US Researchers at NIDA report having identified a key brain mechanism, better explaining how and why cocaine addiction occurs.

Announced last week, January 7th 2009, government scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) said that the new discoveries about the root of cocaine addiction could lead to the development of new drug treatments.

In experiments with mice, scientists showed how cocaine affects the epigenetic process histone methylation. Prolonged cocaine use, they found, can cause permanent changes to the way certain genes turn on and off.

Epigenetic is a process that influences a gene’s expression or appearance without changing the underlying DNA sequence, causing the gene to behave, or express, itself differently.

Histone methylation is the modification of certain amino acids in a histone protein, or the protein around which a DNA strand wind, which essentially turns the DNA off.

Cocaine in the brain prevents the enzyme from shutting off genes in the pleasure circuits of the brain, heightening cravings for more cocaine.

Furthermore, scientists were able to reverse the effects by increasing the activity of that particular gene, completely reversing the effects of chronic cocaine use. As well, scientists reported that it is likely that this be the same process for other addictions, including alcohol addiction, thereby potentially leading to new, more effective, addiction treatments.

“This fundamental discovery advances our understanding of how cocaine addiction works," Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of NIDA, said via press release. "Although more research will be required, these findings have identified a key new player in the molecular cascade triggered by repeated cocaine exposure, and thus a potential novel target for the development of addiction medications."

The findings also help to explain addiction’s long-term cravings and relapse despite periods of total abstinence.

Source: Business Week & Ottawa Citizen

Labels: Addiction Treatment, Alchohol Addiction, Cocaine, Drug Addiction

According to a new study, fruit flies show both desperation and relapse when exposed to alcohol for a length of time.

Researchers say their study may shed light on the genetic roots of alcohol addiction.

Fruit flies, it may seem strange, are often used for genetic studies due both to their rapid reproductive rate, as well as their chemical pathways similar to humans. Previously, fruit flies were used for intoxication and tolerance studies.

This new study out of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) looked specifically at addiction, with the hope of later working “out the genes underlying addiction-like behaviours,” co-author Anita Devineni told National Geographic News.

For the first experiment, fruit flies were presented with two different liquids—one containing ethanol (a form of alcohol) and the other without. The flies were given unlimited access to the liquids, although feeders were only refilled once a day. The fruit flies showed an overwhelming preference for the alcohol-filled liquid.

Furthermore, the more they drank of it, the more they seemed to crave it—their bouts of drinking became more frequent over time.

In the second experiment, researchers tainted the alcoholic liquid with substances known to normally repulse fruit flies. However, they drank on!

Researchers then forced the flies into a three-day dry spell—quite a bout of time when your lifespan is about 30 days. As soon as the flies were offered the alcoholic liquid again, the flies returned to drinking at the same levels as before the enforced dry spell, very similar to an alcoholic’s relapse.

The next stage of research is in hopes of identifying the genes behind relapse, potentially leading to a lasting and effective addiction treatment for alcoholism.

The findings appear in Current Biology.

Source: National Geographic News

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Alcohol

Just in time for the Holidays, yet another reason to eat chocolate!

The “healing” properties of chocolate have long been suspected—the euphoric rush of endorphin triggered love-like feelings, the surge of satisfaction. For some, chocolate is even an aphrodisiac. Dark chocolate, with its high levels of antioxidants, has been purported to have a number of health benefits, from anticancer, to cough preventer and antidiarrhoeal effects.

There are also many connections between the foods we eat and addiction, with a great deal of research on addiction and nutrition. Good nutrition has proven to positively impact symptoms of withdrawal and craving. At Heritage Home, we have seen it for ourselves, taking great care to incorporate a healthy menu into our holistic addiction therapy program.

New research from the Nestle Research Centre in Lausanne, Switzerland now suggests that a daily dose of dark chocolate reduces stress in those experiencing high levels—great news for all of us here as we approach this chocolate-filled time of year. Recovering from alcohol or drug addiction can be a highly stressful experience as you learn to live and experience your life free of drugs and alcohol. And a new stress reliever is always welcomed news.

In their most recent study, Nestle researchers studied 30 healthy adult men and women who consumed two portions of 20 grams of dark chocolate daily for 14 consecutive days. Participants were split into two groups—low stress and moderate stress as measured by a questionnaire.

