Understanding Your Cannabis Addiction and Stopping Your Habit

Marijuana or scientifically known as Cannabis is sometimes called weed. Others call it “pot” and other names. Regardless of how it is called, this has one effect on one’s mind. It can be addictive. Once you tried it, it is even harder to stop it. If you really aimed to stop smoking marijuana, you should know more information about it-its effects and result to your body. When you are knowledgeable enough, you will be equipped to stop your addiction.

If you are not knowledgeable enough about Cannabis, you might think that it will not have any bad effect towards your body. People who do not have enough information about stopping Cannabis addiction will bring about the worst effect, that is, slavery to pot smoking.

General Information about Cannabis

Remember, marijuana has totally different effect compared to that of cigarettes. Cigarettes will bring about physical sickness whereas marijuana will bring about bad effects on your body and mind. With marijuana, you will be too dependent on it and you will surely crave and feel somewhat crazy if you’re not going to have it.

When a person withdraws from cannabis, the effect is similar to that of giving up weed smoking. When a person craves for cannabis he will surely have scary dreams. Sometimes it is vivid. Scientifically, this is due to the so called THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol that remains in his body system. During the process of withdrawal, a person feels more anxious and even more paranoid. He will also have difficulty in sleeping. However, these symptoms will just fade away as time goes.

When a person tries to stop smoking pot, there is always the so-called psychological dependence. You will always have this thought of feeling to have it, and that you need it. Well, this is the psychological effect of cannabis addiction. For others, since smoking weed is their way of escaping their problems, when they stop smoking cannabis, they will feel more depressed.

So, is it really difficult to stop smoking cannabis? It’s not. Just think positive. There are ways to succeed in your aim for a brighter future. Here are some simple tips:

1. Set your objective. It is important that you are committed to stop smoking weed. Stick to this commitment. You should bare in mind and engender in your heart that you want to stop smoking. Believe in yourself and don’t lose hope. It is important that you will set a 100% positive mind and heart on your aim.

2. Read and understand cannabis addiction. Get more idea about it. You should research more ways about stopping weed smoking. Learn the withdrawal process and the possible things that you will face during the different stages of withdrawal. In this so called “battle”, you will not win if you are not equipped.

3. If you are introvert, overcome it. Communicate and open up with others. Remember, however, to choose your friends. It is useless to still be with friends who influenced you to do pot smoking. Be with people who are willing to sympathize, to empathize and understand what will go through.

May you be successful in this aim. Remember, once you got out of this darkness you will surely have a brighter future.

Alcohol Use and Abuse Addiction and Habituation

Alcohol Use and Abuse Addiction and Habituation

Problem and Solution.

Summary: Although there is no definition of “addiction” that is universally accepted, in general, addiction refers to a physiological and psychological dependency on a drug. While some drugs of abuse induce physiological addiction, others do not. Alternatively, some drugs that are physiologically addictive generally are not abused (e.g., caffeine). Tolerance to drug effects, and withdrawal symptoms upon abrupt cessation of use, which develop over time, are characteristic features of physiological addiction. “Habituation” is the term used to refer to psychological dependence on a drug. Some drugs of abuse are highly rewarding because of their influence on reinforcing neurobiological processes, but they do not necessarily result in “tissue” related withdrawal symptoms. Cessation of such drugs may lead primarily to subjective craving due to previous drug conditioning (perhaps true of some marijuana users) and craving may be more readily evoked or deeply conditioned among some persons than others (”addictive personalities”). Primary methods of assessment of addiction and habituation are completed through clinical interviews or self-report surveys (e.g., American Psychiatric Association DSM-IV, World Health Organization ICD-10). Treatment paradigms for the cessation of addiction begin with initial detoxification or withdrawal, followed by inpatient or outpatient program participation (e.g., 12-step programs, milieu, cognitive-behavioral, or behavioral). Pharmacological efforts (e.g., methadone maintenance) may be used as harm-reduction strategies among those who seem unable to quit drug use.

