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Prescription drug addiction continues to be a growing problem that many people don't take as seriously as they should. Join Together, reported today that according to research from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) about 70 percent of 12-17 year olds see great risk in smoking a pack of cigarettes or more daily compared to 40 percent who saw great risk in binge drinking and about 34 percent who perceived great risk in smoking marijuana monthly.
Back in July of 09, after years of focusing primarily on marijuana use, there was news from CBS News that the more urgent growing problem is prescription-drug misuse antidrug campaigns from both the private and public sector have turned their attention to what's seen as a more urgent problem: prescription-drug misuse.
Authorities say marijuana by comparison to prescription drug use, is 'benign'.
Prescription drugs that create physical dependency and addiction belong in two classes of pills; opiates and benzodiazepines. opiates include drug such as codeine, vicodin, norco, oxycodone and benzodiazepines/tranquillizer drugs including xanax, valium, ambian and others.
Many people feel that since the medications were originally prescribed by a doctor that their prescription drug abuse is different. Getting high on an FDA approved drug, traps people into the illusion that they are safely manufactured and will not become a problem.
Yet in October 2009, a local website in San Diego reported on the growing problems of teens and prescription drug abuse: the county medical examiner when discussing teen deaths from drugs reported 54 oxycodone-related deaths between 2008 and 2009, up from 17 deaths between 2004 and 2006, He also stated that adding the death rate from alcohol and heroin brings death rate for 16 - 25 year old alcohol and drug users, even higher.
The Signs of Addiction to Prescription Drugs:
--A preoccupation with symptoms of pain or sleeplessness in order to justify the request for more medication.
--Lack of interest in doing other activities unrelated to the drug using experience.
--Good, drug induced feelings preoccupy the mind.
--Mood swings.
--Borrowing from friends and/or purchasing from drug dealers.
--Purchasing drugs on the internet or from pharmacies in Mexico.
--Past history of drug addiction.
--On and off relief from anxiety.
--Using more than the recommended amount of the medication.
--Taking medications from family, friends or strangers medicine cabinets.
--Hiding medications or lying about taking them.
Medication changes the brain chemistry,making it less effective at producing chemicals like dopamine or endorphin. Since the brain has stopped producing these chemicals itself, they must be introduced through another source. At this point, the prescription drug addict has become physically dependent on the medication.
Effects of Excessive Use of Prescription Pills:
A person who is addicted to prescription drugs may experience the following:
--Anxiety
--Depression
--Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
--Loss of interest in relationships with friends or family members
--Withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop using the medications on their own
Important: Consumption with or without alcohol can effect the central nervous system causing respiratory distress, failure or even death.
Lasting Recovery provides Detoxification Services and Intensive Outpatient Treatment for Prescription medication addiction. Recovery is possible --- we can help.
Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS
Co-Founder and Clinical Director
Labels: Drug-Abuse, Drug-Addiction, Prescription-Drug-Addiction, young-opiate-addicts
Holistic treatment for drug and alcohol rehabilitation is one of the fastest growing forms of addiction strategies to help people young and old to establish long term recovery. Combining ancient spiritual practices of yoga, mindfulness meditation and acupuncture with traditional treatment methods provide lasting results.
If you live in Carmel Valley, Del Mar, La Jolla, Encinitas, or anywhere from Mission Valley to Escondido, you will be able to successfully recover from your alcohol or drug addiction using traditional outpatient addiction treatment complemented by methods that have been used for thousands of years to awaken hidden healing potential.
Addiction and mental health problems contribute to anxiety, depression, trauma, isolation, loneliness and stress related physical and emotional problems. Through the use of acupuncture and mindfulness meditation, many people experience a reduction of physical pain symptoms and reduced craving for alcohol or drugs. We learn to relax naturally and make different choices. Integrative programs that provide this type of evidence based holistic* and psychological treatment, are treating the whole person and not just the disease of addiction. This comprehensive treatment reconnects you with your breathing and senses, your thoughts and emotions, reducing symptoms of chronic physical and emotional pain.
Holistic treatment improves sleep, stress and anxiety through teaching you tools to help you think and act in different habit patterns. These recovery habit patterns guide, heal and strengthen your natural brain chemistry to regenerate chemicals naturally that were depleted by alcohol and drug dependence. For example, use the words I CHOOSE TO ______rather than I HAVE TO ______, or I SHOULD_______, and notice the difference in your motivation, your intention and your internal strength. Choose life. Choose integrative holistic treatment for your alcohol or drug problem.
* Active Recovery tm, located in the north coastal area of San Diego, provides wellness programming to clients, their families and alumni of Lasting Recovery programs.
Seek help, ask questions and get answers for the best care for yourself, friend or your family.
