San Diego Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program Blog

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Alcohol and Prescription Drug Use in San Diego County - Are you Becoming Dependent?

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:07:00 +0000

Most people in Carmel Valley, Del Mar, La Jolla, San Diego and Scripps Ranch at least try drinking alcohol sometime during their life. Many others have been given a prescription for pain medication due to an injury, dental or surgical procedure. For many people, the substance makes them feel so good, that they look forward to the drink or pain pill, like a reward for having done a good job at work or school. Unfortunately, some people are genetically wired to like the drug or alcohol so much that they become physically dependent on the substance and physically have to drink more alcohol or take more pills to just feel normal. The amount of time it takes for this to happen varies with the person, gender and the substance. It can take from 6 months to a 2 years for prescription pain medication to become physically dependent and alcohol can take from 2-10 plus years for a person to become dependent. The pattern of symptoms though are similar:

-- drinking or using drugs to calm your nerves
-- occasional memory lapses after heavy drinking or drugging
-- thinking a lot about the next time you will have a drink or use drugs
-- hiding your drugs or alcohol
-- sneaking while you are drinking or doing drugs so you won't be found out
-- feeling guilty about drinking or using the drugs
-- difficulty in your relationships - angry or aggressive over small events
-- deep inside there is a feeling of helplessness; you are drinking or doing the drugs and can't even stop yourself, no how hard you try
-- beginning of depression with the frequent thoughts of feeling hopeless, futile.

If you feel you or a family member is suffering from the use of alcohol or prescription drugs, you may be suffering from a substance use disorder that is causing the problem. Seek help before the symptoms and consequences get more severe. We can help. Professional. Confidential.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

Outpatient Rehab Provides Treatment for Encinitas, Del Mar and and La Jolla Recovery

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 02:00:00 +0000

Facts to Know about Outpatient Treatment for Addictions:

1. Outpatient Detoxification is the first step in developing a foundation for your recovery. Begin treatment by taking good care of your body.

2. Outpatient treatment is just as effective for early and middle stage addiction treatment (those who do not yet have severe medical or legal complications of alcohol and drug abuse and are still working or attending school.

3. Outpatient Womens morning program is ideal for many moms who want sobriety, who are unable to leave their children for 30 days and other women who want their afternoons and evenings free for school or work.

4. Outpatient rehab groups develop the similar cohesion as inpatient treatment, and a sober support system emerges from sharing the common experiences of isolation.

5. Intensive Outpatient treatment spans 70 days on average, allowing you more than double the amount of time to begin to recover from alcohol and/or drug dependence through rehab treatment, meetings, family, relationships and work or school. Adding weekly aftercare for a year provides additional amounts of support for your recovery.

6. Outpatient drug rehab treatment at Lasting Recovery includes traditional addiction psycho-education and wellness programming to help you begin reducing your stress in early recovery from alcohol and drugs.

At the end of outpatient treatment:
---problems seem resolvable. You sit next to other people who are going through the same thing. You realize you don't have to isolate anymore and that you're not alone.
---life is usually easier to manage since your brain neurochemistry is repairing.
---stress levels is down as a result of not using alcohol or drugs and receiving learning how to manage stress more effectively.
---re-connection of the emotional and reward pathways in the brain lead to clearer thinking
---significant reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Benefit from the experience of an outpatient group for 10 weeks and experience the benefits for yourself and your family, of living life clean and sober.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS
Co-Owner and Clinical Director

Prescription Drug Abuse in Carmel Valley, Del Mar, Encinitas and Carlsbad

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:32:00 +0000

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

Holistic Outpatient Drug Rehab in Sorrento Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:30:00 +0000

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

Will Alcohol and Drug Rehab Help My Relationship?

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 02:05:00 +0000

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

Lasting Recovery Director of Psychiatric Services Named one of the Top Three Psychiatrists in San Diego County

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:39:00 +0000

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

DUI? Seeking help for alcohol dependence in San Diego County

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:59:00 +0000

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

Late Stage Alcoholism in San Diego County

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 06:02:00 +0000

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

Development of Alcoholism - Middle Stage

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:48:00 +0000

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

Development of Alcoholism - Early Stage

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 01:00:00 +0000

Every day in San Diego people are feeling confused and asking themselves why they drank an entire bottle, or 2, of wine. Some people have told their wife, husband, friend or child that they were not going to drink more than 2 small glasses. Or that they were going to quit drinking. Some people begin to justify this drinking episode with the thoughts that they changed their mind, or it wasn't that bad, or they could not have an alcohol problem because they do not drink in the morning, or before 5pm, or drink and drive.

How do we know if our drinking is a problem?

Many millions of people are social drinkers and many millions more are just crossing over the line from social drinking into the early stages of alcoholism, or the addiction to alcohol.

