Monday, June 23, 2008
Trouble Brewing in Energy Drinks
For the past two decades the addiction treatment field has had growing concerns over the misuse of caffeine. From the late seventies through the late eighties, treatment centers across t United States took a careful look at the use of caffeinated beverages. Demographics pointed to the fact that many leading centers treating alcohol and other drug addiction were seeing over 70 percent of their admissions with a primary drug of choice, cocaine. Cocaine with the advent of "read rock" better know as crack was at epidemic proportions in this country. Treatment administrators saw it necessary to cut down on the use of caffeine in their respected centers. "It made no sense to see all our patients jacked up on coffee and craving Cocaine", said one leading expert of those times.
Today our industry has to make a stand again with the growing numbers of beverages that promise quick energy as well as performance and nutritional benefits it is one of concern to the recovering community. A growing number of these drinks are aimed at those who want to stay UP, boost energy, raise alertness, promise a high followed by a long lasting energy buzz. If we advocate for our patients and clients to be drug free then we need to enforce policies against the use of energy drinks in our facilities. At Morningside Recovery in Newport Beach, CA, that has been the position for several years. Morningside Recovery sees the health risks involved including dehydration and overstimulation which both can have adverse effects on the person recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction. It is also known that caffeine can speed up a person’s heart and raise blood pressure. In treatment programs we want our clients/patients to not get over stimulated but to concentrate on what is being taught to them. That is they are here in treatment to help safe their lives for they have a life threatening chronic illness that if not put into remission with cause premature death.
Today our industry has to make a stand again with the growing numbers of beverages that promise quick energy as well as performance and nutritional benefits it is one of concern to the recovering community. A growing number of these drinks are aimed at those who want to stay UP, boost energy, raise alertness, promise a high followed by a long lasting energy buzz. If we advocate for our patients and clients to be drug free then we need to enforce policies against the use of energy drinks in our facilities. At Morningside Recovery in Newport Beach, CA, that has been the position for several years. Morningside Recovery sees the health risks involved including dehydration and overstimulation which both can have adverse effects on the person recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction. It is also known that caffeine can speed up a person’s heart and raise blood pressure. In treatment programs we want our clients/patients to not get over stimulated but to concentrate on what is being taught to them. That is they are here in treatment to help safe their lives for they have a life threatening chronic illness that if not put into remission with cause premature death.
Labels: addiction, college-program, Predictors-of-Adolescent-Substance-Abuse, teen-drug-abuse
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Predictors of Adolescent Substance Abuse - Final Hypothesis
One final hypothesis that researchers are beginning to focus on is the theory that drug abusers with comorbid psychopathological disorder, commonly referred to as dual diagnosis, are self-medicating their neurochemical deficiencies or surpluses. This is important in relation to addiction treatment because, "several studies have found adolescents with comorbid psychopathology to be at increased risk of relapse". The self-medication hypothesis (SMH) explains adolescent drug abuse as being motivated by biological need and an unconscious psychological desire to alleviate distressing symptoms. Research on SMH has trickled down to treatment facilities, causing many facilities such as the Betty Ford Center in Palm Desert, Promises in Malibu, and Sober Living By The Sea in Newport Beach, to require every client to undergo an initial psychiatric evaluation upon admittance to determine psychopathology and proper medication management. The hope is that addiction treatment coupled with proper medication will decrease attrition rates and increase positive treatment effects for clients undergoing rehabilitation.
Discussion
The most recent research has focused on the above mentioned areas in an attempt to validate and solidify past research in the area of drug addiction risk factors for youth, while at the same time create hypothesis about what might be done to decrease risk-factors associated with adolescent drug use and drug abuse. Determining risk-factors and generating hypotheses on drug use and abuse are vital steps in vaccinating the "disease" of addiction. Since most drug use begins during the critical time of adolescence, it is imperative academic attention must be focused on this developmental time period if we are to prevent initial drug use, treat drug abuse, and help people maintain their recovery.
Discussion
The most recent research has focused on the above mentioned areas in an attempt to validate and solidify past research in the area of drug addiction risk factors for youth, while at the same time create hypothesis about what might be done to decrease risk-factors associated with adolescent drug use and drug abuse. Determining risk-factors and generating hypotheses on drug use and abuse are vital steps in vaccinating the "disease" of addiction. Since most drug use begins during the critical time of adolescence, it is imperative academic attention must be focused on this developmental time period if we are to prevent initial drug use, treat drug abuse, and help people maintain their recovery.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Predictors of Adolescent Substance Abuse - Recent Research on Risk Factors
"It is increasingly recognized that manifestation of substance use disorder is the result of the cumulative interaction between the individual and environment". The culmination of environmental factors (e.g., social, familial, and geographical) coupled with individual predispositions (e.g., psychological and biological) towards drug use can result in drug addiction for the adolescent. Environmental risk factors are commonly known to be the following: Association with deviants, dysfunctional familial environment, and low socioeconomic status, to name a few. Individually speaking, psychological characteristics exhibited by youth at high risk for drug addiction produces a much more diverse pattern. At the root of addiction is a core inhibitory disorder, (which prevents adolescents from being capable of controlling their impulses and desires. Of equal weight on the individual dimension of the at-risk youth is the part that genetics play. "Genetic factors contribute strongly to the variation of behavior disinhibition". For example, research done at the Center for education and Drug Research has found that there, children of drug addicted parents score higher on constructs measuring neurobehavioral disinhibition.
In addition to environmental and individual risk factors, there are certain putative factors that can also contribute to drug addiction. It is important to distinguish between drug use and drug abuse. Many adolescents may experiment with illicit drugs, but never become fully addicted, whether the risk factors for initial drug use and long-term drug use are there, or not. Included in risk factors for future drug addiction are those factors that exist after initial drug use has begun. Four putative risk factors have been identified as contributing to the progression of addiction and are considered risk factors for treatment. They are: type of substance, frequency of drug use, type of comorbid psychopathology, and number of psychiatric disorders. For example, the adolescent who begins smoking marijuana as opposed to the adolescent who begins smoking cocaine will have a much greater propensity to become addicted simply because of the more physically and psychologically addictive properties/qualities of cocaine.
Risk factors for adolescent substance abuse relapse are predictably similar to the risk factors associated with initial adolescent drug use. Studies of adolescent substance abuse relapse have shown that that "social factors, including social pressure to use and exposure to substance-using peers, are the strongest predictors of adolescent relapse". For this reason, alcohol and drug rehabilitation facilities focus on geographical and social interventions, encouraging the client to relocate geographically and to disassociate with former friends and deviant acquaintances. One research study of clients discharged from a residential treatment facility found that those clients who chose to relocate to the immediate area and become involved in educational pursuits, were more likely to remain abstinent one year after. Conversely, those clients who chose to return to their "old" environments were generally given poor prognoses by their counselors and were more likely to relapse after discharge.
In addition to environmental and individual risk factors, there are certain putative factors that can also contribute to drug addiction. It is important to distinguish between drug use and drug abuse. Many adolescents may experiment with illicit drugs, but never become fully addicted, whether the risk factors for initial drug use and long-term drug use are there, or not. Included in risk factors for future drug addiction are those factors that exist after initial drug use has begun. Four putative risk factors have been identified as contributing to the progression of addiction and are considered risk factors for treatment. They are: type of substance, frequency of drug use, type of comorbid psychopathology, and number of psychiatric disorders. For example, the adolescent who begins smoking marijuana as opposed to the adolescent who begins smoking cocaine will have a much greater propensity to become addicted simply because of the more physically and psychologically addictive properties/qualities of cocaine.
Risk factors for adolescent substance abuse relapse are predictably similar to the risk factors associated with initial adolescent drug use. Studies of adolescent substance abuse relapse have shown that that "social factors, including social pressure to use and exposure to substance-using peers, are the strongest predictors of adolescent relapse". For this reason, alcohol and drug rehabilitation facilities focus on geographical and social interventions, encouraging the client to relocate geographically and to disassociate with former friends and deviant acquaintances. One research study of clients discharged from a residential treatment facility found that those clients who chose to relocate to the immediate area and become involved in educational pursuits, were more likely to remain abstinent one year after. Conversely, those clients who chose to return to their "old" environments were generally given poor prognoses by their counselors and were more likely to relapse after discharge.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Predictors of Adolescent Substance Abuse - Risk-Taking Behavior
Adolescent drug abuse is associated with unconventionality, which includes risk-taking behavior (Steinberg, 2002). Unconventionality is experienced on both an individual level and an environmental level. As defined by Steinberg (2002), "Unconventional individuals are tolerant of deviance in general, are not highly connected to school or to religious institutions, and are very liberal in their social views." Concurrent with unconventionality is risk-taking behavior, which includes experimentation with drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and sex without contraception (Steinberg, 2002).
There are psychological, sociological, environmental, and biological factors involved in predicting adolescent drug use, assessing drug abuse, and determining a drug abuser's prognosis after treatment. Research on deviance and delinquency in all these areas is exhaustive. In each area (e.g., sociological, environmental, psychological, and biological) there are specific and general indicators of potential unconventional behavior associated with drug use.
There are psychological, sociological, environmental, and biological factors involved in predicting adolescent drug use, assessing drug abuse, and determining a drug abuser's prognosis after treatment. Research on deviance and delinquency in all these areas is exhaustive. In each area (e.g., sociological, environmental, psychological, and biological) there are specific and general indicators of potential unconventional behavior associated with drug use.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Predictors of Adolescent Substance Abuse - Introduction
It is hard to predict who will become addicted to drugs. Once addicted, it remains difficult to predict who will stay sober. Not every teenager or adolescent who experiments with drugs will become addicted and of those who do become addicted, only a few will successfully respond to treatment. Of those adolescents who experiment with illicit drug use, only a small percentage become severely addicted to drugs. There are different categories of adolescent drug users. There are those who experiment briefly then quit. There are those who experiment for a longer period of time, then stop because they recognize their drug use is becoming a problem; commonly referred to as “problem users.” Finally, there are those who begin to use drugs around the age of 12 or 13 years of age, the most common age of onset for illicit drug use according to research (Alexander & Bickley, 2004; Steinberg, 2002), and their using progresses until they become severely addicted. The severely addicted individual is someone who requires primary addiction treatment and/or hospitalization as a result of their drug abuse.
The severely addicted individual is the one who warrants the most concern for therapists and society in general. Severely addicted individuals commit crimes to support their addictions, make-up the bulk of the prison population in this country, and cause the most harm to themselves and others. For this reason, there is a focus in research to identify and predict those at risk for becoming severely addicted to illicit drugs and discern the risk-factors associated with attrition and/or relapse. Since illicit drug use begins in adolescence, most researchers tend to focus on this period of human development.
There are commonly held predictors, or risk-factors, associated the onset of adolescent substance abuse and many theories that attempt to explain the reasons behind initial adolescent drug experimentation. It is assumed that once more is known about the “why” of drug use, then we will know more about how to prevent initial drug use, treat advanced stage addiction, and decrease risk-factors that promote relapse.
Questions? or Comments? Click here
The severely addicted individual is the one who warrants the most concern for therapists and society in general. Severely addicted individuals commit crimes to support their addictions, make-up the bulk of the prison population in this country, and cause the most harm to themselves and others. For this reason, there is a focus in research to identify and predict those at risk for becoming severely addicted to illicit drugs and discern the risk-factors associated with attrition and/or relapse. Since illicit drug use begins in adolescence, most researchers tend to focus on this period of human development.
There are commonly held predictors, or risk-factors, associated the onset of adolescent substance abuse and many theories that attempt to explain the reasons behind initial adolescent drug experimentation. It is assumed that once more is known about the “why” of drug use, then we will know more about how to prevent initial drug use, treat advanced stage addiction, and decrease risk-factors that promote relapse.
Questions? or Comments? Click here