Individuals reporting higher levels of stress had such anxiety traits as experiencing higher levels of everyday stress, showing distinct differences in energy and hormonal metabolism, and differences in gut microbial activities.

With the daily dose of dark chocolate, these subjects showed reduced levels of stress-associated hormones and the normalization of stress-related metabolic differences, suggesting that a daily dose of dark chocolate positively impacts stress-related metabolic differences in individuals with higher levels of stress.

Source: Behavioral Health Central

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, Nutrition, Substance Abuse

According to a report released this week, British Columbians are consuming more alcohol, and dying more from alcohol-related health harms, than they were ten years ago.

The report, “Alcohol Pricing, Public Health & the HST: Proposed Incentives for BC Drinkers to Make Healthy Choices” from the University of Victoria’s Centre for Addictions Research (CARBC), found that alcohol consumption in the province rose 16 percent from 1998 to 2008, compared to a 9 percent increase in the rest of Canada.

This translates into an increase from 7.5 litres in 1998 to 8.7 litres of alcohol consumed per capita in 2008. Thus, the average British Columbian aged 15 years or older drank 525 alcoholic drinks in 2008 compared to 475 drinks in 1998.

Furthermore, perhaps even more alarmingly, researchers found an increase in alcohol-related deaths to 1,993 deaths in 2007, a 9.6 percent increase in just five years.

Specifically, deaths due to liver cirrhosis, which researchers consider the most accurate indicator of alcohol-health harms, rose 39 percent in the same time period.

Researchers also discovered an increase in crack cocaine and ecstasy use in the province, but a decrease in marijuana, synonymous with BC, and crystal meth.

The report, part of the BC Alcohol & Other Drug Monitoring Project, attributes the rise in alcohol consumption to the ease of access to alcohol due to recent increases in the number of liquor stores in the province, an increase in disposable income, and the dip in the price of alcohol compared to the overall cost of living.

Researchers recommend the price of alcoholic beverages be increased in order to stem abundant consumption. Furthermore, they would like to see pricing be in relation to alcoholic content, thereby making drinks with high alcohol content have a high price tag.

Will a bump in the price of alcohol really deter people from drinking or drinking more?

Do you think we would see British Columbians drinking less or, taking a lesson from prohibition, marijuana and other illegal drugs, would we see a rise in a black market?

Source: Canada.com

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Alcohol, Substance Abuse

Have you ever wondered what Alcohol does to your brain?

A recent blog entry at Psychology Today helps explain the known effects of alcohol on the brain, beyond intoxication.

If you ever thought that drinking more than moderately wasn’t detrimental to your mind long-term, think again.

According to research gathered by blog author Susan Tapert, about 50 percent of those who meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol addiction show some signs of thinking and memory problems. Abilities to plan ahead, withhold responses, learn and hold new information, and work with spatial information were all particularly affected.

Furthermore, alcohol appears to negatively impact the organ itself. The size and shape of brain structures were found to be abnormal in heavy drinkers. Overall, the amount of grey matter, or your brain cells, and white matter, the cabling between your brain cells, were significantly reduced.

This was particularly true within the frontal lobes, where planning, withholding responses, decision-making, and emotional regulation all occur. The quality of white matter was also found to be poorer in chronic heavy drinkers, effecting how information is relayed within your brain.

What does this mean?
Chronic heavy drinkers, or those with an alcohol addiction, must work harder to think and retain information.

Some good news
The adverse effects of misusing or abusing alcohol won’t last forever—if you stop abusing alcohol. Difficulties with concentration and memory tend to greatly improve once alcohol is no longer introduced into your system. Even in just the first month of sobriety, you’ll find that suddenly you have a “clear mind”, helping you find a new appreciation for your life and sobriety.

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Alcohol, Substance Abuse

The Health Department in the UK has released an alcohol tracker smart phone app, ‘Drinks Tracker’, to help you keep track of your alcohol consumption, reports the BBC.

We all know how difficult the holiday season can be. It is an especially difficult and dangerous time of the year for those struggling with substance abuse, particularly with alcohol. With the holidays comes party after party, situations ripe for social drinking. It can be all too inviting to go overboard, especially when you can’t seem to know when to stop.

With Britain’s Department of Health’s drinks tracker, you receive a personalised chart of your alcohol consumption. A ‘drinks diary’, you can monitor and very literally see that you’re drinking too much.

