Recovery from Nicotine Addiction in San Diego County

When asking an incoming client to our alcohol and drug addiction treatment program if they smoke and have they considered quitting, they respond with, “I can’t possible stop drinking and doing drugs, and stop smoking at the same time!”
Yet, it has been recently shown by researchers that quitting smoking and drinking simultaneously may aid sobriety.

Join Together, a newsletter advancing effective alcohol and drug policy, prevention and treatment recently reported that people trying to quit drinking experience more cognitive improvements when they simultaneously stop smoking, as well. Researchers studied brain scans of 37 subjects in treatment for alcohol addiction and found that smoking alcoholics compared to non smoking alcoholics, did not recover some cognitive functioning. Skills such as decision-making, speed thinking, 3-D visualization and short term memory continued to be impaired. While it isn’t clear what differences in brain functioning were present prior to the smokers first cigarette, it is known that a higher percentage of people with ADHD, anxiety disorders and bi-polar disorder, are smokers.

I smoked my first cigarette at age 10 and by age 14, I was a daily smoker. After trying to quit at least 50 times, I finally did it. But only after I was able to get off of a 10 year addiction to prescription drugs. Not an easy feat by any means. Now I understand why it was so hard…my decision making skills were eroding, I couldn’t think very fast and my short term memory was weak. No wonder I couldn’t stay quit. I couldn’t remember that I had told myself that I wasn’t going to smoke anymore. Seems that is the way of all addictions; we say we will quit, then forget what we said and start drinking or doing drugs again.

Join Together notes that experts say that a delay in addressing nicotine addiction could lead to chemical-dependency relapse if smokers try to quit while in early recovery. If clients aren’t ready to quit smoking and drinking at the same time, we encourage people to wait until they have developed several relapse prevention tools before they begin the quitting process. Relapse into smoking can take a person back to their active addiction whether it be alcohol or drugs. There is research to indicate that people who quit smoking crack cocaine and cigarettes have increased recovery rates as a result of not experiencing the triggering effects of a similar oral and physical sensations and class of drugs.

In San Diego county, with smoking bans in the workplace and restaurants, we see fewer of our clients who are still smoking by the time they come for treatment. Education and awareness of the effects of the drug nicotine addiction are important in overall health and wellness.

We are pleased to note that Art Farkas, Ph.D., our co-owner and co-director, published over 40 articles in peer reviewed journals related to smoking cessation while on the faculty of the School of Medicine, University of California San Diego. The facts speak for themselves.

Judy Saalinger

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

Prescription Drug Addiction in San Diego County

I have noted the increase in prescription drug dependence among young adults ages 17-25 who are addicted to prescription drugs. For residents in San Diego County, the problem of abusive distribution of prescription drugs is further compounded by our close proximity to Tijuana. Teenagers stream across the border to Tijuana and come back with any narcotic prescription drug they want. The story I hear when treating these young people, is that if you are tall enough to put your money on the counter, the clerk will sell you the prescription drugs. Here's information on another side of the problem, an article from Join Together.org.

California Targets Top Abusers of State Prescription Drug System

The California attorney general's office has announced a crackdown on prescription drug fraud that will start by targeting 50 individuals with the most extensive track record of visiting multiple doctors and pharmacies to get drugs, the Imperial Valley News recently.

California Attorney General Edumnd Brown Jr. reported that prescription drug addicts are abusing the system, draining time and money from hundreds of doctors and pharmacies who are there to help real sick people. He noted the dangerous cycles of fraud and abuse.

A statewide campaign was launched in June to address prescription drug abuse and make it easier for doctors to keep track of prescription drug records. The plan includes a proposal to ensure health professionals access to computers with real-time updated information describing patient prescription drug histories.

The initiative has led to dozens of arrests of individuals suspected of gaming the system to fraudulently obtain large quantities of controlled prescription drugs.

Commentary - Prescription Drug Dependence

Prescription Drug Dependency is a growing problem in our communities. Media advertising and the ease physicians have in prescribing opiate pain medication and tranquillizers, from teenagers to the elderly, has contributed to the excessive number of prescription pill addicts.

The addiction generally begins because a patient is experiencing a physically or emotionally painful condition for which they either receive an opiate to reduce the symptoms of physical pain or a tranquillizer or sedative medication to reduce anxiety and promote sleep. After the initial symptoms have decreased, the dependency upon them may be developing. Who is prone to become addicted to these meds?

• Men and women who have a prior history of not being able to easily stop their drinking, who drink in excess of 1-2 drinks at a sitting.
• Men and women who have a family history of alcoholism or drug addiction.

Taking a look at our addiction history, whether to alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, or prescription drugs will help us determine if we have the potential to abuse or become dependent on prescription drugs. There are healthier methods of pain reduction and relaxation. Turning to a drug only increases the problem.

Denial - The Barrier to Alcohol and Drug Treatment in San Diego

Reprinted from Join Together - Advancing effective alcohol and drug policy, prevention and treatment
Unmet Need for Drug Treatment
October 7, 2008
Research Summary

According to data from the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 82% of the estimated 7.5 million who needed treatment for an illicit drug problem in the past year did not receive it.
While there are many reasons for not receiving treatment, a primary one appears to be a lack of perceived need. Nearly all (91%) of those who were assessed as needing but did not receive treatment for illicit drug problems said that they did not feel that they needed treatment. Similar results were found for alcohol treatment.
A lack of perceived need for treatment may mean that people don’t think they have a problem, they think their problem is not serious enough to warrant treatment, or they think they can handle their substance use problem on their own.

Reprinted from CESAR Fax, a weekly, one-page overview of timely substance abuse trends or issues, from the Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) at the University of Maryland.