The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. They define this disease to be often progressive and fatal. It is characterized by continuous or periodic impaired control over alcohol or drugs, preoccupation with drugs or alcohol, use of addictive substances despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, most notably denial.

The time it takes from the early stage of the disease, to the last stage of addiction, where there are severe medical, family or legal consequences ,varies between men and women. Research has shown that men process the alcohol more quickly in their bodies, and the severe effects take an average of 15 years to show up.   Women, who process the alcohol more slowly, thereby staying in the body longer before it is discarded, the damage occurs within an average of 8 years.

SYMPTOMS OF THE EARLY STAGE
     --- An increase in alcohol tolerance. It takes more than 2 standard drinks to obtain a change in mood.

     --- Drinking to calm nerves. Alcohol or drugs become the favored way to reduce stress, quiet generalized anxiety and fears of the unknown in relation to work, family, finances, or health issues.

     --- Desire to continue when others stop. The loss of control or impaired control begins to take over most drinking experiences. The 2 standard drinks is many times not enough to feed the developing compulsion to drink larger amounts.

     --- Occasional memory lapses after heavy drinking. Research has shown that after only a few drinks, the alcohol can produce impairments in memory that is detectable. The degree of impairment is directly related to the amount of alcohol consumed. When large amounts of alcohol are consumed quickly, as in a binge, the brain and body are overloaded and unable to metabolize the substance. This is the beginning of the brain deficits that occur. Most notably the effects are seen in the lack of ability to transfer new information from short term to long term storage, as in a blackout.

     ---Secret irritation when your drinking is discussed. Many people begin to feel some confusion and guilt about their drinking, and start to rationalize to themselves and others as to why they continue drinking.

Rationalizing, a thought distortion, is the beginning of the development of the psychological defense system of denial. If there is no help requested by the person, or an intervention by the family, workplace or legal system to point out the beginning of the problem of early stage alcoholism, the disease will progress.

Next - Part 2 of 3 - Development of Alcoholism - Middle Stage

Thanks for reading and passing along this information.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D. MFT, CAS

Women Only and Men Only Addiction Treatment Serving San Diego County

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 05:41:00 +0000

Substance abuse and addiction to alcohol and drugs is a problem that extends to people of all ages and genders ( men and women) and is prevalent in most communities in the United States. In fact, more than 700,000 Americans receive alcoholism treatment on any given day, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Treatment program, both private and public in cities throughout San Diego County, from Chula Vista to Lakeside, to Coronado, Del Mar and Carlsbad, are treating people for the destructive effects of chemical addiction. None of these women or men ever thought that they would need treatment. Seek assistance from professionals who can help you recover from chemical dependency. You want the best professional clinicians who are up on the latest research. Are there differences in treatment methods? Yes. One treatment difference is in gender specific groups.

There has been much research done on the differences in how women and men experience alcohol and drug addiction differently.

       --The factors that lead up to the first use of alcohol and drugs is often dissimilar for both sexes.
       --Brain chemistry among men and women shows that women are more sensitive to the reward
value of alcohol and drugs
       --The length of time for the disease of alcoholism to develop in women is eight years on average, and for men it is an average of 15 years.

Both men and women begin using substances for different reasons, referred to as predisposing risk factors, psychological disorders, family and social risk factors. Research by Stephanie Covington, Ph.D., a La Jolla therapist, author and researcher, showed that 74% of women with alcohol and or drug addictions had experienced some form of sexual trauma.

The trauma caused by sexual, emotional or physical abuse can lead to many forms of depression, anxiety, low feelings of self worth, guilt, shame, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Reserch has shown that women are 200 time more likely to develop PTSD from within their family and local communities, as men.

Men, on the other hand, are more likely to have suffered physical abuse and tend to struggle with co-occuring disorders of anxiety and depression along with their alcohol and drug dependency. In addition, men have more substance related legal problems as a result of their difficulty managing anger. Men's issues tend to be related to defiance and opposition.

Women are more likely than men to struggle with issues related to trust, self esteem and developing an assertive voice. In gender specific groups no one has to put up their social/sexual front. Letting down defenses in a safe and secure environment is what makes treatment possible. Many people have not been without a chemical mask on their thinking and emotions for years. When the chemicals are out of one's system, the thoughts and feelings are acknowledged in a safe, and confidential environment.

Lasting Recovery is a gender specific treatment center in San Diego, as we offer groups for women only, men only and also a co-ed group for men and women. If you want a personalized, intimate and caring treatment program for yourself or a family member, give us a call. If we can't help you, we will refer you to a program that can.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.d., MFT, CAS

Treatment of Opiate Dependency in Young Adults in Sorrento Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:24:00 +0000

I have something to celebrate this month - 32 years free from an opiate addiction.

Given opiates for a pain problem that became chronic, I was hooked for 10 years on codeine. As I write this, I recall how grateful I am to be free of the destructive power opiates had over my thoughts, emotions and quality of life.