The app is offered free across the UK, downloaded straight to your smart phone (internet access on your phone required) from the NHS Choices website or iTunes.

For those without a smart phone, or not in the UK, a downloadable drinks tracker for your desktop is available at the NHS Choices site.

The tracker requires that you enter the number of alcoholic drinks consumed each day, and providing you with a personal graph that tracks your alcohol drinking habits, making it very clear whether you are drinking too much.

The tracker helps you become aware of your excessive alcohol consumption, can help you avoid alcohol by holding you accountable, or signal that you may need professional help including residential alcohol addiction treatment.

The tracker is part of the British government’s £9 million “Know Your Limits” marketing campaign, aimed at encouraging safe drinking habits in relation to the healthy drinking guidelines set forth by the Department of Health.

Source: BBC News

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Alcohol, Substance Abuse

New research suggests that older problem drinkers’ habits differ from their younger counterparts, as well as from older non-problem drinkers.

New research from Ohio State University suggests that older problem drinkers, whose drinking is classified as either alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence, drink significantly more and more often than their younger counterparts.

Researchers say that the findings suggest that these older problem drinkers may have developed a tolerance to alcohol requiring them to drink more to achieve the desired effects.

Using data collected in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a national survey of more than 43,000 Americans in 2000-01 under the direction of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), researchers suggest that certain groups of older Americans, those who fall in so-called problem drinking categories, increase their alcohol intake as they age. This counters previous research that showed that as Americans age, their intake of alcohol tends to decrease.

Problematic drinking was defined as falling into one of two categories: alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence.

Alcohol Abuse was defined as presenting mostly social-related problems related to alcohol use, including legal issues and engaging in physically hazardous activities like impaired driving.

Alcohol Dependence was defined as presenting physiological problems related to alcohol use, including increased drinking and continued use even after physical or psychological problems become apparent.

Overall, adults over the age of 60 years are less likely to fall in the alcohol abuse or dependence categories. However, those who did tended to have higher drinking levels than younger problem drinkers.

The new research found that adults over the age of 60 years with alcohol dependence problems drink an average of more than 40 alcoholic beverages per week. Young counterparts, on the other hand, average 25 to 35 alcoholic drinks a week.

These older adults also show an increase in the number of monthly binge drinking episodes compared to their younger counterparts. Those over 60 years of age with alcohol dependence averaged 19 binge episodes a month, versus an average of 13 to 15 episodes a month by younger alcohol dependence groups.

Overall, binge drinking was greater among all adults in the alcohol problem categories. Researchers suggest that binge drinking may in fact be a better indicator of alcohol addiction that simply the total amount of weekly alcoholic drinks.

Source: ScienceDaily

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Alcohol, News

At Issues of Substance 2009, over 13 sessions, The CCSA will also examine the role of treatment systems from a variety of perspectives, including Canada’s National Treatment Strategy (NTS) program.

It is estimated, according to the CCSA, that only one in 10 persons requiring addiction treatment services actually receives it through the current health care system.

The NTS provides a framework for a national program of treatment and care throughout the country. It is the first multi-jurisdictional strategy that aims to identify the steps required to create an integrated addiction treatment system for the country.

The NTS has imagined a five-tier model wherein a continuum of services is integrated from the community level through to specialized services for severe and complex cases.

It is a system where “every door is the right door”, thus no matter how or where the individual enters the system, all paths lead to the level of care required by that individual.

“Our focus has been to find the most efficient and effective ways to enable multi-agency, culturally appropriate service delivery that responds to the unique needs of each individual, “ said Jim Cincotta, Co- Chair of the National Treatment Strategy Working Group in a statement. "The NTS has provided a blueprint to develop system-level strategies with various jurisdictions across Canada.”

The CCSA with the National Treatment System has effectively created a framework for a national addiction treatment system. This framework is person-centric, incorporating the continuum-of-care treatment model, and focuses on integrating treatment, social services, housing, and educational systems.

Source: The CCSA

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, News, Substance Abuse, Treatment

The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) announced its biennial national conference on substance abuse, Issues of Substance 2009.

There will be a number of discussions and sessions surrounding several major topics concerning the substance abuse community. A primary focus of the conference is co-occurring disorders—namely the role of neuroscience, mental health and addictions, and how research, treatment, and educational systems must evolve to effectively recognize and treat co-occurring disorders.

