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Addiction Treatment Curbs Crystal Methamphetamine Abuse Among Gay and Bisexual Men

Addiction Treatment Curbs Crystal Methamphetamine Abuse Among Gay and Bisexual Men

Behavioral therapy can help gay and bisexual men (GBM) reduce crystal methamphetamine abuse and risky sexual behaviors and sustain these gains for 1 year, NIDA-funded researchers report. By the end of a 16-week trial of four different behavioral therapies, study participants’ stimulant-positive urine samples fell 31 percent, and their number of past-month sexual partners fell more than 50 percent—outcomes that regressed little at the followup visits. Symptoms of depression also improved.

Dr. Steven Shoptaw and colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles and the Friends Research Institute recruited 263 crystal methamphetamine-addicted Gay and Bisexual Men throughout Los Angeles County, particularly in Hollywood, where HIV prevalence is especially high. Of these, 162 completed the requirements for entering the addiction treatment phase of the study, which were to attend six assessments and participate in at least two of four group sessions on abstinence skills during a 2-week “baseline period.” Men who met the requirements reported less severity and shorter duration of methamphetamine abuse than those who did not, despite having abused methamphetamine for 5 years and having spent $293 on the drug in the past month, on average. Half had engaged in unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with someone other than their primary partner in the past month, and 84 percent of these men linked the behavior to methamphetamine abuse. Most participants (73 percent) reported symptoms of depression, with about 30 percent describing these as moderate to severe.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, alcohol detox, amphetamine, behavioral treatment, crystal meth, crystal methamphetamine, depression, detox, detox program, drug abuse, drug rehab, inpatient drug rehab, intervention, interventions, meth addiction, methamphetamine, patient, recovery, rehab, relapse, symptoms, therapy, treatment

How Is Dual Diagnosis Treated?

Historically, addiction treatment programs, drug rehab programs and psychiatric hospitals, have treated dual diagnosis separately. This has not proved to be an effective addiction treatment approach and today most addiction treatment programs, drug rehabs and psychiatric hospitals treat both disorders concurrently.

• Ideally, drug addiction, alcoholism and psychiatric disorders should be treated simultaneously.
• The first step in addiction treatment for drug addiction or alcohol addiction must be detoxification or detox – a period of time during which the body is allowed to cleanse itself of alcohol and/or drugs and all withdrawal symptoms managed.
• Detox should be medically monitored as medical challenges do occur. Time in detox varies, depending on what substances the person is addicted to, the frequency of use and amount of usage.
• Once stable in detox, a psychiatrist will assess the person to determine the mental illness and how to best address it. Addiction treatment programs or drug rehab programs for this population should take a gradual approach. Those with a dual diagnosis have to proceed at their own pace.
• The goal of any quality drug addiction treatment program or drug rehab program should be abstinence and medication compliance.
• After completing drug addiction treatment or drug / alcohol rehab, the person should be involved in psychiatric follow up and aftercare in the drug rehab or addiction treatment program they have completed in order to prevent relapse.

Denial is an inherent part of the problem with dual diagnosis. The person with dual diagnosis often does not have insight as to the seriousness and the scope of their problem. In many cases, an intervention is required to get the person into addiction treatment or drug rehab so the recovery process can begin

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, addiction treatment program, addiction treatment programs, alcohol addiction, alcohol rehab, alcoholism, detox, drug addiction, drug addiction treatment, drug rehab, drug rehab program, drug rehab programs, drug rehabs, dual diagnosis, intervention, mental illness, psychiatric disorder, recovery, rehab, rehab programs, rehabs, relapse, symptoms, treatment, treatment for drug addiction

Alcohol Detox or Drug Detox

What is usually meant by “alcohol detox” or “drug detox” is the collection of physical symptoms accompanying the discontinuation of addictive substances. It hurts when we quit and it can be dangerous to come off certain substances too quickly. Modern medical science has provided us with some excellent medications to minimize the discomfort associated with the detox process. That is why it is important to have a physician specializing in detox assisting your initial process of recovery. This way you can expect a safe and comfortable detox.

