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
Monday, May 19, 2008
Bipolar Disorder in Teens
Bipolar Disorder (also know as manic depression) often reveals itself in teens as severe moodiness and unhappiness. Often the first diagnosis is one of depression. Frequently bipolar disorder is initially misdiagnosed. It can take time to properly diagnos bipolar disorder. Treatment includes a combination of carefully monitored medication and professional counseling.
Bipolar disorder manifests differently in teens than in adults. Adolescent cycles are more rapid, adult cylces can be over weeks or months, in children cycles can occur within the same day.
Drug and alcohol use in adolescents with bipolar disorder is common. Dual-Diagnosis is the term used to describe the process of treating a mood disorder along side a substance abuse problem. Symptoms must be analyzed and treated accordingly. Careful and caring counseling, as well a medical attention and proper prescribed medication, are used to treat this combination.
Other conditions which contribute to the risk of adolescents developing a bipolar mood disorder increase with:
- family history of bipolar disorder or other mood disorder
- family history of drug or alcohol abuse
- episodes of severe depression
Factors which can contribute to manic episodes include:
- changes in routine or sleep patterns
- certain antidepressants can trigger manic episodes
- traumatic life event
- abuse or neglect of medication
- using alcohol or drugs
Labels: Bipolar-Disorder, drug rehab, Drug-Addiction-Rehab, Dual-Diagnosis-Treatment, Manic-Depression, mental-illness, teen-drug-abuse
Friday, January 11, 2008
Spy Games - How It Works
A client may be referred to STC from a primary care facility (e.g. The Betty Ford Center) and literally brought to the doorstep. With his/her belongings in duffle bags and the ubiquitous cigarette dangling, the clients are admitted. The intake process requires extensive paper work, pictures taken with a Polaroid, and meetings with directors and their particular Case Manager. The initial questionnaire provides the first intelligence information on specific addictions and personality issues. The client must reveal which drugs are preferred, how often, and in what form (intravenously, orally, or inhalation), in addition to providing basic information like age, sexual history, family systems, and so forth.
The Case Manager quickly becomes a most trusted friend or the worst enemy within days of admittance. He or she will be the one to processes the information the client provides and produce a written assessment that becomes part of a permanent dossier, the first step in "intelligence gathering."
After the initial in-take sessions, the client is placed into one of 13 houses STC manages. An "intake house" holds clients who have less than thirty days of sobriety. Client placement strategy is elusive to say the least. Only the Director of Operations has the authority to move clients from one house to another, and sometimes there seems to be no rhyme or reason for the moves. A client may be relocated three or four times during their 90-day stay. Problems with house mates can be a reason for changing, power struggles account for a few, but in most cases, the Directors oversee the progress and confers with the House Parent as to where the client would be most successful in his bid for sobriety.
The Director of Operations oversees all decisions and all special operations, backs all the tactics of his "field agents." The term "field agent" will be used to describe any staff employee who is not involved in the clinical side of treatment. It is interesting to note the length that the D.O. will go if forced to defend one of his staff members. In an effort to manipulate, clients have become skilled in lying and spreading misinformation to parents in order to achieve their own goals. STC is adept at running through the obstacle courses thrown up by disenfranchised addicts and their enabling parents.
This brings up the issue of parental involvement. Much of the clinical and operational staff's time is spent on dealing with parents. There are times when it is necessary for parents to receive more clinical attention from a client's case Manager than the client receives. More often than not, it seems the parents need treatment as much as their addicted children.
The Case Manager quickly becomes a most trusted friend or the worst enemy within days of admittance. He or she will be the one to processes the information the client provides and produce a written assessment that becomes part of a permanent dossier, the first step in "intelligence gathering."
After the initial in-take sessions, the client is placed into one of 13 houses STC manages. An "intake house" holds clients who have less than thirty days of sobriety. Client placement strategy is elusive to say the least. Only the Director of Operations has the authority to move clients from one house to another, and sometimes there seems to be no rhyme or reason for the moves. A client may be relocated three or four times during their 90-day stay. Problems with house mates can be a reason for changing, power struggles account for a few, but in most cases, the Directors oversee the progress and confers with the House Parent as to where the client would be most successful in his bid for sobriety.
The Director of Operations oversees all decisions and all special operations, backs all the tactics of his "field agents." The term "field agent" will be used to describe any staff employee who is not involved in the clinical side of treatment. It is interesting to note the length that the D.O. will go if forced to defend one of his staff members. In an effort to manipulate, clients have become skilled in lying and spreading misinformation to parents in order to achieve their own goals. STC is adept at running through the obstacle courses thrown up by disenfranchised addicts and their enabling parents.
This brings up the issue of parental involvement. Much of the clinical and operational staff's time is spent on dealing with parents. There are times when it is necessary for parents to receive more clinical attention from a client's case Manager than the client receives. More often than not, it seems the parents need treatment as much as their addicted children.
Labels: Drug-Addiction-Rehab, Spy-Games, teen-drug-abuse
Thursday, September 13, 2007
From Talking to Testing Your Children For Drug Use
Knoxville (WVLT) Most schools, and most parents, have a zero tolerance policy regarding illegal drugs.
Violating that policy can result in serious consequences.
So, you, as a parent want to take serious action if you suspect your child is using drugs.
We're covering East Tennessee health, with more on when you should go from talking to your child about drugs to testing for them.
Drug testing is becoming common in the workplace, with more employers requiring workers to undergo random screens.
But an increasing number of the clients here at Mobile Diagnostics are families; parents wanting their teenagers to be tested for illegal drugs.
Family psychiatrist Dr. John Robertson says before you drug test your teen, talk to him, but be skeptical.
"You want to believe your child, but you can't, not about that stuff, anyway. You're going to have to do a little bit more investigation, a little bit more work."
Talk to your child's friends and their parents.
Peterson says they may have seen or heard something, and parents are often the last to know if their own child has a problem.
But rather than rely on word of mouth, you may want proof, and if you decide to drug test your child, peterson says, do it randomly.
Dr. Peterson: "One of the things you can ask your child, 'if I do a urine drug screen, is it going to be positive or negative? Are you sure about that? I want to check it. Do one. Prove it to me.'"
The next step is diagnosing the problem: Has your child abused drugs on occasion, or is he already addicted?
There's a written test called an adolescent substance abuse subtle screening inventory designed to tell you.
"There is a test, a hand written questionnaire, that the adolescent fills out, that's 90 percent accurate in distinguishing between substance abuse and substance addiction," Dr. Peterson says.
Peterson says substance abuse is a problem that should be punished, but addiction is a disease that needs treatment.
And like other diseases, the earlier the treatment, the better the chance of survival.
At Mobile Diagnostics, you don't need an appointment for a drug screen.
They perform instant tests, urine tests and hair follicle tests at a cost of between 35 and 100 dollars.
And the can test for a specific drug or an entire screen.
There are at home tests, but most are not as accurate and there is more room for human error.
Covering East Tennessee health, I'm Jessa Goddard
Violating that policy can result in serious consequences.
So, you, as a parent want to take serious action if you suspect your child is using drugs.
We're covering East Tennessee health, with more on when you should go from talking to your child about drugs to testing for them.
Drug testing is becoming common in the workplace, with more employers requiring workers to undergo random screens.
But an increasing number of the clients here at Mobile Diagnostics are families; parents wanting their teenagers to be tested for illegal drugs.
Family psychiatrist Dr. John Robertson says before you drug test your teen, talk to him, but be skeptical.
"You want to believe your child, but you can't, not about that stuff, anyway. You're going to have to do a little bit more investigation, a little bit more work."
Talk to your child's friends and their parents.
Peterson says they may have seen or heard something, and parents are often the last to know if their own child has a problem.
But rather than rely on word of mouth, you may want proof, and if you decide to drug test your child, peterson says, do it randomly.
