Evolution of Addiction Treatment – California learning

December 1st, 2011

Addiction conferences are getting more and more common, and quite a few nowadays showcase the talents of some very knowledgeable, and renowned, addiction experts. Coming from the academic side of things, I’ve been to conferences held by the American Psychological Association, the American Public Health Association, the Society for Neuroscience, and the College on Problems of Drug Dependence.

When it comes to more clinical, or addiction treatment oriented, conferences, I think our readers would be hard pressed to find a better conference than the Evolution of Addiction Treatment conference about to take place at the Westin Hotel by the Los Angeles airport in just over a week (December 8th-11th). Some of the biggest names in addiction research and addiction treatment will be there including Drs Allen Berger and David Mee-Lee who have both contributed greatly to the field of addiction during their decades of work. The conference would be worth it even if they were the only ones speaking.

But they’re not. There are literally dozes of speakers and 3.5 full days of amazing talks. If you decide to go, we even arranged for a discount for you by entering the code “AAA10″ before you pay. We’ll have a little booth set up in the hall if you want to come by and say “hi” but more than anything, we’d love for you to have the opportunity to learn as much as you can about addiction and addiction treatment options so that you can continue to carry the message that there is more than hope, there’s treatment that works!

See you there!

Posted in:  Education, Links, Treatment Tags: addiction, conference, conferences, evolution of addiction treatment, treatment, Treatment

Brain damage and changes due to drug use – Video

May 23rd, 2011

Posted in:  Education, Links Tags: brain damage, Dr. Jaffe, drug, drug use, neurotoxic, question, use

About Addiction: Drug Withdrawal in Newborns, Heroin, and Harm Reduction

February 28th, 2011

There’s so much to learn about addiction nowadays – Psychological theories, new stories, neuroscience research, and more. At All About Addiction we try to make the information easy to digest, so when you need to sort of the latest information about addiction, come see us, we’ll help.

Harm reduction – Heroin and Injecting Drugs

Irish Examiner-After four individuals died from heroin overdoses in Ireland drug workers are issuing warnings to heroin users. The heroin that is being used is of better quality so it elevates the risk for overdose. Heroin has been off of the streets of Ireland for the past couple of months due to supplying issues but now heroin is back, and it is so pure that it is killing people. Another issue could be that the short absence of the drug has left people with less tolerance then before.

The Body- The International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA) and HIV rights groups are urging the UN’s to legalize methadone in order to fight HIV/AIDS and heroin addiction In Russia. Russia is home to 1 million HIV-positive people (for comparison, the U.S> has about 500,000) and has one of the fastest growing HIV/AIDS epidemics in the world. In addition to this Russia has 3 million heroin addicts.  Russia is refusing to employ harm reduction programs such as needle exchanges, or to legalize methadone to treat heroin addicts.  Many Russian officials such as Gennady Onishchenko feel that legalizing methadone will not help as it is “just another narcotic.” We’ve hear the same argument here, but perhaps the IHRA can convince Russia to use harm reduction problems in order to help individuals.

Harm Reduction Coalition- This “webinar” allow its viewers to gain cultural competency when it comes to learning about the injecting drug user. It asks questions like:  ”Why is there a need for IDU cultural competency?” and “What is IDU Cultural Competency?”. Check out the webinar and see what it has to offer!

Mental Health and Prescription Drug Withdrawal in Newborns

Orlando Sentinel- Prescription drug abuse is already a problem in our society; in Florida alone prescription abuse is responsible for at least seven deaths a day. Prescription drug abuse is becoming even more problematic as it is now affecting newborns. In 2009 alone 1,000 babies were born and treated for drug-withdrawal syndrome.  In the past babies that were going through drug-withdrawal symptoms were most likely to suffer from crack cocaine addiction but now the babies are more likely to be addicted to prescription drugs.

Science Daily- A study was conducted and found that children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are two to three times more likely than children without the disorder to develop serious substance abuse problems in adolescence and adulthood. Kate Humphreys, a colleague of Dr. Jaffe’s and a graduate student at UCLA was a coauthor of the research.

Addiction Recovery- Peer support

Stop Medicine Abuse-Often times it is best for teens to get information from their peers in order for something to have an effect in their lives. This website approaches substance abuse prevention with that specific mentality. Check out the testimony on this website as well as other resources that can be used by teens to learn about drug abuse.