Drug addiction to opiates in San Diego County continues to be a growing problem. The first time users are usually young men and women, who like myself, are emotionally sensitive and who find reducing emotional and physical pain with opiates quite intoxicating. The euphoria and increased sense of well-being by using the drugs, draw the user back into the illusion that all their emotional and relationship problems related to fear, anxiety and anger, will magically disappear...forever. We are chemically lulled into sleep, thinking that life is, indeed, very good.

However, young women and men, living in all areas of San Diego, including La Jolla, Del Mar or Encinitas, who use opiates begin to realize after a short time that they want more of the drug (the craving has begun, and it is hoped that taking more will make the drug experience better, just like the first use) only this time the drugs do not bring the same positive effects. Instead they feel drowsiness, disorientation and dulled senses. The motor coordination in these young users is effected, and they may prefer to just lay around. Life starts to become depressing. It is not unusual that people begin to use different drugs and perhaps alcohol to try and get the chemical high through mixing substances.

Judgment about important decisions related to work, school money, relationships or family are impaired. People lose jobs, relationships, money and family. By this time, which could be 3-4 months or a couple of years, the positive effects of the drug are no long present, the negative effects of the opiates are dominating the person's life and living revolves around obtaining the drug to avoid the physical withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms include feeling sick, vomiting diarrhea, poor appetite, stomach cramps, dry mouth, restlessness, headache, fainting attacks, stiffness, muscles twitching, fatigue, or tiredness, muscular tension, aches and pains, weakness and insomnia.

Feeling these same withdrawal symptoms for about 6 months, I'm glad I chose to withdraw from the opiates anyway, breaking my dependency on this drug. For 10 years I carried those little white pills in the brown plastic bottle, day and night. I couldn't remember what it felt like without them, and I was willing to give it a try. It had to be better than what I was feeling and the way I was living.

Today, 32 years later, I still know it was the best decision I ever made. I feel great most days and have the opportunity to help others who suffer from addictions.

Our medical director, Michael Markopoulos, MD can help you detox from the opiate/withdrawal wheel with the use of Suboxone. It isn't a long term answer, and it will help you reduce the early symptoms. You don't need to suffer withdrawal for 6 months. After a detox from the opiates you will benefit from entering an outpatient treatment program where you will learn how to stay clean and discover healthy way to meet life's opportunities.

Get the help you need today. Call us at 858-453-4315.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

What is Not-At-Risk Drinking?

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:07:00 +0000

Looking for alcohol in Del Mar or Carmel Valley? You can find large amounts of it for purchase in the grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, bars, gas stations, mini marts and liquor stores, throughout the north coastal areas.

Some people can ignore the multimillion dollar advertising campaign to get you to either order or pick up the alcohol for consumption, while other are seduced into purchasing alcohol regularly and enjoy evening drinks with their friends and family.

Still others will purchase alcohol daily to keep themselves from needing to enter a detoxification and treatment program, in full alcohol withdrawal with shakes and the possibility of a life threatening seizure. Which one are you? Are you safe from the risks of becoming the daily drinker, or the alcoholic?

The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has examined the scientific literature to determine what constitutes not-at-risk drinking. The staff at NIAAA examined the physical, mental, social and legal risks associated with drinking and identified the amount men and women can drink without increased risk. Based on their analyses, the NIAAA recommends that:
--Men should consume no more than 4 standard drinks per day and no more than 14 standard drinks per week.
--Women, who process alcohol differently than men, should consume no more than 3 standard drinks per day and no more than 7 standard drinks per week.
--People 65 years of age and older should not drink more than one drink per day.

A standard drink equals a 12 oz. beer or cooler, 8-9 oz malt liquor, 5 oz of talble wine, or 1.5 oz of 80 proof spirits. Depending on the type of spirits and recipe, one mixed drink can equal from one to three or more standard drinks.

People who exceed the recommended daily limit have engaged in binge drinking.

Of the people who HAVE NOT exceeded the recommended daily and weekly limits in the past year (72% of the U.S. population over age 18), less than 1 in 100 will eventually meet the diagnostic criteria for either alcohol abuse or dependence.

People who HAVE engaged in binge drinking at least once in the previous 12 months (16% of the U.S. Population over the age of 18), 1 in 5, or 20% will eventually meet the diagnostic criteria for either alcohol abuse or dependence.

People who exceed both the limits recommended for daily and weekly use, which is 10% of the U.S. population over the age of 18, 50% or 1 out of 2 people will eventually meet the diagnostic criteria for either alcohol abuse or dependence.

Finally, people who exceed the recommended weekly limit but never binge drink (2% of the U.S. population over the age of 18) about 1 in 12 or 8% , will eventually meet the diagnostic criteria for either alcohol abuse or dependence.