Dr. Peterson: "One of the things you can ask your child, 'if I do a urine drug screen, is it going to be positive or negative? Are you sure about that? I want to check it. Do one. Prove it to me.'"
The next step is diagnosing the problem: Has your child abused drugs on occasion, or is he already addicted?
There's a written test called an adolescent substance abuse subtle screening inventory designed to tell you.
"There is a test, a hand written questionnaire, that the adolescent fills out, that's 90 percent accurate in distinguishing between substance abuse and substance addiction," Dr. Peterson says.
Peterson says substance abuse is a problem that should be punished, but addiction is a disease that needs treatment.
And like other diseases, the earlier the treatment, the better the chance of survival.
At Mobile Diagnostics, you don't need an appointment for a drug screen.
They perform instant tests, urine tests and hair follicle tests at a cost of between 35 and 100 dollars.
And the can test for a specific drug or an entire screen.
There are at home tests, but most are not as accurate and there is more room for human error.
Covering East Tennessee health, I'm Jessa Goddard
Labels: drug-testing, teen-drug-abuse
Monday, July 16, 2007
Study: Parents clueless about teen drug use
By Heather Gehlert
Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON -- Parents drastically underestimate their teenage children's exposure to and use of drugs and alcohol, according to survey results released Thursday by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.
Eighty percent of parents surveyed said they did not think alcohol and marijuana were available at the parties their teens attended, the survey found. But 50 percent of teens said they attended parties where both substances were present.
Unlike past surveys that measured substance abuse itself, this is the center's first report that looks at the role parent supervision can play in teen drinking and drug use.
Addiction center President Joseph Califano Jr. said substance abuse increases with drug availability, and parents, many of whom take the attitude of "not my child," are not only unaware of the problem but are enabling it. "Parents, wake up and smell the pot and beer," he said, adding that even parties with parents as chaperones often brim with drugs and alcohol.
Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON -- Parents drastically underestimate their teenage children's exposure to and use of drugs and alcohol, according to survey results released Thursday by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.
Eighty percent of parents surveyed said they did not think alcohol and marijuana were available at the parties their teens attended, the survey found. But 50 percent of teens said they attended parties where both substances were present.
Unlike past surveys that measured substance abuse itself, this is the center's first report that looks at the role parent supervision can play in teen drinking and drug use.
Addiction center President Joseph Califano Jr. said substance abuse increases with drug availability, and parents, many of whom take the attitude of "not my child," are not only unaware of the problem but are enabling it. "Parents, wake up and smell the pot and beer," he said, adding that even parties with parents as chaperones often brim with drugs and alcohol.
Ninety-nine percent of parents surveyed said they would not serve alcohol at a party, but 28 percent of teens said they had attended events where parents were home and the children were drinking. By age 17, 46 percent of teens said they had been to parties where drinking and the use of drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, Ecstasy and prescription medications, had occurred while parents were in the home.
Califano cited a variety of possible reasons for the discrepancy between what parents think is happening and what really is happening: kids sneaking in alcohol or raiding parents' medicine cabinets, parents not being honest in their survey answers, parents being present but in a part of the house that is removed from the party. "You can just imagine the kids saying, 'Please, Mom, please, Dad, don't embarrass me,' " he said.
Nearly 1,300 young people 12 to 17 completed the survey, 591 boys and 706 girls. Of those, 255 were Hispanic and 250 were black. Also surveyed were 562 parents. The survey findings showed almost no difference in drug exposure or abuse between males and females or among teens living in urban, suburban or rural areas.
It did reveal a racial disparity, particularly among the youngest teens, with 1 in 5 of the Hispanic and black 12- and 13-year-olds surveyed saying they had been offered drugs three times as many as white teens the same age.
The survey also revealed that the transition stage at 13 and 14 is a particularly vulnerable time for teens as they enter high school and attain the freedom that comes with it. Fourteen-year-olds were three times as likely to be offered Ecstasy, and twice as likely to be offered cocaine, as teens a year younger.