COMMENTARY

Use of chemical substances has increased dramatically over the past years due to exposure through the media, increased glamorization and use of substances for recreation and availability to people of all ages. The people I see in treatment are the lucky ones. They are part of the 18% or 1,350,000 this year who did receive some form of treatment for this devastating brain disease. Why? What is the reason they are in treatment for their addictions and not others? The main reason is that they overcame their Denial. Denial is psychological term for a group of behaviors that evolve to protect oneself from reality.

Addiction is subtle in the way in takes over a person's life. Like a cancer is remains undetected until it creates severe enough problems to get your attention. Addiction is a chronic and progressive disease, and has specific symptoms in the Early, Middle and Late stages. Most people don't think they are addicted, even though they may realize that they are experiencing difficulty stopping or cutting down on a substance (alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, meth, tranquillizers, opiate pain medications, heroin and others). As denial begins, we minimize the amount we use or the consequences, and avoid anyone who might ask us why we are drinking or using more. We may feel guilty for our behavior change. For many of us, we believe we know what an alcoholic or addict looks like and acts like, and it isn't us. Our psychological defense mechanisms then attempt to avoid reality and convince others and ourselves that we don't have a problem with alcohol and drugs.

If you have had consequences related to your use, or anyone has suggested to you that you may have a problem with alcohol, marijuana, stimulants or opiates, take the quiz on our website and save yourself. No one else can do it for you.

Judy Saalinger

Fearless Change Podcast - Embrace the Choice to Reinvent Your Life, part 1

FEARLESS CHANGE PODCAST Part 1
Embrace the Choice to Reinvent Your Life
By Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

In the FEARLESS CHANGE PODCAST you will discover insights to easily identify and take actions toward positive change in your recovery from alcohol and drug dependency. Recovery begins with loss. Accept and embrace what you cannot change, and allow yourself the freedom to trust rather than fear the unknown. You will increase the quality of your emotional sobriety once you learn to act on the 6 Choices of Change.

You can learn how to recover from the effects of addiction, depression, anxiety and the necessary losses in life.

ADDICTION
CHRONIC PAIN, ILLNESS
FAMILY DYSFUNCTION
ANGER OR CONTROL
SHAME, PERFECTIONISM
DISHONESTY
DIFFICULTY ACCEPTING YOUR SELF
RELAPSE INTO YOUR OLD WAYS

Please Enjoy Part 1 of the FEARLESS CHANGE Podcast

Parity at Last for Alcohol and Drug Addictions

Americans across the country now have parity for alcohol and drug addictions and mental health problems.The Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, advocated throughout the country for the past decade, passed both houses of Congress today. Stigma is still strong against people with addiction problems.

I just completed an alcohol and drug educational session and one of the most important concerns of people in the early part of their addiction recovery is how to explain why they have been out of work for the past couple of months, why they are not in school this semester, why they don't have a car, or why their children aren't living with them at this time.

The brain disease of addiction acts like a thief, a taker. Addiction takes people's self respect, jobs, driver's licenses, money, kids, education and health, damages their relationships with themselves and others. Alcohol and drug recovery helps these men and women restore their self esteem and recognize that yes, they are responsible for putting back the pieces of the wreckage created by them when they were not really themselves. Hopefully this legislation will begin to remove the stigma of addiction and allow addiction to be an 'acceptable' disease.

Judy Saalinger

Foundational 50 #10 Safe from Harm

Day 10. Safe from Harm

"No matter what happens in your life, you've got to believe, 'this too shall pass' and if you keep persisting, you'll find a way."
--Anon

Safety needs are survival needs. Feeling trust in ourselves and others is difficult when we are using alcohol and drugs. Many of us can't trust ourselves to say no to drinking our using drugs, even though we swore we would not drink alcohol or use drugs again, ever. Addiction to alcohol and drugs is stronger than our will power, as the substances have changed our brain chemistry and when we are craving we feel we will die unless we get the substance in our bodies. Some of us can feel safe having a couple of drinks or do just a small amount of drugs. And we can do this sometimes, until the compulsion takes over and we end up in saying or doing things we wish we hadn't, or we experience a blackout and don't recall what happened. We threatened our own safety and the safety of others because the destructive power of the substances took over our brain and our actions.

Choose to stop using alcohol and drugs, and end the powerful pull the addiction has had in your life. It takes thoughtful action to choose to live life fully. Just for today. To be truly safe from harm, we must first reclaim our own thoughts, emotions and actions without the mind altering effects of alcohol and drugs on our choices.


UNFULFILLED

Frightened of situations, relationships do not feel physically or emotionally safe; avoid social situations, isolating, afraid for what we will do our say to others; or too trusting of others, loosing our ability to take responsibility for our actions, ignore, deny, minimize, rationalize and neglect our own and others safety and well being.

SATISFIED

Listen to your intuition and rational mind about your alcohol and drug use. Keep your commitment to yourself to reach out to a recovery activity, begin treatment for your addiction, talk to people you can trust and let them know you can't trust your own commitment to not use alcohol and drugs despite the negative consequences to you and others. Reach out to sober people.

TRY THIS:

* List the consequences that have happened as a result of being under the influence of chemicals
* Write out a personal commitment to yourself to stick to a recovery plan, attend an AA or NA meeting, sign up for a treatment program, call someone you know who has knowledge of addictions, or call a therapist, or AA Central in your community. There is someone on call 24 hours a day.

What are you willing to say or do today to feel safe?


What would give you a ten, 50 days from now? Write down this goal:


Take an action today to keep your commitment to feel safe today.


Be safe today.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS