Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Drug Information

Alcoholism

Marijuana

Methamphetamine

Cocaine/Crack

Do we have a problem in our family?

Are you drinking at risk?

ALCOHOLISM

Alcoholism, which is also known as "alcohol dependence syndrome," is a disease that is characterized by the following elements:

• Craving: A strong need, or compulsion, to drink.
• Loss of control: The frequent inability to stop drinking once a person has begun.
• Physical dependence: The occurrence of withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking. These symptoms are usually relieved by drinking alcohol or by taking another sedative drug.
• Tolerance: The need for increasing amounts of alcohol in order to get "high."

Alcoholism has little to do with what kind of alcohol one drinks, how long one has been drinking, or even exactly how much alcohol one consumes. But it has a great deal to do with a person's uncontrollable need for alcohol.

This description of alcoholism helps us understand why most alcoholics can't just "use a little willpower" to stop drinking. He or she is frequently in the grip of a powerful craving for alcohol, a need that can feel as strong as the need for food or water.

While some people are able to recover without help, the majority of alcoholic individuals need outside assistance to recover from their disease. With support and treatment, many individuals are able to stop drinking and rebuild their lives.

Many people wonder: Why can some individuals use alcohol without problems, while others are utterly unable to control their drinking? Recent research supported by NIAAA has demonstrated that for many people, a vulnerability to alcoholism is inherited.

Yet it is important to recognize that aspects of a person's environment, such as peer influences and the availability of alcohol, also are significant influences. Both inherited and environmental influences are called "risk factors."

But risk is not destiny. Just because alcoholism tends to run in families doesn't mean that a child of an alcoholic parent will automatically develop alcoholism.

(Source: NIAAA - National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)

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MARIJUANA

Cannabis is the general name given to a variety of preparations derived from the plant Cannabis sativa. Other names include marijuana, grass, dope, pot, weed, mull, hash, hash oil etc. The main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis is delta-9-tetrahydro-cannabinol or THC. There are also 400 other chemicals in the cannabis plant. 

Becoming popular in the 60’s, marijuana has been smoked and used as an herb in foods. When cannabis is smoked THC rapidly enters the bloodstream through the walls of the lungs and is taken to the brain. THC is stored in fatty tissues and can be detected in urine for days, weeks or sometimes months.

The effects of cannabis vary depending on the person, the environment and the potency of the drug, and on how long the person been using the drug. Contrary to some viewpoints, it is possible to become addicted to cannabis and to feel dependent on it to get through the day. Each year thousands of people seek help to stop using marijuana. People get to a point in their lives when they feel it is time to change.

Why do people smoke dope?

There are many reasons why people smoke cannabis and seek to get “stoned’.  Some of these include helping them to relax, and to enhance social interactions.  While this works for some people, generally over time the social interactions deteriorate as a result of the distorted reality created by the drug. Additional reasons are an avoidance of life’s problems and an increased sense of creativity and possibility thinking, usually short lived once the effects of the drug wear off.  The ideas and intentions usually don’t carry over to the abstinent state.

Health Effects

Marijuana abuse is associated with frequent respiratory infections, impaired memory and learning, increased heart rate, anxiety and panic attacks. Marijuana meets the criteria for an addictive drug and animal studies suggest marijuana causes physical dependence and some people report withdrawal symptoms.

Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illnesses, a heightened risk of lung infections,and a greater tendency toward obstructed airways. Cancer of the respiratory tract and lungs may also be promoted by marijuana smoke, because marijuana smoke contains 50 percent to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke.

Cognitive Effects

Marijuana's damage to short-term memory seems to occur because THC alters the way in which information is processed by the hippocampus, a brain area responsible for memory formation.

In one study, researchers compared marijuana smoking and nonsmoking 12th-graders' scores on standardized tests of verbal and mathematical skills. Although all of the students had scored equally well in 4th grade, heavy marijuana smokers, i.e., those who used marijuana seven or more times per week, scored significantly lower in 12th grade than nonsmokers.

Another study of 129 college students found that among heavy users of marijuana critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning were significantly impaired, even after not using the drug for at least 24 hours.

(Source:  NIDA – National Institute on Drug Abuse)

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METHAMPHETAMINE

Methamphetamine is an addictive stimulant drug that strongly activates certain systems in the brain. Methamphetamine is closely related chemically to amphetamine, but the central nervous system effects of methamphetamine are greater. Both drugs have some medical uses, primarily in the treatment of obesity, but their therapeutic use is limited.

Methamphetamine has a high potential for abuse and dependence.  Street methamphetamine is made in illegal laboratories and isreferred to by many names, such as "speed," "meth," and "chalk." Methamphetamine hydrochloride, clear chunky crystals resembling ice, which can be inhaled by smoking, is referred to as “speed”, "ice," "crystal," and "glass."

The potent central nervous system stimulant methamphetamine, or meth, can have dramatic physical and psychological effects.  is not physically addictive but it is psychologically addictive.

The drug appeals to the abuser because it increases the body's metabolism and produces euphoria, alertness, and gives the abuser a sense of increased energy. But high doses or chronic use of meth, increases nervousness, Irritability, and paranoia.

Patterns of Abuse

Methamphetamine abuse has three patterns, low intensity (does not involve psychological addiction) ,binge, and high intensity.

The binge and high-intensity abusers smoke or inject meth to achieve a faster and stronger high.  The patterns of abuse differ in the frequency in which the drug is abused and the stages within their cycles.

The binge abuse cycle is made up of these stages: rush, high, binge, tweaking, crash, normal, and withdrawal.

Rush  (5-30 min.): The abuser’s heartbeat races and metabolism, blood  pressure, and pulse soar. Feelings of pleasure.

High (4- 16 hours): The abuser often feels aggressively smarter and becomes argumentative.

Binge (3-15 days): The abuser maintains the high for as long as possible and becomes hyperactive, both mentally and physically.

Tweaking:  The most dangerous stage of meth abuse for abusers, medical personnel, and law enforcement officers is called "tweaking.” A tweaker is an abuser who probably has not slept in 3- 15 days and is irritable and paranoid.

Tweakers often behave or react violently and if a tweaker is using alcohol or another depressant, negative feelings and associated dangers intensify. The tweaker craves more meth, but no dosage will help re-create the euphoric high, causing frustration, unpredictability, and the potential for violence.

Crash (1-3 days): The abuser does not pose a threat to anyone, becomes almost lifeless,and sleeps.

Normal (2- 14 days): The abuser returns to a state that is slightly deteriorated from the normal state before the abuse.

Withdrawal (30- 90 days): No immediate symptoms are evident but the abuser first becomes depressed and then lethargic. The craving for meth hits and the abuser can become suicidal. Taking meth at any time during withdrawal can stop the unpleasant feelings so, consequently, a high percentage of addicts in treatment return to abuse.

High-intensity abusers, often- called "speed freaks," focus on preventing the crash. But each successive rush becomes less euphoric and takes more meth to achieve. The pattern does not usually include a state of normalcy or withdrawal.

Physical Effects

High-intensity abusers experience extreme weight loss, very pale facial skin, sweating, body odor, discolored teeth and scars or open sores on their bodies. The scars are the result of the abusers' hallucinations of bugs on the skin, often referred to as "crank bugs," and attempts to scratch the bugs off.

Effects on the cardiovascular system

• Increased pulse
• Increased blood pressure
• Cardiac arrhythmia
• Stroke

Other long-term effects

• Insomnia
• Hyperactive behavior
• Severe depression
• Aggressive-ness
• Stomach disorders
• Weight loss
• Paranoid psychosis
• Hallucinations (auditory and visual)

(Source: California Alcohol and Drug Programs)

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COCAINE AND CRACK

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that directly affects the brain. Cocaine has been labeled the drug of the 1980s and '90s, because of its extensive popularity and use during this period. However, cocaine is not a new drug. In fact, it is one of the oldest known drugs. The pure chemical, cocaine hydrochloride, has been an abused substance for more than 100 years, and coca leaves, the source of cocaine, have been ingested for thousands of years.

Crack is the street name given to the freebase form of cocaine that has been processed from the powdered cocaine hydrochloride form to a smokable substance. The term "crack" refers to the crackling sound heard when the mixture is smoked. Crack cocaine is processed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water, and heated to remove the hydrochloride.

Because crack is smoked, the user experiences a high in less than 10 seconds. This immediate and euphoric effect is one of the reasons that crack became enormously popular in the mid 1980s. Another reason is that crack is inexpensive both to produce and to buy.

Short-Term Physiological Effects

• Constricted blood vessels
• Dilated pupils
• Increased temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure

Effects of Long-Term Use

• Tremors
• Vertigo
• Muscle twitches
• Paranoia,
• Bizarre, erratic or violent behavior
• Toxic reaction closely resembling amphetamine poisoning
• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Anxiety  

Health Consequences

Cocaine-related deaths are often a result of cardiac arrest or seizures followed by respiratory arrest. Cocaine is a powerfully addictive drug. Once having tried cocaine, an individual may have difficulty predicting or controlling the extent to which he or she will continue to use the drug. Cocaine's stimulant and addictive effects are thought to be primarily a result of its ability to inhibit the re-absorption of dopamine by nerve cells. Dopamine is released as part of the brain's reward system, and is either directly or indirectly involved in the addictive properties of every major drug of abuse.

An appreciable tolerance to cocaine's high may develop, with many addicts reporting that they seek but fail to achieve as much pleasure as they did from their first experience. Some users will frequently increase their doses to intensify and prolong the euphoric effects. While tolerance to the high can occur, users can also become more sensitive (sensitization) to cocaine's anesthetic and convulsant effects, without increasing the dose taken. This increased sensitivity may explain some deaths occurring after apparently low doses of cocaine.