Family structure also showed up as a strong indicator of substance-abuse risk. Teens who regularly ate dinner with their families and attended church were at less at risk, as were teens who slept more than eight hours a day.
It did reveal a racial disparity, particularly among the youngest teens, with 1 in 5 of the Hispanic and black 12- and 13-year-olds surveyed saying they had been offered drugs three times as many as white teens the same age.
The survey also revealed that the transition stage at 13 and 14 is a particularly vulnerable time for teens as they enter high school and attain the freedom that comes with it. Fourteen-year-olds were three times as likely to be offered Ecstasy, and twice as likely to be offered cocaine, as teens a year younger.
Family structure also showed up as a strong indicator of substance-abuse risk. Teens who regularly ate dinner with their families and attended church were at less at risk, as were teens who slept more than eight hours a day.
Labels: teen-drug-abuse
Monday, July 9, 2007
Teen Prescription-Drug Abuse Has Tripled, Study Finds
Parents may want to spring for a medicine-cabinet padlock, suggests a study released Thursday, because today's teens are definitely turning into Generation Rx.
More than 15 million Americans have admitted to abusing prescription drugs, according to the 214-page report released by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Of that figure, more than 2 million are under the age of 17.
Teen abuse of opioids, depressants and stimulants has more than tripled in the past 10 years. The number of Americans abusing controlled prescription drugs doubled during the same period, spiking from 7.8 million in 1992 to 15.1 million in 2003, thereby surpassing the number of cocaine, hallucinogen, inhalant and heroin users combined.
Substances most likely to be abused were opioids or pain relievers (OxyContin, Vicodin), central nervous system depressants (Valium, Xanax), stimulants (Ritalin, Adderall) and anabolic-androgenic steroids (Anadrol, Equipoise).
"Our nation is in the throes of an epidemic of controlled prescription-drug abuse and addiction," Joseph A. Califano Jr., CASA chairman and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, said in a statement. "While America has been congratulating itself in recent years on curbing increases in alcohol and illicit drug abuse, and in the decline in teen smoking, the abuse of prescription drugs has been stealthily, but sharply, rising."
Americans are popping more pills than ever, and teens are no different (see "'Generation Rx': Teen Abuse Of Legal Drugs On The Rise"). The number of 12- to 17-year-olds who abused controlled prescription drugs rose 212 percent, the report said, while the number of adults jumped 81 percent.
"The explosion in the prescription of addictive opioids, depressants and stimulants has, for many children, made their parents' medicine cabinet a greater temptation and threat than the illegal street drug dealer," Califano said. "Parents who do not want to become inadvertent drug pushers should consider locking their medicine cabinets."
Girls were found to be more likely to abuse prescription drugs than boys (10.1 percent of girls versus 8.6 percent of boys), and teens who abused controlled prescription drugs were twice as likely to use alcohol, five times likelier to use marijuana, 12 times likelier to use heroin, and 21 times likelier to use cocaine, compared to teens who did not abuse legal drugs.
The study, which also investigated the availability of controlled prescription drugs over the Internet, found hundreds of Web sites offering drugs for sale without either requiring a prescription or proof of age. Beau, Dietl & Associates, CASA's investigatory partner, found that, as of 2004, only 6 percent of online pharmacies required a prescription, while 41 percent indicated that no prescription was needed and 4 percent didn't mention prescriptions at all. Virtually no site restricted the sale of controlled prescription drugs to children.
"Anyone with a credit card and Internet access can get their hands on these dangerous drugs," said Beau Dietl, CEO and chairman of BDA, who compared Internet pharmacies to "predators in the forest" and "vultures" feeding on America's youth.
The report concluded by calling for an "all fronts effort" to reduce abuse of controlled prescription drugs. This would include a major public health education and prevention campaign; better training of physicians and pharmacists; and new laws, with more enforcement, to close rogue Internet sites. The report also suggested that the Food and Drug Administration and pharmaceutical companies make abuse of controlled prescription drugs more difficult while offering improved treatment and conducting additional research into the problem.
Labels: prescription-drugs, teen-drug-abuse
