responsibilities;
- Drinking in situations that are physically dangerous, such as while driving a car or operating machinery;
- Having recurring alcohol-related legal problems, such as being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or for physically hurting someone while drunk; and
- Continued drinking despite having ongoing relationship problems that are caused or worsened by the drinking.
Although alcohol abuse is basically different from alcoholism, many effects of alcohol abuse are also experienced by alcoholics
Gay Alcohol Abuse: Do We Make Alcohol Illegal?
January 4, 2008
Why would anyone want to make alcohol illegal?
To stop gay alcohol abuse.
Why is this a bad idea?
Because it doesn’t work. Alcohol use and abuse alike are simply driven underground, leading to a huge untaxable market and a rise in organized crime as the mobs who control the illegal product gain money and power.
What is a better solution?
Alcohol should be legal, and regulated by states as they see fit. Gay alcohol abuse will be no worse than under prohibition, and crime will go down while tax revenues on the sale of alcohol go up, leading to better communities.
So how can we stop gay alcohol abuse?
Prevention is the real key. The conditions that lead to alcohol abuse should be prevented. Alcohol is fine in moderation, and millions of responsible gay people use it without negative effects on a regular basis. The real problem is when gay or lesbian people don’t know when or how to stop, or don’t want to because they are trying to escape unpleasant lives. Education on alcohol, and more accessible psychological gay counseling for everyone, is the best hope we have for ending gay alcohol abuse.
Eating Disorder, Food Addiction and Obesity
January 2, 2008
Are obese people greedy? Are obese people psychologically disturbed? Are obese people lacking in will-power? Do we have prejudices about obese people? Do obese people suffer from an eating disorder?
A person who has an obesity problem should not only be concerned with health conditions, but should also tackle a vast range of prejudices that are very widespread in our society.Prejudices about obese people represent a very widespread kind of cultural racism based on a range of wrong stereotyped beliefs and are deeply rooted in Western cultures.The most common prejudices are: * obese people are greedy people that gain weight because of their uncontrolled greed
* obese people are psychologically disturbed people
* obese people are people without will, otherwise they can lose weight
These prejudices are more serious because scientific research has shown their falseness. They are ideas that almost everybody has to such a point that even if obesity represents a problem which is widespread as an epidemic at world level (roughly 20% of women and roughly 30% of men of the world are destined to suffer from it by the year 2005) the world would continue to do its best to make obese people’s life difficult.A lot of obese people are too fat also for medical science: to be effectively contained by an operating bed, to stay on a common hospital wheelchair without being jammed inside, to enter a tunnel of an appliance for tomography CAT and NMR.And yet, if the last two or three million years of human history are considered, obesity seems be a sad, but inexorable destiny of a lot of us.
Alcohol Abuse vs. Alcohol Dependence
December 30, 2007
Alcoholism is a term commonly used to describe the medical disorder of alcohol dependence. Many health professionals prefer more precise language that distinguishes between alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse.
Alcohol dependence is an illness with four main features:
- Physical dependence, with a characteristic withdrawal syndrome that is relieved by more alcohol (e.g., morning drinking) or other drugs;
- Physiological tolerance, so that more and more alcohol is needed to produce the desired effects;
- Difficulty in controlling how much alcohol is consumed once drinking has begun;
- A craving for alcohol that can lead to relapse if one tries to abstain.
Alcohol abuse is different from alcohol dependence. Abusers are not necessarily physically addicted to alcohol, but develop problems as a result of their alcohol consumption and poor judgment, failure to understand the risks, or lack of concern about damage to themselves or others. Because they are not addicted, alcohol abusers remain in control of their behavior and can change their drinking patterns in response to explanations and warnings. An alcohol abuser either:
- Persists in habitual drinking or occasional binge drinking that causes or exacerbates a persistent or recurrent social, work, financial, legal, or health problem;
- Or uses alcohol repeatedly under circumstances which are physically dangerous, such as driving while intoxicated.
Many people who abuse alcohol eventually become alcohol dependent
Dual Diagnosis and Drug Rehab
December 25, 2007
Dual Diagnosis and Drug Rehabilitation: The New Hybrid Disorder and Addiction Treatment
Written by Rachel Hayon, MPH
Dual diagnosis is defined by the presence of both mental health disorders and substance abuse disorders (alcohol and/or drug dependence or abuse) [1]. There are a variety of different mental health disorders that can be associated with substance use and labeled dual diagnosis. Some of these disorders include: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anti-social personality disorder, narcissistic personality, and depression. A big question among the experts is which comes first- the mental health problem or substance use? It’s a difficult question to answer because so many of the symptoms associated with mental health disorders resemble the by product of substance use and vice versa. This is also an important topic right now because of the overwhelming amount of substance use cases and mental health disorders that overlap.