Co-occurring disorders, or concurrent disorders, are two disorders or illnesses occurring in the same person. Substance abuse or addiction with any number of mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, or depression, is rather common and becoming of more and more interest within the field.

It is estimated, according to the CCSA, that more than 50 percent of those with alcohol or drug addiction also have a mental illness. Addiction and mental illnesses often have common biological, psychological, and social precursors.

However, they are not very often treated concurrently. In fact, there are few unified and integrated approaches, especially in the public addictions treatment system.

At The Heritage Home Drug Rehab and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Centre, on the other hand, our addiction treatment programs incorporate individual treatments and therapies. We believe that success does not come from a fit-all program, but is born out of addressing your underlying issues and emotional difficulties.

As part of our holistic approach to addiction treatment, we offer a number of different therapeutic approaches from both the traditional and non-traditional schools of thought, as well as different options within each school, to address any mental health issues.

Mental health and alcohol and drug addictions are very closely related. Research has shown that impulse-control problems are the single strongest predictor of future substance abuse.

Individuals suffering from anxiety disorders are at two-and-a-half times greater risk of developing an alcohol or drug addiction.

The risk of addiction is at least double for those with Major Depressive Disorder.

And the statistics go on.

Source: The CCSA

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, News, Substance Abuse, Treatment

We have evidence of the genetic influence on alcohol dependence, including familial risk factors. Scientists have long been actively seeking the specific genetic marker for substance abuse and addiction. A recent study, published in Biological Psychiatry, may help to move the search forward towards the ultimate discovery.

Researchers led my Dr. Shirley Hill, have identified childhood risk factors for the development of later substance abuse disorders. Children with both high and low familial risk factors for alcohol dependence were recruited and followed annually over eleven years.

Children in both groups were evaluated for a series of 13 predictors, including:

• educational and achievement scores
• personality variables
• self-esteem
• anxiety
• neurobiological variables

Neurobiological variables included the P300 amplitude, or the brain signal associated with evaluation and decision-making, and postural body sway.

The study found that children with high body sway and low P30 amplitude were eight times more likely to develop substance abuse problems by their early adult years. Thus, alcoholism and substance abuse can be predicted well in advance. “Better and earlier identification of those at highest risk makes it possible to develop targeted intervention/prevention efforts for these children,” commented Dr. Hill, “possibly enabling them to avoid [this] outcome."

These markers can be useful in the education process, wherein children identified at risk can be further educated on the dangers of alcohol dependence and drug addiction. Furthermore, they can be taught early on appropriate coping mechanisms and life skills, all helping to avoid addiction before it even begins.

Neurobiological variables proving to be good predictors may also help scientists discovered the much sought-after genetic markers.

Source: Physorg.com

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Alcohol, Treatment

Three national organizations, the Partnership for a Drug Free America, the National Military Family Association and the National Association of School Nurses, have teamed up to focus on America's military teens with an online education campaign, launched yesterday.

TimeToTalk.org/Military provides parents with guidance, tips, tools, and scripts to help and encourage parents to talk to their teens about substance abuse--how to bring up the topic, initiate effective conversations, and to encourage their teens to talk about what they're going through, especially now, in a time of war.

Overall, teens are more susceptible to try and experiment with drugs and alcohol during periods of transition, due to the heightened stress and anxiety. Military kids are especially susceptible, having more than several regular transitions. On average, a military teen moves every three years from ordinary military relocation. During times of war, the frequency increases as parent(s) mobilize for duty, in addition to the stress and anxiety of watching a parent leave for combat.

Moreover, as more military personnel return home injured, teens have more access to prescription painkillers--one of the most commonly abused substance along with alcohol and marijuana.

Although there is currently no available evidence that suggests that there is more substance abuse amongst American military teens versus non-military teens, the anecdotal reports that the three organizations have encountered is alarming enough to cause concern and a need to take action.

Source: AP

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, News, Prescription Drugs

Today is the last day of September, representing, among many things, the end of this year's Recovery Month. Over the past month, we shared different personal stories of alcohol and drug addiction and recovery. Some were better-known stories than others, others simply from better-known storytellers; we had stories of long-lasting sobriety and others of multiple attempts at sobriety.

