Alcohol and Drug use in San Diego County
Recent news articles have addressed the facts that prevention does not decrease the uptake of drug use among youth and young adults.
Most of the young people in San Diego county use drugs and alcohol for effect: the drug's action is pleasant or useful (this includes medical use); it allows people to temporarily feel more pleasure, less physical or emotional pain or discomfort, or both. People use drugs to relax, the media is filled with messages that social events, parties, ball games, going to the beach, dinner with friends, or partners, or drink to feel more romantic. For 85-90% of the population, it isn't a problem, nor is it an addiction.
Alcohol and drug use becomes a problem when the negative effects outweigh the positive, and a person keeps using it anyway.
The reason for starting on alcohol and drugs in the first place is experimentation. Most alcoholics and addicts began the use of marijuana, cigarettes, alcohol, cocaine or methamphetamine at about age 14 or 15, as experimentation. Many will try prescription drugs, including tranquillizers and opiate pain medications. Opiate medications temporarily reduce painful emotions as a result of divorce, parental conflict, relationship conflict, loss of the first love and reduce anxiety when meeting new groups of people. About 85-90% try it once and never again. This group report they are having recreational experience. The other 10-15% develop a chemical addiction with the substances and are unable to stop. They don't realize that their bodies are predisposed through genetics, stress, and trauma, to want to continue using the chemicals despite the negative effects. The euphoric recall, of the first encounter then drives the obsession to use despite the negative consequences.
The positive effects of alcohol are calming, with reduced fear, anxiety and anger.
There is an increased feeling of well-being, confidence and it is sleep inducing, reducing physical pain or discomfort. The negative effects include drowsiness, disorientation, blackouts, and impaired motor coordination. Add to this, impaired judgment in making any decisions, nausea and vomiting with minor overdose, unconsciousness/coma/death with large overdose, and there are problems in the home, work and adding to the overload in emergency rooms.
If you are living in San Diego county and alcohol and drugs are a problem for you, take the actions to switch beverages and recreational activities. There are plenty of non alcoholic beverages and healthy stimulating fun activities to do in San Diego, on any day of the week. If you need support for stopping your alcohol and drug use, call AA or NA for help in locating a meeting close to you. If you want more education, group treatment and understanding of addiction, recovery and relapse prevention for alcohol or drug use, including prescription drugs given initially for chronic pain, call us at Lasting Recovery. We can help you find the best help for your situation.
Judy Saalinger
Most of the young people in San Diego county use drugs and alcohol for effect: the drug's action is pleasant or useful (this includes medical use); it allows people to temporarily feel more pleasure, less physical or emotional pain or discomfort, or both. People use drugs to relax, the media is filled with messages that social events, parties, ball games, going to the beach, dinner with friends, or partners, or drink to feel more romantic. For 85-90% of the population, it isn't a problem, nor is it an addiction.
Alcohol and drug use becomes a problem when the negative effects outweigh the positive, and a person keeps using it anyway.
The reason for starting on alcohol and drugs in the first place is experimentation. Most alcoholics and addicts began the use of marijuana, cigarettes, alcohol, cocaine or methamphetamine at about age 14 or 15, as experimentation. Many will try prescription drugs, including tranquillizers and opiate pain medications. Opiate medications temporarily reduce painful emotions as a result of divorce, parental conflict, relationship conflict, loss of the first love and reduce anxiety when meeting new groups of people. About 85-90% try it once and never again. This group report they are having recreational experience. The other 10-15% develop a chemical addiction with the substances and are unable to stop. They don't realize that their bodies are predisposed through genetics, stress, and trauma, to want to continue using the chemicals despite the negative effects. The euphoric recall, of the first encounter then drives the obsession to use despite the negative consequences.
The positive effects of alcohol are calming, with reduced fear, anxiety and anger.
There is an increased feeling of well-being, confidence and it is sleep inducing, reducing physical pain or discomfort. The negative effects include drowsiness, disorientation, blackouts, and impaired motor coordination. Add to this, impaired judgment in making any decisions, nausea and vomiting with minor overdose, unconsciousness/coma/death with large overdose, and there are problems in the home, work and adding to the overload in emergency rooms.
If you are living in San Diego county and alcohol and drugs are a problem for you, take the actions to switch beverages and recreational activities. There are plenty of non alcoholic beverages and healthy stimulating fun activities to do in San Diego, on any day of the week. If you need support for stopping your alcohol and drug use, call AA or NA for help in locating a meeting close to you. If you want more education, group treatment and understanding of addiction, recovery and relapse prevention for alcohol or drug use, including prescription drugs given initially for chronic pain, call us at Lasting Recovery. We can help you find the best help for your situation.
Judy Saalinger
Labels: Alcohol-Abuse, Commentary, Drug-Addiction
posted by Lasting Recovery | 7:00 PM
1 Comments:
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