It is estimated that approximately 15 percent of the world’s adults have serious substance abuse problems (not including nicotine addiction), and that this percentage has remained fairly constant over the past twenty-five years. Of these substance abusers, about two-thirds abuse alcohol and one-third abuse other substances, mainly marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin. Approximately2.5 percent of the population abuse marijuana, 0.5 percent abuse stimulants, 0.3 percent abuse cocaine or opioids (such as heroin), and up to 0.8 percent abuse other substances (e.g., inhalants, depressants, hallucinogens). Sites of drug production and manufacturing, and distribution routes, tend to identify regions at high risk for abuse.

Drug abuse causes significant health-related consequences and financial losses to legitimate economies. The financial cost to society is estimated to be approximately $600 billion per year worldwide. This does not include the cost of nicotine abuse, which, through its influence on heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive lung disease, and numerous other consequences, is the number one behavioral killer of people worldwide. Drugs of abuse are also associated with the production of psychotic symptoms (e.g., paranoid ideation) and with injuries due to accidents and violence. Approximately 50 percent of automobile fatalities involve alcohol-impaired drivers, and many auto crashes also involve chronic marijuana or amphetamine users.

In addition, each drug class is associated with a unique set of potential consequences. Some drugs of abuse are likely to have lethal consequences (e.g., opiates and depressants), and some have a high potential for addiction. Health consequences can also vary by drug. For example, depressants, PCP, stimulants, steroids, and cannabis are associated with cardiovascular diseases. Stimulant use is linked to seizure, digestion problems, and lung problems. Documented consequences of marijuana use include lung damage and short-term memory problems. Dementia, seizure, memory impairment, central and peripheral nervous systems impairment, gastrointestinal diseases, and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract are all consequences of alcohol consumption. Steroid use is associated with high blood pressure, potential heart attacks, liver tumors, transient infertility, and tendon degeneration. Inhalants are well-known causes of kidney, brain, and liver damage.

The development and maintenance of the addictive process involves multiple pathways and levels of influence within biological, psychological, and sociological domains. Influences exogenous to the individual include environmental, cultural, and social factors. Cultural and social norms, variations in drug use practices, and the values and behaviors of parents, siblings, friends, and role models can all affect an individual’s drug experiences. Processes contributing to individual differences in substance use include physiological susceptibility, as measured in genetics studies; affective states; personality; and cognition—including expectancies and memory processes. Substance abuse versus substance use is more strongly related to intra-personal processes (e.g., self-medication for emotional distress) than social processes, although both are influential in the addictive process.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE

Substance use pertains simply to the use of a drug. Substance misuse means using a drug for a purpose or in a manner in which it was not intended or prescribed. Substance abuse is marked by an accumulation of negative consequences resulting from drug use. Substance use that leads to a decreased level of performance in major life roles, or to dangerous actions, legal problems, or social problems, indicates abuse. Substance dependence is a more severe form of drug abuse that also includes tolerance (the need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve the desired drug effect), withdrawal symptoms when stopping substance use, unpredictability of substance use, and an inability to control the use of a substance to the point that it consumes one’s daily life.

Withdrawal symptoms vary from drug to drug. For example, withdrawal from alcohol, sedatives, or anxiolytic agents may involve autonomic reactivity, hand tremor, insomnia, nausea or vomiting, transient illusions or hallucinations, psycho-motor agitation, anxiety, and grand mal seizures. Amphetamine or cocaine withdrawal can include fatigue, unpleasant and vivid dreams, insomnia or hypersomnia, increased appetite, and psychomotor retardation or agitation. For substance abusers, withdrawal is often a difficult process with numerous symptoms, while abstaining from drug use can lead to recovery from physical and psychological problems and an improvement in overall health.