Most importantly though, all were deeply personal and shared in the spirit of healing through honesty.

As Recovery Month comes to a close, we would like to hear from you. What did you do to celebrate your or your loved one's recovery throughout the month?

What will you do to commemorate the final day?

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, Personal Stories, Recovery Month

A new poll released this month suggests that Americans on both sides of the aisle support including addiction treatment in health care reforms. Furthermore, a great majority of Americans polled are willing to pay to make treatment options more affordable and accessible.

The poll, sponsored by the Open Society Institute for Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap initiative who advocates accessible addiction treatment options, found that Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike agree that treatment is an effective, ongoing process. Furthermore, the poll shows that:

• 77% of Americans support including addiction treatment in health care reform
• 69% support paying $2 more a month in health insurance premiums in order to make addiction treatment more affordable, and thus accessible
• 47% report having an inadequate number of affordable, quality treatment options in their community
• 49% reported that they could not afford the costs of treatment if they or a family member required help

Of those polled who knew or knows someone who has looked for addiction treatment, 46% reported difficulty finding affordable, quality services.

According to Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap's statistics, 23 million Americans are currently struggling with alcohol or drug addiction. They estimate that only one in ten receive addiction treatment, largely due to the high costs and lack of insurance coverage.

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, News, Substance Abuse

Building on a SAMHSA's earlier report, The National Survey on Drug Use and Health Data, the director of the Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap initiative reports that untreated addiction has reached pandemic levels in the United States.

Although the SAMHSA survey found that both prescription drug and methamphetamine abuse declined in the US in 2008, the overall rate of drug and alcohol abuse remained steady. Declines in some drugs were offset by an increase in popularity of other drugs--marijuana and hallucinogens in particular.

According to the Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap initiative, however, as recently published on Wellness.com, only 1 in 10 of the 23 million alcohol and drug addicts in the United States enter into an addiction treatment centre. This sad discrepancy is due most commonly to the inability to pay for treatment.

Access to affordable addiction treatment options, whether through the federal public health insurance plan or by some other means, is a necessary step in addressing this public health issue. Clearly, a punitive-stance on drug abuse and addiction does not result in recovery. In fact, overall, it breeds further substance abuse and cyclical incarceration. In this time of the healthcare reform debate, addiction treatment, which has been grossly overlooked, must be addressed. Now is a chance for substantial change.

"Ignoring any disease -- be it addiction, diabetes or hypertension -- is bad medicine and should not be an option in today's healthcare system. Addiction treatment should be fully covered by all insurance plans," says Victor Capoccia, director of the initiative.

The initiative actively advocates for addiction treatment programs to be covered by health insurance coverage, be it private or public.

Source: wellness.com

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, Substance Abuse, Treatment Approaches

Late onset alcohol and drug addiction is quickly becoming a prevalent problem that poses many new problems to addiction treatment specialists. A recent study from SAMHSA, for example, reported that drug use is continuing well into the later years of life.

Older addicts fall into one of two groups--the older addict and the young older addict (i.e. the baby boomer).

The baby boomer addict represents a significant challenge both in their sheer number and the complexity of their treatment and addiction requirements. Studies have shown that, between 2003 and 2005, illicit drug use among those aged over 50 years increased by more than 60%. It is estimated that there will be 4.4 million older addicts by 2020, versus the 1.7 million in 2001.

Each generation of addict poses their own challenges, requiring their own addiction treatment model. The older addict, for example, mostly abuse alcohol or prescription medications (often accidentally) and require a much slower-paced treatment process that considers the demographic-specific values, taboos, moral judgments, and worldviews. This generation holds a disdain for illicit drugs and users; respects and trusts authority; prides itself on handling one's own problems, often privately and alone; and was never taught to express their feelings freely. Peer group therapies are ideal for this group for both treatment and ongoing sobriety.

The baby boomer generation, on the other hand, has spent their life pursuing youth and happiness, resorting to quick fixes for pleasure and problem alike. The Me Generation, baby boomers grew up with a distinct distrust for authority, rebelling against both their parent's generation and the establishment as a whole, while freely experimenting with marijuana and psychedelic drugs. Beyond their generational values, baby boomers are facing unique emotional issues, such as death of a spouse and retirement, as well as the physical issues that come with aging, such as hormonal changes.