In a recent study conducted by the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), it was estimated that 17.6 million American adults meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder and approximately 4.2 million meet the criteria for a drug use disorder [2]. In addition to this, 19.2 million adults can be diagnosed for independent mood disorders (major depression, dysthmia, manic disorder, and hypomania) and 23 million meet the criteria for independent anxiety disorders (including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and specific social phobias) [2]. The NESARC also reported that approximately 20% of those individuals reporting a mental health disorder also reported a substance abuse disorder. Conversely, 20% of those individuals with a substance abuse disorder also displayed mental health problems [2].
When alcohol use is observed along with mental health disorders, alcoholics usually report that they “self-medicate” in order to alleviate symptoms of their psychiatric condition, such as depression [3]. One of the problems with using drinking as an emotional balm are the negative effects of heavy drinking as well as withdrawal from drinking- both can worsen an already negative mood state [4]. Having said this, it is interesting to see how different mental health disorders manifest themselves when substance use enters into the equation. Depending on what the disorder is, substances use is reported to be used for different reasons and also to either alleviate or bring on certain symptoms. For instance, in the case of bipolar disorder, though drinking may occur in both the manic and depressive phases, drinking is more prevalent during the manic phase [4]. Similarly, drinking may also produce symptoms that are similar to the manic phase of bipolar disorder such as grandiosity, irritability or physical agitation. In regards to anxiety disorder for instance, alcoholics usually report intense symptoms such as palpitations, sweatiness, and fear of objects or social situations which usually disappear with the discontinuation of alcohol use. However, individuals with agoraphobia or social phobia might drink in order to reduce the amount of anxiety they feel [5].
Immediate Goals of Detox
December 25, 2007
The immediate goal of detox is to provide a safe withdrawal from the drug addiction and alcohol abuse and enable the patient to become drug free. Many risks are associated with withdrawal, some influenced by the setting. For persons who are severely dependent on alcohol, abrupt, unsupervised cessation of drinking may result in delirium tremens or death. Other sedative-hypnotics may produce life-threatening withdrawal syndromes. Withdrawal from opioids produces severe discomfort, but is not generally life threatening. However, risks to the patient and society are not limited to the severity of the patient’s physical disturbance, particularly when the detox is conducted in an outpatient addiction treatment setting. Outpatients experiencing withdrawal symptoms may self-medicate with street drugs. The resulting interaction between prescribed medication and street drugs may result in an overdose. Less severe side effects include sedation or a drop in blood pressure.
To provide withdrawal that is humane and protects the patient’s dignity. A caring staff, a supportive environment, sensitivity to cultural issues, confidentiality, and the selection of appropriate detox medication (if needed) are all important to providing humane withdrawal.
Drug Addiction and Women
December 25, 2007
How many girls and women have a substance abuse problem in the U.S.?
Approximately 6 million girls and women abuse or are addicted to alcohol in the U.S. – and 15 million use illicit drugs and misuse prescription drugs. Nearly 32 million smoke cigarettes. More than 50% of American women between the ages of 18 and 25 have used illicit drugs at least once in their lives.
What percent of women who need treatment for alcohol abuse and drug addiction do not receive it?
An astounding 92 percent do not receive it because quite often stigma, shame, and ignorance hide the problem. Only one in three substance abusers in treatment is a woman. Approximately 1.5 million people in publicly funded substance abuse treatment - almost 1/3 are women. Once finally admitted - women spend less time in addiction treatment than men.
Medical Detox
December 25, 2007
Medical Detoxification or detox is a process whereby individuals are systematically withdrawn from addicting drugs in an inpatient addiction treatment or outpatient addiction treatment setting, typically under the care of a physician. Detoxification or detox, is sometimes called a distinct addiction treatment modality but is more appropriately considered a precursor of addiction treatment, because it is designed to treat the acute physiological effects of stopping drug use. Medications are available for detox from opiates, nicotine, benzodiazepines, alcohol, barbiturates, and other sedatives. In some cases, particularly for the last three types of drugs, detox may be a medical necessity, and untreated withdrawal may be medically dangerous or even fatal. Detoxification or detox is not designed to address the psychological, social, and behavioral problems associated withaddiction and therefore does not typically produce lasting behavioral changes necessary for recovery. Detox is most useful when it incorporates formal processes of assessment and referral to subsequent drug addiction treatment program.
If you are lookiing for a safe and comfortable detox, go to www.lakeviewhealth.com or call the national addiction treatment helpline.
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