THE DRUG ABUSE CONTINUM

Conceptually, substance abuse can be seen as a continuum, with individuals at one end being relatively “disease-free” but engaging in maladaptive behaviors over which they have some control. These individuals may repetitively use drugs, and over time they may abuse drugs. They choose to live a certain lifestyle in which their maladaptive behavior may or may not result in other disease states associated with use (e.g., cirrhosis of the liver). If these individuals stop this negative cycle they can, perhaps on their own, learn alternative coping mechanisms and self-efficacy. Individuals at the other end of the continuum, however, seemingly have no control over their use. Some individuals appear to lose control the first time they use drugs. For these individuals drug use is like a toggle switch that is either on or off. For them, total abstention is the only alternative because they have no control processes once the switch is turned on. They may use until they die unless someone else can turn their switch off and keep it off. There is no logic to this behavior, and no choice. Users of this type will often ruin their own lives and the lives of those around them in their drive to use their drugs of choice. It seems that as one moves toward a more “at-risk” end of the continuum there is less and less control over substance use.

It is unclear what causes the difference in loss of control among those at different points of the continuum. Researchers do not understand the process very well. They do know that other factors may exacerbate the process, including biologically based differences in metabolic processes, different levels of susceptibility to the reinforcing effects of drugs, personality disorders or depression, and an inability to tolerate frustration or emotional discomfort. Some processes are under individual control, but many are not, and it does appear that the less control the individual has over these types of processes, the more likely he or she is to fall into substance abuse.

STAGES OF ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ABUSE

During the early stages of substance abuse, the alcoholic or drug abuser experiences increasing tolerance and use. Substance use at this stage is generally for purposes of self-medication. In the later stages of abuse, life becomes centered around obtaining, using, and recovering from drug use. Loss of control, ethical deterioration, and noticeable withdrawal symptoms ensue. It is unclear, however, whether such a progression is inevitable.

In a 1991 empirical review of the study of progression in alcoholism, Jill Littrell found that approximately 60 percent of adolescent problem drinkers remit to nonproblematic levels of drinking when they reach their 20s, and that 25 percent of young adults remit to nonproblematic levels of drinking before they reach age 35. Studies examining data on adult alcoholics who have undergone a variety of treatments as inpatients and outpatients during follow-up periods of up to fifteen years provide a general profile of outcomes. Between 25 and 35 percent remain abstinent, whether or not they continue treatment. An additional 15 to 25 percent will be abstinent most of the time, with some lapse periods. Approximately 6 to 9 percent will become nonproblematic or controlled drinkers (particularly those who were lighter drinkers and suffered fewer negative consequences while drinking). Another 20 to 33 percent become stable problematic drinkers, while 15 to 25 percent will die from alcohol-related causes.

It is uncertain whether drug abusers follow a progression similar to that of alcoholics. There probably is some validity to a notion of progression for drug use in general, but more longitudinal studies are needed in this area. It is possible that such a progression might simply express the accumulation of consequences one endures each time one takes a chance by drinking or using drugs. As opposed to the stages outlined above, a substance abuser may simply incur more problems over time, along with an increased tolerance for alcohol or other drugs of abuse.

Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is the most commonly used drug in the world. Pharmacologically, alcohol is classified as a central nervous system depressant. Like other depressants, in small doses alcohol slows heart rate and respiration, decreases muscular coordination and energy, dulls the senses, and lowers inhibitions—resulting in feelings of relaxation and greater sociability. Large amounts of alcohol can result in depression of the various body systems, resulting in coma or death. The immediate physical effects of alcohol depend on the amount and frequency of drinking, while the mental and emotional effects are influenced by the mood of the drinker and the setting in which drinking takes place.

Two physical effects resulting from prolonged, heavy alcohol use include tolerance and withdrawal. Alcohol tolerance refers to the need for increased amounts of alcohol to achieve the same level of intoxication. For example, five or six drinks may be needed to achieve the same effects produced by one or two drinks when the individual first began drinking. Alcohol withdrawal, on the other hand, refers to a number of physical and psychological reactions an individual experiences when significantly reducing or stopping prolonged heavy drinking. Symptoms of withdrawal include nausea, vomiting, anxiety, and hand tremors.