Treating baby boomer addicts often requires a dual diagnosis--addiction in conjunction with, most commonly, depression and anxiety. They also often poly-addict alcohol or illicit drugs with easily-available prescription medications. Because of this, baby boomer addicts require a medically-based holistic treatment program.

The baby boomer makes decisions based on choice, requiring treatment providers to work closely with their clients when designing treatment plans, while being clear that there are no quick fixes in addiction treatment. Due to these unique and specific generational characteristics and attitude towards alcohol and drug addiction treatment, a personalized addiction treatment program that is holistic in scope, such as the residential treatment programs provided by Heritage Home, is ideal.

Sources: The New York Times, Aging Well Magazine

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, Substance Abuse, Treatment, Treatment Approaches

In keeping with Recovery Month, we would like to share the following excerpt from Roger Ebert's blog at the Chicago Sun-Times "My Name is Roger, and I'm an Alchoholic", originally posted August 25 2009.

Roger writes:

"One day, after a month of sobriety, I went to see him [his doctor] because I feared I had grown too elated, even giddy, with the realization that I need not drink again. 'Maybe I'm manic-depressive,' I told him. 'Maybe I need lithium.'

'Alcohol is a depressant,' he told me. 'When you hold the balloon under the water and suddenly release it, it is eager to pop up quickly.' I nodded. 'Yes,' I said, 'but I'm too excited. I wake up too early. I'm in constant motion. I'd give anything just to feel a little bored.'"

This is the reality of new-found sobriety--new-found joy. After years of isolation and depression, the discovery of joy can be overpowering, like a lung-full of cool air after being submerged underwater.

Revel in these new feelings of happiness. Bask in the light. Celebrate your sobriety, young and old.

We salute Mr. Ebert for his 30 years of sobriety and thank him for continuing to share his story.

To read the full journal entry, visit Roger Ebert's Journal.
Source: The Chicago Sun-Times

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Alcohol

September is official Recovery Month of 2009--Happy Recovery to you all.

Recovery Month focuses attention to alcohol and drug addiction, the professionals who work so tirelessly treating thousands, and to the benefits of treating, not punishing, substance abuse. Above all else, this event allows us to celebrate those who have or are courageously finding their way towards recovery.

On this first day of Recovery Month, we take this time to celebrate you, wherever you may be in your recovery, and we encourage you to take a moment to celebrate yourself. Do something special today. Reach out and celebrate a fellow-addict. Reflect upon your own recovery and all that you have accomplished.

Share with us your own recovery story and how you will celebrate this month.

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, Recovery Month, Substance Abuse

Last week, we discussed the SAMHSA study on baby boomers' drug use. Now comes the news that binge drinking is also particularly prevalent in baby boomers.

In a recent LA Times blog post, it was reported that hard drinking is no longer a game for the young, as shown in a recent study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry. They have found that approximately 25% of US men and nearly 10% of US women aged 50-64 years old participated in "binge drinking".

'Binge drinking' was defined as imbibing at least 4 to 5 servings of alcohol in a two-hour sitting in the last 30 days.

This segment of binge drinkers was also found to be more likely to use tobacco and illicit drugs. Of the women surveyed, binge drinking was more common in the employed and those already abusing prescription medications (using prescription medications for non-medical use). Binge drinker males were more likely to be unmarried and with a higher income bracket.

Authors of the study suggest that doctors should be asking more pointed questions about alcohol use, especially as this behavior poses an increasingly more serious health risk with age, as well as mental health risks. Binge drinking, although no less serious, seems to fall under the standards of alcohol-disorder screens.

It remains unknown, as this is not a lifetime study, whether this group ever moderated their drinking or if this is a lifelong-using pattern. It was, however, found in a 2000 national survey that 67% of baby boomers who drank, did so in levels that exceeded moderation.

Again, this study fails to address questions of addiction and addiction treatment options.

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Alcohol, News, Substance Abuse

Dr. Dr. Barton Goldsmith recently published the article "10 Reasons to Kick Addictions" for the Scripps Howard News Service.

These are great reasons for those who are considering entering into an addiction treatment program and for those who are already in any of the various stages of recovery. If you are thinking about getting sober, take a long moment to consider what you are about to read--imagine it for yourself, envision how your life will be once you aren't chained down by your addiction anymore. Live it in your mind.