If you want to be safe and reduce your risks for becoming alcohol dependence, don't exceed the daily (a binge) or weekly limit. This is no guarantee, however that trying to reduce the consumption will work, as there are genetic as well as environmental risks factors that lead to continued use despite consequences. If you have tried to reduce your consumption and been unsuccessful, you are not alone. Alcoholism is often described as having an allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind. The overconsumption, fueled by the obsession to continue drinking, can lead to blackouts, personality changes,a loss of self esteem, physical problems, and problems with family, friends, employers and the law.

If you or someone you love is unable to consistently control the amount of alcohol they are drinking, seek help now by using the assessments on our website, www.lastingrecovery.com, to to determine if you have a problem. There are solutions. If you would like more information, give us a call at 858-453-4315.

Judy Saalinger, Ph., D., MFT, CAS

Alcohol Detox in San Diego County

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:28:00 +0000

Do you ever feel sick of drinking alcohol and want to stop. Are the symptoms of withdrawal so uncomfortable that in the past you gave up and went back to drinking and hating yourself for it?
Be motivated to go through the detox and achieve recovery! You are worth it. And you can do it.

Adequate detoxification is important to beginning the longer process of complete physical and psychological withdrawal from alcohol. The proper management of this first stage will maximize your chances of lasting rehabilitation, by providing a net of safety and reduction of harm during alcohol or drug withdrawal. You deserve to have a new beginning.

How do you know if you are already in withdrawal from alcohol or just suffering a bad hangover? The onset of alcohol withdrawal usually occurs between 6 and 24 hours after the last drink, and an uncomplicated withdrawal usually lasts between 1-4 days.

The first thing to do is decide if you or your loved one will need an outpatient or an inpatient detoxification. The greater the amount of alcohol consumed in a day and the longer the period of time of drinking or ingesting drugs in the body, the greater the chances of a complicated withdrawal, which means an inpatient detox would be safest.

To determine if you or someone you love is suitable for an outpatient detoxification which usually lasts from 1-4 days, look at the following list:
      1. Not severely dependent
      2. No previous complicated withdrawal (no seizures, disorientation, confusion or hallucinations)
      3. No concurrent illness, injury or recent surgery
      4. No significant use of other psychotropic drugs that could aggravate withdrawal
      5. You are motivated to achieve abstinence
      6. A reliable caretaker is available.

Daily drinking by men of more than 6 standard drinks (1.5 ozs) a day, and women more than 4 a day, places a person at high risk for a complicated withdrawal. Weekly drinking of 42 standard drinks of alcohol for men and more than 28 for women places a person high risk. Other individual, drug and factors in the environment can effect the level of risk for alcohol related problems.

A simple withdrawal, manageable in an outpatient detoxification can begin by seeming like a hangover or a case of the flu, and usually occurs between 6 and 24 hours after the last drink. Some symptoms include:
     --tremulousness
     --perspiration
     --increased pulse
   --increased temperature
     --nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
     --restlessness, agitation
     --anxiety
     --insomnia, sleeping disturbance
     --fears
     --depression
     --headaches

If you would like more information on our detoxification program for alcohol, drugs or prescription drugs, including Suboxon, give us a call. We can help you 7 days a week.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

Tranquillizer and Sedative Dependence in San Diego Neighborhoods

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 05:48:00 +0000

More and more people who suffer from anxiety or sleeplessness are prescribed medications from their doctors. Some pople find that using these drugs to get high is a dangerous game. Young people are overdosing from using xanax along with opiate medications. We see young people whose have stalled their lives, from Carmel Valley, Del Mar, La Jolla and Encinitas due to the fact that they are suffering from having become dependent on drugs.

These medications are often obtained by young people from drug dealers and older people who tend to go to their physicians. Being unaware that the increasing physical dependence is taking over, these people will take the prescribed 30 days of medications in 2-3 days, leaving them desperate to get more medications. I have spoken with men and women of all ages who were surprised when they found they had taken the entire prescription in a few days, as if they could not get enough. Just like the person who finds that they now cannot stop at just two drinks, the compulsion to drink more or to use more of the drugs overpowers them and their physiological addiction is beginning to take control of their life. Whether it is alcohol or prescription drugs, people are confused and feeling guilty, and desperate, some people will begin to shop for more alcohol or doctors who will fill the prescriptions for the narcotics. Others will go on the internet and order a large supply of drugs which are then delivered within a day or two. Some people who are not addicted will go to Mexico to purchase the drugs from the pharmacies who sell to them without a prescription.

If you find that you are physically dependent on these medications, do not try to detox yourself. Withdrawal from alcohol, valium, librium, xanax and ambien,can cause severe anxiety symptoms, including seizures.

Lasting recovery Outpatient Detoxification offers confidential medically supervised detoxification from alcohol and prescription drugs. Our Medical Director, Michael Markopoulos, MD can help you with early recovery cravings for alcohol including Naltrexone, and Suboxon for opioid dependence.
You do not have to recover alone. Call Lasting Recovery for help with your chemical dependency treatment needs.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

Prescription Drug Addiction in San Diego County

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:57:00 +0000

Men and women of all ages, from San Diego County, including Coronado, La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach and Carmel Valley contact us for information on what to do when they are afraid of stopping the use of these prescription drugs, including opiates and tranquillizer medications. Some attempts to stop use of the drugs, fail because of the severity of the withdrawal symptom. They report being extremely sick from opiates or experiencing severe anxiety from the tranquillizer or sedative medications including Xanax and Ambian. We often see people taking the opiates and tranquillizers or sedatives in a dangerous combination.

What is considered prescription drug abuse? Although most people take prescription medications responsibly, Nora Volkow, MD, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse stated recently that the nonmedical use or abuse of prescription drugs is a serious and growing public health problem in the country.

OPIATE ABUSE/DEPENDENCE
Research by the National Institute on Drug Abuse monitoring survey of grades 8 through 12, found that 9.3 percent of 12 graders reported using Vicodin without a prescription in the past year and 5.0 percent reported using OxyContin - making these medications among the most commonly abused prescription drugs by adolescents.

We have seen young adults who were introduced to opiates by being prescribed Vicodin or even OxyContin for sports injuries in high school, then abusing the drugs for recreation. They like the high they get and want increased doses as they gradually become addicted to the opiates and begin to buy them from local drug dealers. We see many young people from 18-26 whose lives have never gotten started on a solid drug free foundation and others whose work and academic careers are failing because of the physical, emotional, social and financial problems crated by addiction.

OxyContin is classified as a synthetic opiate and will give these young abusers a feeling similar to high grade heroin, but the physical withdrawal symptoms last longer. Symptoms of withdrawal include: perpetually being tired, hot/cold sweats, vomiting, nausea, heart palpitations, joints and muscles in constant pain, uncontrollable coughing, diarrhea, insomnia, restlessness, involuntary leg movements, watery eyes, excessive yawning, depression and cold flashes with goose bumps, hence the name cold turkey.

Symptoms can be reduced by using buprenorphine, sold as Suboxone. This medication is prescribed by certified physicians and through some treatment centers on a short term basis to help those with opioid addiction to recover from their dependence. At Lasting Recovery, the Director of Medical Services, Michael Markopoulos, MD is able to help those suffering from opioid addiction to detox with Suboxone.

If you or a family member is abusing these highly addicting opioid medications, reach out and get help. No one thinks it will happen to them. There is no shame in being addicted. The switch from pharmaceutical grade drugs to smoking, snorting or injecting heroin is the next step and sometimes a fatal one.

Lasting Recovery Outpatient Alcohol and Drug Addiction, located in San Diego, just north of Miramar Marine base, and University Town Center, in the Sorrento Mesa area, offers outpatient detoxification services for freedom from opioid, tranquillizer, sedative or alcohol dependence.
Don't put your life on hold any longer.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

Outpatient Detoxification for Alcohol and Drugs in Sorrento Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Mon, 25 May 2009 04:35:00 +0000

Do you try to stop using alcohol and drugs and find yourself so sick, shaky or anxious that you give up by saying your self: what's the use, why bother? You are not alone. Many people in San Diego county are dependent on alcohol and or drugs and convince themselves that it is easier to live with the addiction than trying to stop drinking or using drugs.

Outpatient Detoxification, is the first step on the road of recovery, and is provided over 3 days, minimum, if you qualify medically. If you have experienced seizures in previous detox episodes, it would be safer for you be in an inpatient facility. If you would like to find out if your drinking and drugging can be stopped in an outpatient detoxification setting, give us a call. We are here, even in the evenings and on the week-ends to help you with a new beginning.You don't have to isolate or hide evidence of your substance use any more.

There are hundreds of men and women in La Jolla or Del Mar who would love to give up the shame and guilt of lying about their alcohol or drug use. Having to sneak a drink, whether it be in the afternoon or the morning is a sure sign that you have passed the limits of social drinking and now it is becoming a medical problem.

Please know that alcohol and drug dependence is not only very dangerous, but in some cases can be deadly, especially if alcohol and drugs are used in combination with one another. Alcohol and cocaine or tranquillizer medications used together generally alters the body signals to tell you that your body is on a dangerous alcohol overload. Using opiate pain medications or heroin can shut down body in overdose and death.

The process of detoxification allows you to stop using the substances and gives you time to clear out harmful chemicals and toxins that your brain has gotten used to. Being free of alcohol and drugs is the first step in allowing your brain to begin producing neurotransmitters that had been previously altered so you can feel your brain and body pleasures again. Alcohol and drugs have hijacked the brain to alter the natural experience of pleasure. Most people at this point in their alcohol and drug use are using just to feel normal. Begin detoxing now and help yourself and your family.