Tags: alcohol detox, detox, detox program, drug detox, recovery, symptoms

Treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal

Treating alcohol dependency relies a great deal on treating the symptoms associated with alcohol withdrawal syndrome. This is because the unpleasantness of the alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and the severity, can drive one back to alcohol in order to obtain relief. While alcohol abuse (which does not entail a physical dependence on alcohol) can be treated alone, or with a good support group, alcohol dependency is different. The body’s physical need makes it harder to overcome. Treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome usually involves some measure of help from prescription drugs. These are chemicals that can help suppress the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal as a person’s body becomes less dependent upon alcohol. This can be very helpful in successfully overcoming an addiction to alcohol.

While most treatments can be done as out-patient alcohol treatment, in some severe cases it is necessary to have the alcohol dependent person stay in an in-patient alcohol treatment facility for better monitoring and treatment. No matter the treatment, however, most people with an alcohol dependency also require a good support system and professional counseling as part of their treatment. The psychological impacts of alcohol abuse can be quite as difficult to overcome as the physical addiction.

Tags: addiction, alcohol abuse, alcohol treatment, alcohol treatment facility, alcohol withdrawal, counseling, patient, symptoms, treatment

What is Alcoholism?

What is Alcoholism?Alcoholism, also known as “alcohol dependence,” is a disease that includes four symptoms:

• Craving: A strong need, or compulsion, to drink.
• Loss of control: The inability to limit one’s drinking on any given occasion.
• Physical dependence: Withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, occur when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking.
• Tolerance: The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to “get high.”

People who are not alcoholic sometimes do not understand why an alcoholic can’t just “use a little willpower” to stop drinking. However, alcoholism has little to do with willpower. Alcoholics are in the grip of a powerful “craving,” or uncontrollable need, for alcohol that overrides their ability to stop drinking. This need can be as strong as the need for food or water.

Although some people are able to recover from alcoholism without help, the majority of alcoholics need assistance. With treatment and support, many individuals are able to stop drinking and rebuild their lives.

Tags: alcohol dependence, alcoholic, alcoholism, symptoms, treatment

Dual Diagnosis Treatment and Substance Abuse

The term “dual diagnosis” may be new to your life and vocabulary or it may be something you are familiar with and have heard about before today. While not particularly well-known, dual diagnosis is more common than you might imagine. According to a report published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), “Thirty seven percent of people who suffer from alcohol abuse and fifty-three percent of people who suffer from drug abuse also have at least one serious mental illness, which creates a dual diagnosis. Of all people diagnosed as mentally ill, 29 percent abuse either alcohol or drugs (NMHA, 2005). “Dual diagnosis” is defined as an individual who has two separate but very interrelated diagnoses. For the purpose of this article, dual diagnosis means a person has both:

1. A psychiatric diagnosis
2. A substance abuse diagnosis which may include drug addiction or alcohol addiction

A dual diagnosis occurs when an individual is affected by both chemical dependency and an emotional or psychiatric illness. Both illnesses may affect an individual physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually. Each illness has symptoms that interfere with a person’s ability to function effectively and relate to themselves and others. Not only is the individual affected by two separate illnesses, both illnesses interact with one another. The illnesses may exacerbate each other and at times the symptoms can overlap and even mask each other making diagnosis and dual diagnosis treatment more difficult.

Tags: addiction, alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, anxiety disorder, bipolar, bipolar disorder, chemical dependency, depression, drug abuse, drug addiction, dual diagnosis, dual diagnosis treatment, dual diagnosis treatment program, mental illness, panic disorder, phobias, psychiatric disorder, psychiatric illness, schizophrenia, substance abuse, symptoms, treatment

What is Alcoholism?

Alcoholism is a disease and is characterized by a set of specific symptoms. Below are some of the symptoms of alcoholism;Craving: A strong need, or compulsion, to drink alcohol.. Loss of control: The inability to limit one’s drinking alcohol on any given occasion.

. Physical dependence: Alcohol withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, occur when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking.

. Tolerance: The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to “get high.”