An interaction of biological, psychological, and environmental factors come into play in the development of drinking behaviors and problems. For example, some individuals may be genetically predisposed to alcohol problems, but whether or not they actually experience negative alcohol consequences will also depend upon their immediate social and physical surroundings, such as family drinking patterns and alcohol availability, as well as their drinking habits.

ALCOHOL USE AND MISUSE

Most people who drink alcohol do so without negative consequences. Others may actually obtain a health benefit from its use. Some, however, drink in ways that place themselves or others at risk for experiencing alcohol-related problems. While no pattern of alcohol use is without risk, certain drinking patterns may help reduce risk significantly.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, issued jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, define moderate drinking as no more than two standard drinks per day for men, and no more than one per day for women and people sixty-five years of age and older. A standard drink is 0.5 ounces of alcohol, equivalent to 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. These guidelines suggest that moderate or low alcohol use is linked to a reduced risk for the occurrence of negative alcohol consequences. For others, however, abstaining from all alcohol consumption is the safest thing to do. Groups who should avoid all alcohol use include pregnant women, children and adolescents, those planning to drive or participate in other activities requiring alertness, people who cannot maintain moderate alcohol use, and those who are using over-the-counter or prescription medicines that interact with alcohol.

Another way to understand drinking problems is to examine definitions of alcohol misuse. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines alcohol misuse as alcohol use that places people at risk for problems, including “at-risk use,” “clinical alcohol abuse,” and “dependence.” At-risk alcohol use is the consumption of alcohol in a way that is not consistent with legal or medical guidelines, and it is likely to present risks of acute or chronic health or social problems for the user or others. Examples include underage drinking; drinking by individuals with a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking; or drinking if one has a medical condition that could be worsened by drinking, such as a stomach ulcer or liver disease. Clinical alcohol abuse is a more serious type of misuse that results in one or more recurrent, adverse consequences, such as failure to fulfill important obligations or the repeated use of alcohol in physically dangerous situations. Alcohol dependence is the most severe type of alcohol misuse and involves a chronic disorder characterized by three or more symptoms within a twelve-month period. These symptoms include alcohol tolerance, withdrawal, loss of control, and continued use despite knowledge of having a physical or psychological problem.

Negative consequences resulting from alcohol use are estimated to affect more than 10 percent of the U.S. population, with many of these individuals going undetected. A number of brief screening tools are available to help detect possible alcohol problems. One of the most widely used among these is the four-item CAGE questionnaire, which derives its name from the following four self-administrated questions:

1. Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking?

2. Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?

3. Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about your drinking?

4. Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover (Eye-opener)?

Answering “yes” to as few as one or two items on the CAGE questionnaire may indicate a drinking problem.

PREVALENCE

In the United States, 44 percent of adults eighteen years of age and older are current drinkers, consuming at least twelve drinks in the last year. Meanwhile, 7.4 percent, or approximately 14 million Americans, experience alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence. Heavy episodic or binge drinking has remained at the same approximate level of 16 percent for all adults since 1988, with the highest rate, 32 percent, among young adults ages eighteen to twenty-five. Over one-half of adults report having a close family member who has experienced alcoholism.

As few as 5 percent of the heaviest drinkers consume as much as 42 percent of the alcohol drunk in the United States, and 20 percent of drinkers account for nearly 90 percent of the alcohol consumed. The bulk of the alcohol drunk in the United States, therefore, is consumed by a relatively small population of very heavy drinkers.