May you find peace,
Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS
Co-owner and Clinical Director Labels: Choose, holistic, integrated treatment, Recovery Solutions, Research
The impact of alcohol and drug use on relationships can be severe:
---arguments
---misunderstandings
---broken promises
---betrayal
---disappointment
---guilt and shame
Tense situations fueled by alcohol or drugs lower the threshold of our patience, impairs judgment and lessens impulse control, damaging a person or a family for life. This cycle of destructive relationship interactions can continue until one or both of the people get off the sinking ship.
Alcohol Rehab helps you and your loved ones to:
---Recognize that alcohol and drugs are the problem, not the person
---Stop trying to change each other and learn to accept the other person
---Attend support groups to talk to others who understand
---Overcome mistrust and find hope
---Experience relaxation for the first time in a long time
---Be honest in their daily lives
---Recognize the cycle of addiction that leads to relapse and build in new recovery pathways.
I began working with people who suffer from addiction problems since 1981 and have seen hundreds of couples repair and strengthen their relationships with partners, parents, children, extended family, friends and employers. Yes, Alcohol and Drug Rehab will help your relationship. Give yourself a chance to recover.
Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS
Co-Owner and Clinical Director
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Labels: Accept, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcohol-Abuse, Alcoholism, Drug-Abuse, Drugs, Recovery, relationships, Understand
Lasting Recovery Director of Psychiatric Services, Kai MacDonald, MD, has been named one of the Top Three Psychiatrists in San Diego County!
Listed in San Diego Magazines 2009 Physicians of Exceptional Excellence, the article will appear in the October issue of the magazine. To be selected for this honor, doctors received votes from their peers at the San Diego County Medical Society who were asked to whom they would refer their patients and family members.
Dr. MacDonald is a Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and Diplomate, American Board of Family Practice. In addition to his work with Lasting Recovery, he is in private practice and, Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California San Diego, Dept. of Psychiatry, UCSD; Medical Director, Clinical Trials, and Asst. Director, Psychiatry Consult-Liaison Service, Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Unit at UCSD.
Dr. MacDonald is committed to the well being and recovery of clients at Lasting Recovery. We value his warm and concise approach to each client he helps. A part of the treatment team, our staff has received excellent supervision and our clients, superb care for co-occurring disorders. Effective treatment of psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, ADHD and post traumatic stress disorder, occur in more than 50% of alcoholics and addicts seeking treatment for their addictions. The goal of our team is to reduce the symptoms of these inner barriers while helping clients identify their strengths, abilities and goals as they begin the journey of recovery.
Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS Labels: Commentary, psychiatric treatment
Seek help before it's too late. Before the next crisis. If you or some you love is having a problem drinking too much and recognize you have a problem, it is almost a sure thing that there will be even more problems in the future related to your chemical use. Medical problems, family problems and possibly legal problems.
It's a fact: In San Diego Count, on average 2 of our neighbors are killed in alcohol related traffic accidents each week, according to Mothers against Drunk Driving, MADD. San Diego County has the second highest DUI arrests and convictions according to the DUI Arrest Management Systems, in 2005. If you have had one or more DUI arrests, getting effective treatment will be the answer for you.
New and improved research based treatment improves the outcomes of those seeking help. Research shows:
--women stay sober longer if they receive treatment in women only groups
-- medications given for alcohol craving significantly reduce relapses
--motivational and caring treatment approaches with the therapist increases recovery rates
--12 step recovery and an intensive outpatient treatment program doubles the chance of recovery
--cognitive behavioral therapy increases the management of anxiety and depression
--family education is essential to the long term recovery of the entire family
--complete detoxification is essential to effective treatment
Lasting recovery's intensive outpatient treatment is one of many programs in the country that provide these types of services, and one of only a few in San Diego County. If you or your family is seeking treatment, ask about these research based treatment methods. If you are in San Diego county, call us at 858-453-4315. We are here to help you.
Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS
Labels: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Detox, Recover, Recovery, Recovery Women's Treatment; Co-dependency, Treatment
Throughout San Diego County, in areas of La Jolla, Mission Valley, Pacific Beach, and Coronado, people are struggling with trying to stop drinking, and others have given up, thinking to themselves that they are hopeless and why bother, they are unable to stop and stay stopped. Other men, women and young people continue drinking by telling themselves that their problems with alcohol are not that bad.
In denial, these folks may minimize the consequences of using and blame the family or friends for complaining. Denial of addiction is based on the mistaken belief that the person does not have a problem because they still have a job, a family and do not drink every morning.
Some are still working, others have quit or lost their jobs. Some are homeless, but most are at home through San Diego county, being cared for or enabled (actually leading to more severe progression of the disease), by family or friends who wish the person would stop drinking, and yet do not know how to get them to stop.