If you want to stop drinking alcohol, or get off the addictive cycle of opiate pain pills or tranquillizers, call and get the help you need now. Call us at Lasting Recovery Outpatient Detox at 858-453-4315, or 800-808-6373.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

Women and Men with Alcohol Problems Begin their Healing In Sorrento Mesa

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:20:00 +0000

How can you tell if you have a problem with alcohol? After all, it seems as if alcohol is served everywhere in La Jolla, Del Mar, Carmel Valley, Rancho Santa Fe, and Mission Hills, even at the spa and beauty salons. Alcohol is served at parties to celebrate your local soccor, basketball, football, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Indian Princess activities. Co-workers and business associates in Sorrento Valley, La Jolla and Downtown San Diego, attorneys throughout San Diego County, get together for dinner and drinks, create events such as wine clubs and wine tasting parties for fundraising or social events. Opportunities to drink alcohol are scattered throughout communities in San Diego.

If you are questioning your drinking and if you work or do not work, are a parent or not, here are a few questions you might want to ask yourself:

Do I want to go to the activity because alcohol is going to be served, or because it usually becomes a big drinking event for me?
Do I have a rule for myself about drinking and driving with my children or their friends in the car? Have I ever broken that rule, or thought about breaking it, just one time?
Am I isolating with my alcohol or prescription drugs in my room, while my family is being together and doing homework, talking or watching TV?
Am I isolating with my alcohol or drugs and not returning phone calls, avoiding friends and family because I would rather come home from work, get comfortable and drink my alcohol, alone, with no one bothering me, except the cat?
Do I wonder if my alcohol and drugs are really more important to me than my partner/spouse/chidren, even though I hate to think like this?
Do I hide bottles in trash cans that belong to my neighbor or drop them off in different neighborhoods so I will not be discovered?
Do I go to different liquor stores so the clerks will not ask me why I was just here buying alcohol yesterday, or earlier today?
Do I usually defend my alcohol purchase by saying that I am getting ready for a big party - usually with myself, however I do not say that.
Do I think I might have some physical pain this weekend, so I call the doctor and lie about my current level of pain so I can get a refill from the pharmacy for my favorite prescription medication?
Have I ever gone to see doctors including than my primary or family physician, trying to get a prescription for tranquillizers or opiate pain medication, knowing I would drink alcohol with the pills?
Have I ever thouight maybe I was addicted to alcohol or to the prescription drugs?

If you would like to do an online assessment, go to our home page and find alcohol and drug assessments. Or call our office at 858-453-4315.

Only you can decide if your drinking or drug use has moved from social use, to early or middle stage addiction.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

Relapse Prevention Treatment for Addicted Women in San Diego County

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:21:00 +0000

How many times have you said to yourself that you were not going to drink or use drugs again, then found yourself with a drink, a line or a prescription bottle in your hand? Many women discover that the relationship they were in during their alcohol and/or drug use, or a new relationship begun in early recovery, is a trigger for relapsing. Letting go of the relationship with alcohol and drug use is essential to recovery. For most people who have addictions, the substance is number one relationship in their lives, and people, including spouses, children, and parents become number 2. The number one relapse trigger for women who are trying to remain free of alcohol and drugs, is a relationship difficulty. If your drinking and/or use of drugs was connected with a difficult relationship, get some support from others who understand the strain addiction has on relationships and marriages.

Research has shown that alcohol and drug treatment for women is most effective when learning includes an understanding of the development of codependency in relationships. Women often value pleasing and seek approval from others, over their own self care and sobriety. Alcohol and drug treatment for women in groups with other women, help to build self esteem, boundaries and increase effective communication with others, the essential foundation for long term quality of life issues. Family education and family therapy helps family members also understand the effects of chemical addiction on their side of the relationship with the chemically dependent woman, and to make changes for healthier communication patters. Listening and being heard and understood are the hallmarks of creating intimacy in relationships that has been robbed by the addiction.

Depression and anxiety are common co-occurring problems with women who seek treatment for alcohol and prescription drug dependence. An effective treatment program will help women to understand distortions in thinking and feeling states impacted by alcohol and drugs.

Lasting Recovery will help you make the changes you need to get your life back on track. If are unable to help you with the range of services we offer, we will refer you to the wonderful resource network of other providers and centers that will be able to be of service to you.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

Women Alcohol Drinkers Face Breast Cancer in San Diego County

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:04:00 +0000

Ladies and Girlfriends, be aware of what you consume!

The official word the UK Department of Health, as reported in Joined Together, a service for the latest information on alcohol and drug dependence and effective treatment, reports that women who drink regularly face an increased risk of breast cancer by 50%.