Alcohol is also the drug most frequently used by children and adolescents. In 1999, over half (52%) of eighth graders (14-year-olds) and 80 percent of twelfth graders (18-year-olds) reported having used alcohol at least once. More problematic drinking occurs in 15 percent of eighth graders and 31 percent of twelfth graders, who reported binge drinking (consuming five or more drinks in a row) in the previous two weeks. Of American high school adolescents, over half (51%) currently drink alcohol. In 1999, one in three high school students reported heavy episodic drinking of five or more drinks on at least one occasion during the previous thirty days. The prevalence of heavy drinking commonly increases through adolescence into early adulthood.

HEALTH OUTCOMES

Alcohol use has health and social consequences for those who drink, for those around them, and for the nation as a whole. Approximately 100,000 deaths each year are attributed to alcohol use, making it the third leading cause of preventable mortality in the United States. Worldwide, 750,000 deaths are attributed to alcohol use each year. Alcohol-related deaths occur from cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, motor-vehicle crashes, falls, drowning, suicide, and homicide. Alcohol affects nearly every system in the body, and contributes to a range of medical problems, including altered immune system functioning, bone disease, hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease, reduced cognitive functioning, fetal abnormalities, traumatic injury, depression, gastrointestinal disorders, and cancers of the neck, head, stomach, pancreas, colon, breast, and prostate. Alcohol also produces significant social problems, including domestic violence, child abuse, marital and family disruption, violent crime, motor-vehicle crashes, worksite productivity losses, absenteeism, and lowered school achievement. The estimated cost of alcohol misuse in the United States in 1998 was nearly $185 billion.

Young people are particularly vulnerable to acute alcohol effects due to their lower tolerance to alcohol, their lack of experience with drinking, and drinking patterns that often include heavy episodic drinking in high-risk situations, such as during driving and sexual encounters. Leading causes of mortality and morbidity among youths include alcohol-related motor-vehicle injuries, homicide, and suicide. Alcohol use among young people is associated with reduced scholastic achievement, increased delinquency, and the development of psychiatric problems later in life. Alcohol has also been found to precede other illicit drug use, thereby serving as a “gateway” to other drug consumption, including marijuana and cocaine use.

Women and the elderly are also at greater risk for experiencing alcohol harm because of their lower levels of body water, meaning that smaller amounts of alcohol result in higher levels of intoxication than in younger men. Drinking during pregnancy has been linked to higher rates of miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature births, and fetal alcohol syndrome—a set of birth defects caused by maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. For the elderly, drinking even modest amounts of alcohol may cause considerable problems due to chronic illness, interactions with medications, and grief and loneliness from the death of loved ones.

At the same time, moderate to low levels of alcohol consumption have been linked to a lower risk for heart disease and stroke. These positive effects appear to be confined primarily, however, to middle-aged and older individuals in industrialized countries with high rates of cardiovascular diseases. Individuals and populations must weigh the risks and benefits of drinking to themselves and others, including such factors as the situations under which drinking is to take place and the amount likely to be consumed, to determine the net results of drinking.

SOLUTIONS

The burden of alcohol misuse is measured in a number of ways, including the prevalence and incidence of deaths, injuries, and illnesses attributed to alcohol; hospitalization rates; potential years of life lost to alcohol misuse; and quality of life indicators. Vast resources are expended each year in the United States to address the health and social problems resulting from alcohol misuse. Because no single solution can reduce all alcohol-related harm to individuals and populations, a comprehensive approach using a range of strategies that address the multiple causes and dimensions of alcohol problems is needed. These strategies should include educational approaches—such as public health education and awareness programs, including school, family, and community-based prevention programs; environmental approaches—such as controls on the price and availability of alcohol, minimum age for purchase of alcohol, legislative measures to curb driving under the influence of alcohol, and restrictions on the promotion, marketing, and advertising of alcohol; and health care efforts—such as primary health care screening, advice by health care providers, preventive services, and effective treatment using psychological and

pharmacological approaches.

Dr.Kedar B. Karki

New Hope Rehabilitation Center Satdobato Lalitpur

drkarki_kedar@yahoo.com

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Dawson, D.; Grant, B.; Chou, S.; and Pickering, R. (1995). “Subgroup Variation in U.S. Drinking Patterns: Results of the 1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Study.” Journal of Substance Abuse 7(3):331–344.

Ewing, J. (1984). “Detecting Alcoholism: The CAGE Questionnaire.” Journal of the American Medical Association 252:1905–1907.

Grant, B.; Harford, T.; Dawson, D.; Chou, P.; DuFour, M.; and Pickering, R. (1994). “Prevalence of DSM-IV Alcohol Abuse and Dependence: United States, 1992.” Epidemiologic Bulletin No. 35. Alcohol Health & Research World 18(3):243–248.

Greenfield, T., and Rogers, J. (1999). “Who Drinks Most of the Alcohol in the U.S.? The Policy Implications.” Journal of Studies on Alcohol January 1999:78–89.

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Kandel, D., and Yamaguchi, K. (1993). “From Beer to Crack: Developmental Patterns of Drug Involvement.” American Journal of Public Health 83:851–855.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2000). Summary of Findings from the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. Rockville, MD: Author.

U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1995). Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 4th edition. Washington, DC: Author.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2000). Tenth Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health from the Secretary of Health and Human Services. NIH Publication No. 00–1583. Washington, DC: Author.

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Pain Killer Addiction – Facts To Help You Find Help Fast

Although detoxification is not a treatment for pain killer addiction, it can help relieve withdrawal symptoms while the patient adjusts to being free of pain killers or other prescription drugs. An opioid-dependent pain patient has improved function with the use of the drug while an opioid-addicted patient does not have improvement. Common side effects and adverse reactions of pain killers are: nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, dry mouth, miosis (contraction of the pupil), orthostatic hypotension (blood pressure drops upon sudden standing) — often happens when arising too fast when getting out of bed in the morning, urinary retention, constipation and fecal impaction.

Addiction to pain killers is an escalating problem today, especially the abuse of opioid pain killers. There are a number of effective treatment options to treat pain killer addiction to prescription opioids and to help manage the sometimes severe withdrawal symptoms that can accompany sudden stopping of pain killers or drugs. Less common side effects and adverse reactions of pain killers are: confusion, hallucinations, delirium, hives, itching, hypothermia, bradycardia (slow heart rate), tachycardia (rapid heart rate), raised intracranial pressure, ureteric or biliary spasm, muscle rigidity and flushing.

More than 10% of high school seniors have started taking Vicodin for reasons other than reducing pain. When you’re addicted physically to a drug, like pain killers or alcohol, etc., it’s because you’ve suppressed or shut down your body’s production of endorphins, which are natural opiate pain killers; when this happens you start craving the drug that you replaced the endorphins with whether it’s alcohol, any of a number of drugs or pain killers. Opioids used as the doctor has prescribed are supposedly not dangerous according to some well-established medical groups; but if this is the case, why are so many people addicted to them?

If you think you are addicted and want to get off pain killers or other drugs, it’s best to get detoxified as fast as you can and then go through some type of rehabilitation; it’s important to have others to lean on and learn from and offer support to you. Pain killer addiction includes: opiate dependency, opiate addiction, narcotic dependency, narcotic addiction, and pain killer dependency or painkiller dependency. Addiction is both a biological and psychological condition.

Chronic pain affects one out of three or four adults; millions of people suffer from severe disabling pain. 2.2 million people aged 12 and up first abused painkillers within the past year; this is more than the number of people who started using marijuana and has overtaken the use of cocaine. There are many side effects and adverse reactions that can occur with the use of opioids as pain killers.

Find out from your local health professionals where the closest and best pain killer addiction treatment centers are. Taking the time to spend in a treatment center, detoxing, is of the utmost priority. All other demands of children, a job, school, or any other responsibilities may make inpatient treatment seem like an intrusion but it’s not.