For those of you have already started down your path to sobriety, take a moment to soak these in. Let them live in you, and to serve as a reminder, especially during hard times, of all the reasons why you have taken up this hard, yet dazzlingly rewarding, task.

Ten Reasons to Kick Addictions:

1. Your friends and family will be happy to see and count on you again. If you are continually doing things that are self-indulgent or hurtful to those you love, they have no choice but to turn away from you.

2. You will like yourself better. Once you give up your habit, you will be able to look at yourself in the mirror and smile. You also won't be sick and tired of being sick and tired.

3. You will have more joy in experiencing a day rather than sleeping through it. When the demon has you in its grip, you have no life.

4. Your body and mind will feel awake and alive once again. One reason people continue to drink and use is because they physically experience the withdrawals of the substance and need to continue the addiction just to "feel normal."

5. You can now have honest, deep and lasting relationships. Addicts don't have relationships; they take hostages. Once you are sober, someone can choose to love you rather than choose to stay because they are afraid for you or of you.

6. You are now available to follow (and reach) your dreams. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself because you haven't achieved your goals, you will be able to take the necessary steps to get there.

7. You will make the world a tiny bit better. Just by being a little nicer, as well as extending a helping hand to others, (which will help you stay sober), you will make this world a better place.

8. Others can once again trust you. An added benefit is that you can also trust yourself again, because you have gotten through one of the most frightening things in life.

9. You will have more money. Many people who are addicted spend all their money on their drug of choice. Sober, you no longer have that extra expense and are capable of earning more.

10. You give yourself a life. Many people drink and use because they are afraid of dying. Others are afraid of living. And all addicts are afraid of stopping. Using drugs and alcohol doesn't make you less afraid; it just numbs you.

We all have our reasons. What are yours?

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, Treatment

Time Magazine recently published 'Treating Alcohol Addiction: A Pill Instead of Abstinence?', discussing the use of balcofen for treating alcohol and other substance addictions.

Balcofen, although approved for relaxing muscle spasms, is being increasingly prescribed and used as an anti-craving medication. Although scientific evidence has yet to be conclusive, there is much anecdotal evidence floating around--and grabbing headlines.

Many report that regular use of balcofen aids in resisting triggers (friends, environments, sights, smells, sounds, etc.), and thus prevents relapse. Some even say that they can now occasionally drink, able to resist bingeing: "I realized I wasn't having that nagging feeling in my head, 'I should really get a drink. It never appeared during the dinner either so that was the eureka moment.," Bob, a balcofen user, tells Time Magazine. Bob now can drink moderately, a few times a week, never more than a beer or two.

Balcofen attacks cravings at their centre--intercepting the release of dopamines in response to a physical cue. But to remain effective, the medication needs to be taken indefinitely as cravings return almost immediately after use is stopped.

Miracle cure? Probably not.

Effective treatment? Very possibly.

Many addiction treatment centres firmly adhere to an absolute abstinence treatment model, ignoring the health benefits of harm reduction treatments. Treatment there is all or nothing. At Heritage Home, however, we stay on the cutting-edge of addiction research and new treatment methods, recognizing that different therapies are effective for different people. As a small residential treatment centre, we have the freedom to design a treatment program that best fits, and therefore give the best possible outcome for, the individual.

Recovery takes a different path for each addict. At times, for some people, anti-craving and other addiction treatment medications are an effective bridge to longterm sobriety, helping in the initial phases of recovery. For others, they are a permanent part of their lives after-treatment.

Either way, our goal is your success.

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Alcohol, News, Treatment Approaches

Carole Bennett, a rather new contributor to The Huffington Post, has been blogging about substance abuse issues over the last several weeks in a new column 'The Road to Addiction'. Carole is the founder of a nation-wide US phone counseling service after having suffered the effects of substance abuse in her family for many years--from her husband to her step-children.

Her blog posts are always eloquent, speaking from both a personal and clinical perspective. The result is an article that is at once informative and powerful.

This week, Carole, in response to her previous article 'How Trauma Can Lead to Addiction', published one reader's letter--a soulful, moving account of one man's addiction. Although, no two path's to addiction are the same, there is always common-ground in every shared human experience, and great comfort in the act of sharing. With this in mind, we felt it important to share one man's story of trauma, healing, recovery, and success in hopes that it inspires you to either make a powerful change or rejoice in your own success:

Dear Carole,

Reading your column in The Huffington Post was a Godsend for me today. I'd never heard of you and have felt for years that my opinion on my reasons for substance abuse were only my own.