The BBC reported recently that women who consume more than 14 standard units of alcohol weekly raise their risk of developing breast cancer by 50 percent. A standard unit is 5 oz, or about 5 glasses of wine per standard bottle. The majority of women drinkers,who live in Carmel Valley, Mission Hills, La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, and Del Mar, who come to intensive outpatient alcohol treatment to receive treatment and recovery, have reported drinking from 1-2 bottles of wine in an evening, adding up to 10 standard units at one sitting!

If you or someone you love is drinking 3 or more bottles of wine in a 7 day week, the chances of breast cancer risk increases by 50%.

With stronger wines being poured into bigger glasses these days in bars and restaurants, a single glass of wine can contain up to 3.5 units of alcohol. Most women don’t realize how much they are drinking.

Experts say that alcohol use causes about 2,000 breast-cancer cases a year in the U.K. How many cases in the U.S. are related to drinking?

If you are a woman and would like to cut down on your alcohol intake, give us a call. Helping women to live healthy and productive lives is our mission.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

Outpatient treatment for women who love wine in San Diego and Carmel Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:38:00 +0000

According to a recent British survey, 8 out of 10 bottles of wine consumed at home are purchased by women. Drinking wine has replaced the social connection of having a cup of coffee with friends.

The problem is that women do not think drinking wine 3-4 times a week is a problem. Most women who call an outpatient alcohol and drug treatment program for alcohol treatment are dependent on wine.

Wine is packaged and sold throughout grocery stores, and many women think it is a food item. Wine is displayed in the vegetable section, the bread and bakery section, the candy section, end aisles, front aisles, the potato chip section and all sections in between. It’s no wonder that women in Carmel Valley, Del Mar, Encinitas, La Jolla and Scripps Ranch purchase and drink it. Consumers are seduced by hundreds of millions of dollars spent in research and marketing by the brewers to get the women to pick up the bottle of wine.

I have heard college educated women say that they could not have an alcohol problem, because they only drink wine. They think alcohol is a food group. And it is not.

Yet women are frequently drinking and isolating at home, becoming more depressed and anxious, and feeling more and more lonely. Why the loneliness? We have given our personal power over to the substance in a bottle. We think it will change our mood state and give us a euphoric feeling, yet the downside is that we become depressed and anxious, feeling guilty because we cannot keep our commitment to just have one or two drinks.

Women often have a 2 drink rule. If a women has a problem with being unable to consistently control the amount and effects of alcohol, feels urgency to drink and sneaks or hides alcohol, she could be in the early stage of alcohol dependence.

Two drinks does not seem like it provides effective emotional effects, e.g. a mood change, and a sort of compulsion takes over. The needs of the body to satisfy the growing physical and psychological need for alcohol, undermine her thoughts, emotions and behaviors. In this case, women cannot consistently control the amount of alcohol they are drinking and the 2 drinks turns into 6 or 8 drinks, an overload to the mind and body.

Drinking alcohol whether it be wine, beer, vodka or whiskey, while ignoring the feedback from others that the alcohol is a problem just adds to the confusion and need to drink more.

If drinking wine is beginning to be a problem for you, call us for outpatient alcohol treatment, where you can attend during the day, from 10-1pm, or evening from 6-9pm. Take the steps now to get back your health. Now is the time to decide and act.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

Outpatient Alcohol and Drug Detoxification serving Carmel Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 01:03:00 +0000

Detoxification from alcohol and drugs can be a mixed experience. You are saying no more, ever again, to the destructiveness of addictive substances, and yes to your life in the hopes of a better future. Many people are surprised when they realize they are addicted and unable to stop using the alcohol, prescribed opiate medication,e.g. Hydrocodone, Norco, Percocet, Ultram, OxyContin; or tranquilizer medications, e.g. benzodiazepines such as Valium, Xanax, Alprazolam, Ambian and others.

Some people attempt to detoxify at home, or see their physicians for a brief office visit, or seek inpatient detoxification for dangerous symptoms of withdrawal. Outpatient Detoxification through an outpatient alcohol and drug treatment center over 3 or more days, provides the confidentiality of an office detox, and a physical and psychological assessment to provide you with information to help you make choices to stay clean and sober.

Alcohol withdrawal can cause seizures, and you may need 24 hour care if you have a co-occuring medical condition such as diabetes. Withdrawal can be experienced as a severe hangover with symptoms rated mild to severe and lasts for several days.

Withdrawal symptoms from alcohol may include:
-Upset stomach, nausea
-Headaches
-Shaking (tremors in hands and body)
-Fearful (panic attack)
-Difficulty sleeping (insomnia, nightmares)
-Increased body temperature
-Increased breathing and heart rate

Call your physician, a friend, family member or Lasting Recovery if you think you might be in trouble detoxing from an addictive substance on your own. There will be discomfort, and there is the promise of a new beginning in sobriety.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

Women and Alcohol Problems in San Diego North County?

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:25:00 +0000

Are women who drink wine with their friends in Del Mar, Encinitas, Carmel Valley and La Jolla, alcoholics?