If you can’t do an in-patient rehab, find out how you can do outpatient rehab and pay for it under your insurance plan; check your insurance policy to see if it’s covered. If you don’t have insurance, check with your local mental health agencies to see what is available that’s free. There are many pain killer addiction treatment facilities located throughout the United States, Canada and the rest of the world.

The body’s natural pain killers, endorphins, have been replaced by these pain killing drugs; get them flowing again with lots of laughter. Knowing some of these facts and understanding endorphin production will help get you on the road to pain killer addiction recovery fast; start working on it today and hopefully you’ll notice changes tomorrow. The many problems that are associated with pain killer addiction and abuse have experts, doctors and authorities searching for solutions.

Pain Killer Addiction – Find The Formula That Works For You

Chronic pain affects one out of three or four adults; millions of people suffer from severe disabling pain. Opioids used as the doctor has prescribed are supposedly not dangerous according to some well-established medical groups; but if this is the case, why are so many people addicted to them? A person exhibits compulsive behavior to satisfy their craving for a pain killer or pain medication even when there are negative consequences associated with taking the pain killer or drug.

There are many side effects and adverse reactions that can occur with the use of opioids as pain killers. 2.2 million people aged 12 and up first abused painkillers within the past year; this is more than the number of people who started using marijuana and has overtaken the use of cocaine. More than 415,000 people received treatment for pain killer abuse or addiction this past year.

Many chronic pain patients may be under-treated as a result of doctors who are trying to gain control over pain killer addiction, they report. Less common side effects and adverse reactions of pain killers are: confusion, hallucinations, delirium, hives, itching, hypothermia, bradycardia (slow heart rate), tachycardia (rapid heart rate), raised intracranial pressure, ureteric or biliary spasm, muscle rigidity and flushing. There are a number of effective treatment options to treat pain killer addiction to prescription opioids and to help manage the sometimes severe withdrawal symptoms that can accompany sudden stopping of pain killers or drugs.

Although detoxification is not a treatment for pain killer addiction, it can help relieve withdrawal symptoms while the patient adjusts to being free of pain killers or other prescription drugs. Many other drugs can interact with the opioids and cause a variety of symptoms; this can be fatal. Treatment options for pain killer addiction include: medications, such as methadone and LAAM (levo-alpha-acetyl-methadol), and behavioral counseling; usually, the patient is medically detoxified before any treatment approach is begun.

Pain killer addiction includes: opiate dependency, opiate addiction, narcotic dependency, narcotic addiction, and pain killer dependency or painkiller dependency. An opioid-dependent pain patient has improved function with the use of the drug while an opioid-addicted patient does not have improvement. If you are addicted to pain killers or other drugs or think you may be, you can start working to increase the body’s endorphin production naturally; some ways are laughing, touching, massage, acupuncture, acupressure, walking, anything that makes you feel good that’s natural.

Some insurance companies will pay for one or two weeks; some may pay for rehabilitation too. If you can’t do an in-patient rehab, find out how you can do outpatient rehab and pay for it under your insurance plan; check your insurance policy to see if it’s covered. If you don’t have insurance, check with your local mental health agencies to see what is available that’s free.

It’s important to go through rehab following your detox stay: make it a part of your plan of action. Many insurance plans do cover inpatient detox, check yours if you have insurance. All other demands of children, a job, school, or any other responsibilities may make inpatient treatment seem like an intrusion but it’s not.

Experts say that only a small segment of patients with a medical need for using narcotic pain medications ever become addicted. The many problems that are associated with pain killer addiction and abuse have experts, doctors and authorities searching for solutions. Do things that make you feel good as long as it’s natural.

Cannabis Addiction – The significance of THC

Like all addictive drugs cannabis has an agent provocateur. The main active ingredient is Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC for short. It is often assumed that because cannabis presents no physical withdrawal pain it is a non-addictive drug. Ironically, cocaine presents no physical withdrawal pain either but few would argue that it isn’t addictive. THC in fact plays a subtle but pivotal role ensuring we will remain under its spell for what should otherwise be the best years of our lives.