On August 9, 2001 my mother suddenly and unexpectedly died. Six months later, on February 14, 2002 my only daughter was abducted, held at her captor's home and brutally raped for six very long days.

I responded with the worst experience of substance abuse imaginable, ending a 25 year marriage and concluding in treatment at the VA Medical Center. While there, trying to get a handle on what was happening to me and rejecting this antiquated theory that I was genetically predisposed to be an addict, it became a personal goal of those providing treatment to put me in my place and break me into a "time to go to a meeting" 12 step addict.

My storied experience persisted for over 6 years and has culminated in acts of patient abuse that would make your hair stand on edge. It did not help that I am black and my abusers are white. Racism dominated these relationships and concluded with seven VA. employees no longer holding positions in the Mental Health Care Line of the Dayton VA. The last person to be forced out for my charges of patient abuse was actually the Director-Chief of the Mental Health Care Line.

I have been free of substance abuse for five and a half years now and I live a productive life again. I knew that something horrible happening to me combined with my lack of the coping skills to deal with catastrophes was the cause of my problems but I was in the minority.

Having an entire department of Mental Health professionals pounding everyday to convince me that I was wrong and I was simply a hopeless addict actually hindered my recovery by years. It made the mountain so much harder to climb.

Thank you for bringing new thought and new words to recovery.
　
Sincerely yours,
Darrell Hampton

We applaud The Huffington Post for featuring Carole, bringing important issues of addiction treatment and substance abuse to light and hope that they reach out addicts, inspiring positive and powerful change.

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, Personal Stories, Substance Abuse

This is a staggering statistic.

Released yesterday, The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported that in the last year, approximately 7 million young American adults, aged 18 to 25 years, were classified as 'in need of treatment' for substance abuse issues. This is the equivalent to 1 in 5 persons in that age group.

Of the 7 million, 93% never received any professional or specialized treatment. Moreover, an unbelievable 96% of those classified in need of but did not receive treatment, did not perceive themselves as having a substance abuse problem. Of the 4% who did recognize that they were in need of help, only about a third actually sought treatment out.

During the past year, a little over 17% were struggling with alcohol addiction problems; 8.4% with illicit drug dependency; and 4.4% with a combination of drug and alcohol abuse.

SAMHSA Acting Administrator, Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H., said in a statement:
“Substance use disorders are preventable and treatable yet we continue as a Nation to allow the lives of 1 in 5 young people and their families be torn apart by substance abuse. As a nation we must redouble our efforts to prevent substance abuse in the first place and ensure treatment is available to those in need.”

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, News, Substance Abuse, Treatment

Released today, a new study by Canada's Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (CAMH) finds that a whopping 1 in 25 deaths worldwide are directly attributable to alcohol use, up from 2000. The study, among other factors, sites the increase in the number of female drinkers.

The study looked at the average adult consumption rates, measured by the number of standard drinks (defined as alcohol equivalent to one can of beer, one glass of wine, or one one-oz. shot of hard alcohol) per person per week, for both countries and regions globally. Europe, for example, averages 13 standard drinks.

North America showed slightly lower numbers, with 10 to 11 standard drinks per person per week. Canada, lower still, came in at 9 standard drinks. However, the Canadian average represents a steady increase each year, along with an increased rate in high risk drinking behavior.

The global average is currently seven.

Europe also has the highest proportion of alcohol-attributable deaths, with 1 in 10 deaths due directly to alcohol use. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, is showing 15% of all deaths. The deaths were generally due to injuries, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and liver cirrhosis.

Dr. Jurgen Rehm of CAMH and others said that alcohol-attributable disorders were "among the most disabling disease categories within the global burden of disease, especially for men." Furthermore, unlike most other risk factors for disease, these impact younger people more than older. Of all people living with disabilities due to alcohol, overwhelmingly 34% are between the ages of 15 and 29, compared to 22% aged 45 to 59.

The report, one of three, is being published in The Lancet, a leading medical journal.

Labels: Alchohol Addiction, Alcohol, News, Substance Abuse, Treatment