Women who have a few social drinks now and then, are probably not alcoholics. Some, however, may be on their way to developing an addiction to alcohol.I get calls every day from women who think they might have an alcohol problem, and women who know they have a drinking problem and are asking for help.

When I was struggling to understand my drinking behavior over 25 years ago , I felt guilty and confused. I thought I should be able to control the effects of my drinking. Betty Ford and Elizabeth Taylor, two very famous women in our country, could not control the amount they drank either. These women identified a pattern of drinking behavior that was predictable, and distinguished them from light social drinkers. Knowing that they could face their problem with alcohol gave me courage to face mine.Read over the following list of predictable behaviors for alcohol dependency and see if you can identify with any of the following. If so, you are not alone.

___Buying liquor at more than one location to keep the quantity secret.

___Hiding bottles or cans of alcohol or secretly disposing of them.

___Advance planning to reward yourself with heavy drinking.

___Memory loss after drinking too much.

___Feeling sick and hung over after drinking.

___Feeling afraid you made a fool of yourself the night before.

___Drinking alcohol before leaving the house for party or event

___Drinking to feel wittier, more relaxed, or less anxious.

___Uncertain about going to events where there will not be alcohol.

___Entertaining or creating situations so you can drink alcohol.

___Avoiding discussions, literature or TV programs on alcoholism.

___Carrying liquor in your purse, car or at the office.

___Becoming defensive when someone questions you about drinking.

___Are angry that other people are trying to control you and your drinking.

___Drinking while angry, upset, depressed, or under stress.

___Driving after you have been drinking alcohol, feeling certain you can drive.

___Switching types of alcohol to prevent becoming too intoxicated.

___Drinking at work or at your activities with your children.

___Other people show concern about how much you drink.

___Breaking promises to others because of drinking.

___Feeling crazy or overwhelmed but knowing why.

___Feeling guilt and remorse for behavior while drinking.

___Being unable to predict how many drinks will be consumed in one sitting.

___Drinking more than planned or faster than other people do.

___Feeling like it is impossible or difficult to stop drinking without help.

If you can relate to some of the above questions, talk to someone who understands what you are going through and get the help you need. You do not need to suffer any longer.Call Lasting Recovery toll free: 800-808-6373, or in San Diego County, 858-453-4315.

Judy Saalinger, Ph.D., MFT, CAS

San Diego County Responds to the Amethyst Initiative

noreply@blogger.com (Lasting Recovery) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:39:00 +0000

The Amethyst Initiative

PART 2

Combating underage drinking must come from education and community support. The beginning of alcohol and drug use is becoming more prevalent in junior high, as this is when hormone-driven risky behavior begins. Educators, counselors and administrators should be trained to see the signs of early use in teens. Counselors should be trained in intervention techniques and communication with students families. This should be true for facilities through college and trade schools.

Families need to stay involved in their young ones lives. The most successful discussions with young people are non-accusatory, supportive and engaging. Discuss the facts, get all the information and help find solutions through support rather than using scare tactics. This loving support will give young people a sense of self-worth and the confidence to be drug-free (Dr. Rob, 2003).

City and school law enforcement must stand firm on zero-tolerance laws regarding underage drinking. Despite many states adopting these laws, consistent enforcement wavers. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, stated in 2006 that when the first eight States to adopt zero-tolerance laws were compared with nearby States without such laws, the zero-tolerance States showed a 21-percent greater decline in the proportion of single-vehicle night-time fatal crashes involving drivers under 21, the type of crash most likely to involve alcohol. Resources must be available to see these laws into action.

Alcohol is widely available and promoted to young people in America today. Though underage drinking use is regarded as a normal part of growing up by some people, it is dangerous for the drinker and the community as evident by the number of alcohol-related accidents and crimes. Adolescents are at greater risk for development of health-related issues due to alcohol abuse and adverse consequences including risky behavior and poor school performance.

Lowering the legal drinking age would not help the problem of underage drinking but aggravate it. William Cope Moyers, executive director of the Hazelden Center for Public Advocacy and a recovering alcoholic said, "Twenty-one is not working according to the college presidents statement. But from my own experiences a long time ago, 18 never worked either" (Hazelden, 2008).

References

Alcoholics Anonymous (2007). Young people and AA. New York, NY: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services.Discovery Health (2006).

Underage drinking nets alcohol industry billions. Dr. Rob (2003). Teen center: teens and risky behavior – One nurse's plea to teens.

Hazelden (2008). Debate to lower drinking age builds despite 21'a success.

NIAAA (2006). Alcohol alert. Retrieved January 17, 2008, from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/

Spears & Spears (2008). In tandem: reading and writing for college students. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Your comments are appreciated. Given that most adults who suffer from alcohol problems began in their teens, keeping the age of drinking at 21 seems the most prudent decision.

Tamra Anderson, Clinical Administrator

Lasting Recovery