Living in Late Stage alcoholism is the image of what most people think of when the words alcoholism is mentioned - drinking from early morning, lost job, abandoned by family, multiple legal offenses and treatment programs without gaining substantial periods of recovery.
There are hundreds of people getting sober each day in San Diego. In the Middle and Late Stages of alcoholism and addictions, they call treatment centers and ask for help. They ask for Outpatient or Inpatient detoxification ; ask their doctors for help, or go online and check out the alcohol treatment programs or alcohol rehabs in their area. They show up at AA meetings.
These folks even tell us they are relieved when they get a DUI, knowing that this will be a chance for them to get help to stop drinking.
Identification of the Lat State of Alcoholism:
---the person drinking thinks that responsibilities interfere with drinking.
---loss of job
---radical deterioration of family relationships
---unreasonable resentments
---loss of will power
---onset of lenthy drunks
---moral deterioration
---urgent need for morning drink
---geographic escape attempted (I won't drink in this new town)
---urgent need for morning drink
---impaired thinking
---loss of family
---successive and lengthy drunks
---unable to initiate action
---obsession with drinking
---all alibis exhausted
If you are reaching out for help give us a call here at Lasting Recovery. If we are unable to help yo and your family with our outpatient detoxification, intensive outpatient alcohol and drug program we will refer you to a program that will work for you. If you are a family member and are unable to encourage your family or friend into treatment, we can recommend an Interventionist that will be of help to your family.
Call us at 858-453-4315.
Do not wait any longer. The stakes are too high.
Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS Labels: Alcohol, Alcohol-Abuse, Alcoholism, Detox, Recover
In addressing this Middle Stage of the disease of addiction here in San Diego County, you may be asking the question: Given the already negative effect of drinking alcohol, as outlined in the Early Stage, why do I keep on drinking?
The answer:
There is a growing illusion in this disease, that alcohol is continuing to have the same effects as it once had. We refer to this as Euphoric Recall.
People keep using alcohol for the effect they remember - the drug's action is pleasant or useful, including social or medical uses, and it allows people to temporarily feel more pleasure, less pain or discomfort or both. People recall how alcohol used to help them feel more at ease in social situations. Only now, in the Middle Stage of the addiction, the effects of the drugs have changed.
This Middle Stage is often called the Loss of Control Phase. During this phase drinking has different effects. Occasionally we can drink socially and do not crave the alcohol once we have been exposed to it. Other times we are confused as to why, drinking the same amount, it seemed to take us over. As rationalization begins to dominate the individual, i.e., we make up excuses to ourselves and others as to why we drank more, or ended up in an embarrassing situation. Rationalization are the lies we tell ourselves and how we learn to avoid others because we are thoroughly confused at our behavior. For many of us, we are able to control a lot of things in our life and think that if we just tried a bit harder, we could consistently control our alcohol use as well. So we firmly tell ourselves that we will not drink more than two drinks at the next party, or that we will not drink at all.
We this stage progresses without help, we are unable to keep our commitments to not drink, so we begin making excuses or lying about drinking. We may drink in bars or restaurants to hide the evidence of bottles if we drink at home. Many of us then decide that going out socially to drink alcohol becomes such a disaster that we would rather stay at home and drink.
Our anxiety is actually increasing as the alcohol does progressively more damage to the brain and body. Nutrition is negatively affected, and important vitamins and minerals are depleted. At the same time, we ironically keep remembering that alcohol once reduced fear, anxiety and even anger. It used to help us feel more confident, helped us sleep and reduced physical discomfort.
Instead, what alcohol actually does is cause drowsiness, disorientation and blackouts. Alcohol may impair our motor coordination and cause impaired judgment. Some people will receive a DUI, have an extra marital affair, or make poor financial decisions while under the influence. We may experience nausea or vomiting after drinking - a minor overdose. In this Middle Stage there are increased memory blackouts and the beginning of early morning tremors. Toward the end of this stage, many people begin to break their rules about not drinking before 5, or noon and start earlier and earlier in the day and eventually drink alcohol in the morning. The compulsion to drink overrides commitments we have make to ourselves, to our families, friends and employers.
We then avoid family and friends, and experience a loss of other interests. The efforts to control the drinking fail repeatedly. We are unable to discuss problems as the alcohol has taken over our days and nights. At the end of this stage, we find ourselves drinking alone. If this sounds like a portrait of your life right now, reach out and ask for help.
If we reach out for help now, we will avoid the Late Stage of alcoholism. Our Staff at Lasting Recovery can answer any questions for you or your family member about getting help with detoxification or intensive outpatient treatment. If we are unable to meet your needs for detoxification and outpatient care, we will refer you to a program that can. Give us a call at 858-453-4315.
Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS Labels: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcohol-Abuse, Alcoholism, Detox, Recovery
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