Use of cocaine in a binge, during which the drug is taken repeatedly and at increasingly high doses, leads to a state of increasing irritability, restlessness, and paranoia. This may result in a full-blown paranoid psychosis, in which the individual loses touch with reality and experiences auditory hallucinations.

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DO WE HAVE A PROBLEM IN OUR FAMILY?

People experiencing alcohol and other drug problems often feel they hurt only themselves. That isn't true. They also hurt their families, friends, coworkers, employers, and others.

There are millions of people with alcohol and other drug problems in this country. A recent study reported that 28 million people age 12 and older used illicit drugs during the past year. By current estimates, more than 76 million people have been exposed to alcoholism in the family.

Experience shows that for every person with an alcohol or other drug problem, at least four others are affected by their behavior.

However, looking at it another way -- as we should -- millions of Americans have a personal stake in helping "someone close" find the way to overcome alcohol and other drug problems.

Seeking Solutions

The person who sets out to help someone with an alcohol or other drug problem may at first feel quite alone, possibly embarrassed, not knowing where to turn for help. We have preserved so many wrong ideas and attitudes about problem drinking and other drug abuse, too often thinking of them as moral weakness or lack of willpower.

You may have learned to better understand alcohol and other drug problems and already made contact with nearby sources of services. This does not mean that "someone close" will cooperate at once by going for treatment. Those with alcohol and other drug problems may deny they have a problem. They may find it difficult to ask for or accept help.

If there is one thing true about alcohol and other drug abusers, it is that, as with all people, each one is different -- different in human needs and responses, as well as in their reasons for drinking and taking other drugs, their reactions to these drugs, and their readiness for treatment.

You are in a good position to help your relative or friend, because you know a good deal about their unique qualities and their way of life. And having made the effort to gain some understanding of the signs and effects of problem drinking or other drug abuse, you should be in a better position to consider a strategy for helping.

Identify the Effects

Be active, get involved. Don't be afraid to talk about the problem honestly and openly. It is easy to be too polite, or to duck the issue by saying, "After all, it's their private affair." But it isn't polite or considerate to let someone destroy their family and life. You may need to be persistent o break through any denial they have.

"How do I know for sure that it's addiction or alcoholism?"
It's difficult, but the rule of thumb is this: It's addiction or alcoholism if the person has had negative consequences resulting from his or her substance abuse--yet continues to use anyway.

• Strained relationships
• Legal problems
• Money problems
• Accidents or DWI’s related to substance use
• Health problems
• School/work problems
• Depression/suicide attempts

“It's affecting our whole family!”

It will. Family members of a substance abuser often experience:

• Shame
• Confusion
• Anxiety
• Frustration

You also may need to let them know how much courage it takes to ask for help, or to accept it.

You will find that most people with drinking or other drug-related troubles really want to talk it out if they find out you are concerned about them.

What To Do

• Try to remain calm, unemotional, and factually honest in speaking about their behavior and its day-to-day consequences.
• Let the person with the problem know that you are reading andlearning about alcohol and other drug abuse, attending Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, Alateen, and other support groups.
• Discuss the situation with someone you trust -- someone from theclergy, a social worker, a counselor, a friend, or some individual who has experienced alcohol or other drug abuse personally or asa family member.
• Establish and maintain a healthy atmosphere in the home, and tryto include the alcohol/drug abuser in family life.
• Explain the nature of alcoholism and other drug addiction as an illness to the children in the family.
• Encourage new interests and participate in leisure time activities that the person enjoys. Encourage them to see old friends.
• Be patient and live one day at a time. Alcoholism and other drug addiction generally takes a long time to develop, and recovery does not occur overnight. Try to accept setbacks and relapses with calmness and understanding.
• Refuse to ride with anyone who's been drinking heavily or using other drugs.

(Source: State of California Alcohol and Drug Programs)

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AT-RISK DRINKING

At risk drinking levels:

• For Men: more than 4 standard drinks a day or                          more than 14 standard drinks a week
• For Women: more than 3 standard drinks a day or                      more than 7 standard drinks a week
• For Individuals age 65 and over: more than 1 standard drink a day.

A standard drink contains about 14 grams  (about 0.6 fluid ounces) of pure alcohol. Approximate standard drink equivalents are shown below:

• 12 oz. of beer or cooler
• 8-9 oz. of malt liquor
• 5 oz. of table wine
• 3-4 oz. of fortified wine (such as sherry or port)
• 2-3 oz. of cordial liqueur, or aperitif
• 1.5 oz. of brandy (a single jigger)
• 1.5 oz. of spirits (a single jigger of 80 proof gin, vodka, whiskey, etc.; either straight or in a highball glass before adding mixer)

Note: People buy many of these drinks in containers that hold multiple standard drinks. For example, malt liquor is often sold in 16-,22-, or 40 oz. containers that hold between two and five standard drinks, and table wine is typically sold in 25oz. (750 ml.) bottles that hold five standard drinks.

(Source: NIAAA - National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)

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San Diego, CA  92121