People who are not alcoholic sometimes do not understand why an alcoholic can’t just “use a little willpower” to stop drinking. However, alcoholism has little to do with willpower. Alcoholics are in the grip of a powerful “craving,” or uncontrollable need, for alcohol that overrides their ability to stop drinking. This need can be as strong as the need for food or water.

Although some people are able to recover from alcoholism without help, the majority of alcoholics need assistance. With an effective alcohol treatment program and support, many individuals are able to stop drinking and rebuild their lives.

Tags: alcohol treatment, alcohol treatment program, alcohol withdrawal, alcoholic, alcoholism, recovery, symptoms, treatment

Alcohol Addiction and Alcoholism

For many people, the facts about alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction are not clear. What is alcohol abuse, exactly? How does it differ from alcoholism (i.e., alcohol addiction)? When should a person seek help for a problem related to his or her drinking? The following information explains both alcohol abuse and alcoholism, the symptoms of each, when and where to seek help, alcohol treatment choices, and additional helpful alcoholism resources.

Alcohol Dependence, Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse: A Widespread ProblemFor most people who drink, alcohol is a pleasant accompaniment to social activities. Moderate alcohol use-up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people-is not harmful for most adults. (A standard drink is one 12-ounce bottle or can of either beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.) Nonetheless, a large number of people get into serious trouble because of their drinking. Currently, nearly 14 million Americans-1 in every 13 adults-abuse alcohol or are alcoholic. Several million more adults engage in risky drinking that could lead to alcohol problems. These patterns include binge drinking and heavy drinking on a regular basis. In addition, 53 percent of men and women in the United States report that one or more of their close relatives have a drinking problem.

Tags: addiction, alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, alcohol dependence, alcohol rehab, alcohol treatment, alcoholic, alcoholism, recreation, rehab, symptoms, treatment

Do I Need Detox?

Detoxification (detox) is the safe withdrawal from alcohol or drugs. It can be the starting point for a longer-term treatment. Detox is not the whole solution, but only a beginning, and should be followed up with a treatment program. It can be done on an outpatient basis with a physician, or on an inpatient basis for more severe or medically complicated situations. The more severe your symptoms, the more likely you need to go to  detox. It is strongly recommended that you seek a medical detox treatment if you have a history of withdrawal convulsions, or if you experience any symptoms of delirium tremens (DT’s) such as such as excitability, vivid nightmares, intense anxiety, hallucinations, or delusions.

Tags: detox, detox program, detox treatment, hallucinations, medical detox, patient, symptoms, treatment

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Integrated dual diagnosis treatment can be difficult
Effective management of either substance use disorders or mental health disorders is challenging. Dual diagnosis can mean an increase in challenging behaviours including self-harm and aggression, avoidance of services, and resistance to or non-compliance with addiction treatment and recovery programs.

Research suggests that people with a dual diagnosis respond well to integrated drug rehab programs that address both their mental illness and their substance abuse. However, these drug rehab programs were uncommon until recent years. Some of the reasons for this include:

• Dual Diagnosis can be difficult, because it isn’t always clear which problem has the more severe symptoms. Health services are now becoming more able to recognize dual diagnosis.
• Mental health services are usually reserved for people with severe problems, so dual diagnosis clients with less severe mental health problems may not get treatment. They should, however, be referred to a suitable service.
• A person with a mental illness may receive treatment, but their drug use problem could be dismissed as a minor side effect of their illness.
• The number of workers trained in dual diagnosis treatment is slowly increasing. The services for mental health and substance abuse generally don’t overlap, so professionals in one field aren’t knowledgeable about the issues in the other field. It is hard to find professionals who are skilled in treating both substance abuse and mental illness.

If you are looking for a quality and effective dual diagnosis treatment program, go to www.steppingstonecenter.org or call the national dual diagnosis helpline at 1-800-511-9225.

Tags: addiction, addiction treatment, drug rehab, drug rehab program, drug rehab programs, dual diagnosis, dual diagnosis treatment, dual diagnosis treatment program, mental health, mental illness, recovery, recovery programs, rehab, rehab programs, substance abuse, symptoms, treatment