Posted in:  Links Tags: about addiction, abuse, addiction, ADHD, cultural competency, drug, drug abuse, drug withdrawal, harm, harm reduction, heroin, prescription drug, prescription drug abuse, UCLA

About Addiction: Prescription Medication, Alcoholic Energy Drinks, and Video Games

February 14th, 2011

If you want to learn about addiction to drugs, alcohol, sex, and more, you’ve come to the right place. Check out some of our discoveries for online content about addiction.

Prescription Medication

Psy Post- Ever encounter prescription labels that warn you to not drive when you are using it ? Well this is good advice because prescribed medications are responsible for over 3 percent of automobile accidents in France.  Driving performance is classified into 4 levels of risk, from level 0 (no or negligible risk) to level 3 (major risk). Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in:  Links Tags: about addiction, addiction, addiction acceptance, Alcohol, alcoholic energy drinks, drinking, drinks, effect, energy drinks, ill effect, prescription medication, texas, video games

About Addiction: Alcohol and the Elderly, Oxycontin, and Drug Stigma

February 7th, 2011

Are you ready for some more exciting information about addiction? Well, it’s here anyway so you might as well look. We try to make A3 the central place where you can find out about addiction matters (saving you the typing work) so if there are any topics we’re not covering, make sure to write us!

Drugs- Reducing Stigma, and Oxycontin

Victoria News- Stigma is often discussed when talking about addiction. The stigma a drug user is stamped with often deters them from seeking treatment. AIDS Vancouver Island is promoting Anti-Stigma Week, which runs until Feb. 14. Hopefully an activity like anti-stigma week will allow individuals to leave behind their fears about being stigmatized and seek treatment for their addictions. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in:  Links Tags: about addiction, abuse, addiction, AIDS, Alcohol, anti stigma, anti stigma week, charlie shee, Dr. Drew, drug, drug dealers, marijuana, oxycontin, rehab finder, seeking treatment, stigma week, treatment

About Addiction: Addiction Recovery, Alcohol, and Drug Legalization

January 10th, 2011

Yes, you’ve got it, it’s your 30 seconds of news about addiction from around the world (wide web). Enjoy the reading – you can claim you learned your “new thing of the day.”

Addiction recovery- Inpatient and Outpatient treatment plans

Addiction Recovery-Recovering from addiction is hard, no matter what type of addiction it is. In order to complete a successful recovery from addiction, a positive attitude helps. Holding a positive attitude increases the chances that the recovery attempt will be a successful one. We’ve written often about addiction treatment and tips to increase sucess.

Recovery Now- What are the stages to inpatient addiction treatment? According to Recovery Now, the stages of inpatient treatment include:  intake, detox, stabilization, and long term recovery. Though I don’t necessarily agree with every aspect of this article, it contains some good information about addiction treatment that every reader should know. This additional piece from Recovery Now discusses the appropriateness of inpatient versus outpatient addiction treatment for specific patients.

Alcohol use

Science Daily- We’ve talked about the link that has been found between family history of alcoholism and an individual’s obesity risk.  In this study a family history of alcoholism produced an increased risk for obesity, though the environment also played a large role in this link. Environmental factors include the types of foods that are eaten- foods that are typically high in calories from sugars, salt and fat.

Desert News- Everyone knows at least one person whose life has been affected by alcohol abuse in some form or another. Here is a story of how alcohol negatively affected a woman’s life and how it overtook her life ultimately leading to her death.

The Sydney Morning Herald- Drunk Driving is not just a problem in the United States, driving under the influence of alcohol appears to be a problem in other countries as well.  In Australia almost 1,400 people were arrested for alcohol-related offenses.

AOL Health-There is a multitude of information found on billboards and in TV commercials which explains the risks of drunk and drugged driving. Despite this information 30 million Americans are driving drunk each year and 10 million are driving while they are under the influence of drugs. This problem is very serious and is most problematic among drivers who are aged 16-25. Although there has been a drop in the overall number of individuals who are driving while they are under the influence, one in three car accidents still occur from drunk driving.

Drugs- The dangers of legal drugs, Marijuana, Adderall, and Methadone

Belfast Telegraph-Alcohol and legal drugs are okay in small doses and can even be helpful in medical settings and for overall health. However it is important to note that there have been many more alcohol related deaths than deaths from illegal substances such as heroin and crystal meth. By far alcohol is the greatest perpetrator followed by prescription drugs including amphetamines, benzodiazepines and antidepressants. In Ireland in 2009 alone there were 283 alcohol-related deaths were registered in the north and 276 the previous year.

NIH News- There has been a recent increase in marijuana use among 8^th graders according to NIDA’s monitoring the future survey. It was reported that the rate of eighth-graders who are using illicit drugs is 16 percent, a 2.5 increase from the previous year’s use of 14.5 percent. Among high school seniors cigarette use has declined but marijuana, ecstasy and prescription drug use has increased. Marijuana use among adolescents is so problematic because it affects the brains development as well as a person’s learning, judgment, and motor skills. Additionally 1 in 6 people who start using it as adolescents become addicted. The spike in the drug use may be attributed to the debate on legalization which may give a false impression that the drug has no negative effects or consequences.

‘WisconsinWatch.org- Use of Adderall, a medication for ADHD, is on the rise and in demand on many college campuses. Adderall is increasing in popularity and is easily accessible on college campuses because it helps individuals study.  The drug is particularly popular in the University of Wisconsin and many students are taking it despite the negative side effects it may bring. School officials are not educating the university population of the ill effects of Adderall so it continues to be used as a study aid. At least part of the worry has to do with the potential for such students to move on to even stronger versions of amphetamines such as crystal meth, so maybe the efforts should focus on teaching students about addiction to amphetamines and the associated risks.

Scotsman News-Methadone a drug which is used to prevent withdrawal symptoms in individuals who were addicted to opiate drugs (and as a replacement medication in heroin addiction treatment) is going to be in high demand after nearly £2 million worth of the heroin was discovered on a raid in Scotland.  Police hope that by working with healthcare professionals they can help these drug users seek addiction treatment. Anyone who was effected by the drug raid are offered the support and care they need

Victimization and Drug Legalization

Physorg.com- A potential link has been found between victimization (and hence trauma) and the prevalence of substance use disorders. This was most evident for homosexual and bisexual men and women than it was for heterosexual men and women. Both gay men and women reported high prevalence rates of victimization some point in their lifetime with lesbian women twice as likely to report victimization experiences. Men and women who reported two or more victimization experiences were found to have higher odds of alcohol and other drug dependence.

London Evening Standard- Should drugs be legalized? That is the question that is popping up in many states across the United States.  Is marijuana safer if it is regulated by the state?  The argument for legalizing drugs goes a little something like this: Despite drugs being illegal there will always be a demand for them so if drugs are legalized then governments will be able to control drug quality before they are sold on the streets. Tax income from drug sales can then to educate individuals about drugs and to aid individuals who need addiction treatment

North West Evening Mail- Paul Brown, the director of Cumbria Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service spoke out after former drugs policy minister Bob Ainsworth and he called for the decriminalization of all banned substances. Brown informed attendees that only Portugal has decriminalized drugs and since that occurred crime rates have fallen and more individuals are willing to seek treatment for drug problems. Many substances that are legal such as alcohol and tobacco are bigger killers than drugs that are criminalized. Alcohol and tobacco kill an average 40,000 people a year this is 10 times more than any illegal drug.

Posted in:  Links Tags: Adderall, addiction, ADHD, Alcohol, alcohol recovery, alcohol related, alcohol related deaths, bob ainsworth, drug, Drugs, drunk driving, DUI, family history alcoholism, legalization, methadone, NIDA, obesity, paul brown, portugal, prescription, smoking, treatment, U.K., use, withdrawal

About Addiction: Marijuana use, cigarette smoking, and crystal meth

December 27th, 2010

Hey ! After a brief period of inactivity we are back and better as always ready to provide you with your 30 minute tidbit of information about addiction. If you want to learn more about marijuana use, (cigarette) smoking, and addiction stigma then read on!

Marijuana use: Harmless?

Fox News- While many think that Marijuana a harmless drug (read our marijuana driving input), a guy high on weed drove his car into a group of cyclists in Italy. Eight cyclists were killed and an additional four people were injured. This accident can serve as a lesson that marijuana is not as “harmless” as a lot of people make it out to be. Educating the public about the dangers of driving under the influence of marijuana may help in preventing future incidents.

The Dome-Nobody is a stranger to the fact that voters in a number of states have been trying to legalize marijuana. But Illinois legislators just went the other way and struck down a bill which would allow medical marijuana to be legal. The legislators stuck this down with the fear that if this practice were legalized then there would be widespread use of marijuana. Right now fifteen states (and Washington DC) allow the use of medical marijuana but apparently Illinois decided they are not going to be the sixteenth.

Psychology Today- Can recreational pot smokers become addicted to marijuana? A large number of individuals only smoke marijuana recreationally and do not ever become addicted (see here), but about 10% to 30% of regular users will develop marijuana dependence (my vote is actually probably more for the 10%-20% range). About 9% will have a serious addition. Marijuana use in the U.S. has gone through quite an evolution from its early introduction in the 1970’s as an anti war statement to today when it is mostly used by teenagers and those who have been smoking for a long time. Most individuals quit when they are parents or homeowners (which is true of most drugs by the way), and this contributes to the thinking by some that marijuana is not very addictive.

Quitting smokingthrough personal stories

Bloomsburg Buisnessweek- Anti-smoking advertisements have been relying on fear appeals to persuade individuals to avoid or quit smoking smoking. But the commercials that show patients with a hole in their throat or the magazine ads showing a black and diseased lung have not really been very effective. However new research shows that advertisements that target emotions more broadly seem to work best when trying to prevent smoking. Personal testimonies seem to be the most effective because  they allow the individuals who are viewing them to emotionally identify with the person in the ad helping them find reasons why they themselves should quit smoking.

Guardian- Passive tobacco smoking kills more than 600,000 people in the world every year including about 165,000 children.  The most problematic regions in terms of these smoking deaths are third world countries due to the combination of the dangerous effects of second hand smoke and infectious diseases. Second hand smoke is most problematic in the home and although women smoke less they are more likely to be exposed to second hand smoke in the house.

Addiction Inbox- The electronic cigarette is finally here although in the past the FDA wanted to prevent these cigarettes from being marketed in the US. The decision to allow the marketing of these cigarettes was established as long as they are not targeted to minors. In addition marketing individuals cannot make any claims that the products are safe alternatives to tobacco. These products are a battery powered device that allow its users to “smoke” and inhale nicotine vapor without any fire, smoke, ash or carbon monoxide.

Alcoholism stigma and seeking treatment for drug addiction

Med- Individuals who are diagnosed with alcoholism are 60% less likely to seek treatment because they fear the stigma that is attached to alcoholism. To be an alcoholic means belonging to a stigmatized group, and no one likes that. The goal then should be to educate individuals in order to try to alleviate the stigma that is associated with alcoholism in order to allow more people to seek treatment from it. Reducing the stigma of addiction is a goal we at A3 take very seriously.

Recovery Now-If there is one thing that teenagers hate it is snooping parents by far. What is the parent is snooping for a good reason however? Is snooping around with concern that your child is using drugs or alcohol okay? Although a controversial topic this article looks at the implication of snooping and when it is okay to snoop in teenagers stuff. It is a great read, enjoy!

Crystal meth and Suicide-Veterans and Substance abuse

Honolulu advertiser- Hawaii has the worst crystal meth problem in the country and a school in Hawaii held a national crystal meth awareness day assembly. Forty percent of people arrested by police in Honolulu test positive for meth, and about 30,000 Honolulu residents are hard-core users of meth (with as many as three times more being recreational users). Government officials in Hawaii want to increase spending to make more drug treatment programs available to prison inmates. In addition the general public needs to be educated about the dangers of crystal meth.

Breaking the cycles-“Veterans at Higher Risk for Suicide,” is a radio broadcast which talks about the impacts of war on the mental health of all veterans in California. The issues that the radio broadcasts focuses on are anxiety, depression, and PTSD. The radio broadcast reported that veterans are at higher risk of committing suicide than other individuals who are not in the military. This article continues to address the topics of mental illness and how mental illness is a key risk factor to developing a substance abuse problem.

Posted in:  Education, Links Tags: crystal meth, marijuana, marijuana ise, meth, second hand smoke, smoke, smoking