For a modern analogy there is none better than a pay as you go mobile phone to explain how THC controls us…

When you have credit the mobile phone will function to its maximum potential. That is to say you can make local and international telephone calls, send text messages and even connect to the Internet. But the moment you run out of credit your phone no longer functions to its maximum potential. Of course, you can still use it to receive calls – you just can’t use all of its functions. To get it back to a fully functioning phone again you have to top it up with credit. This basic principle is what happens with THC in our bodies. When levels of THC run low (usually after a period of 1 or 2 days) it creates a psychological state similar to what smokers undergo when they haven’t had a cigarette for a while. Increasingly we become uptight and restless, until that is, we go to our dealer’s house and top-up with cannabis. Only after lighting up a joint or bong do we suddenly feel like our normal selves and a fully functioning human being again. But if cannabis is not readily available it ignites the fear we won’t be able to relax or enjoy the rest of the day or evening without it. In this respect cannabis is no different from any other form of drug addiction. When you run out what matters most is searching out a supplier. Eventually when you manage to get hold of some the sense of relief and relaxation upon inhaling it feels genuinely pleasurable. But the point is it isn’t genuine pleasure or relaxation at all. All we are really doing in fact is temporarily removing the tension that THC itself creates.

Before taking up cannabis the need to control how we feel, think and function with regular doses of a drug does not exist. It should be remembered that cannabis artificially creates that need to get back to feeling calm and relaxed again.

How To Get Help Now For Pain Killer Addiction

Many chronic pain patients may be under-treated as a result of doctors who are trying to gain control over pain killer addiction, they report. If you are addicted to pain killers or other drugs or think you may be, you can start working to increase the body’s endorphin production naturally; some ways are laughing, touching, massage, acupuncture, acupressure, walking, anything that makes you feel good that’s natural. Physical dependence on a drug suggests that sudden stopping of the drug may result in negative consequences.

There are a number of effective treatment options to treat pain killer addiction to prescription opioids and to help manage the sometimes severe withdrawal symptoms that can accompany sudden stopping of pain killers or drugs. A person exhibits compulsive behavior to satisfy their craving for a pain killer or pain medication even when there are negative consequences associated with taking the pain killer or drug. Opioids used as the doctor has prescribed are supposedly not dangerous according to some well-established medical groups; but if this is the case, why are so many people addicted to them?

Although detoxification is not a treatment for pain killer addiction, it can help relieve withdrawal symptoms while the patient adjusts to being free of pain killers or other prescription drugs. There are many side effects and adverse reactions that can occur with the use of opioids as pain killers. More than 415,000 people received treatment for pain killer abuse or addiction this past year.

Pain killer addiction includes: opiate dependency, opiate addiction, narcotic dependency, narcotic addiction, and pain killer dependency or painkiller dependency. If you think you are addicted and want to get off pain killers or other drugs, it’s best to get detoxified as fast as you can and then go through some type of rehabilitation; it’s important to have others to lean on and learn from and offer support to you. Once a patient addicted to pain killing drugs has completed detoxification, the treatment provider must then work with the patient to determine which course of treatment would be best for the patient.

Chronic pain affects one out of three or four adults; millions of people suffer from severe disabling pain. 2.2 million people aged 12 and up first abused painkillers within the past year; this is more than the number of people who started using marijuana and has overtaken the use of cocaine. Often people who are addicted to pain killers are plagued with various symptoms to different degrees; many times they don’t associate the symptoms with the drug.

All other demands of children, a job, school, or any other responsibilities may make inpatient treatment seem like an intrusion but it’s not. It’s important to go through rehab following your detox stay: make it a part of your plan of action. Many insurance plans do cover inpatient detox, check yours if you have insurance.

Taking the time to spend in a treatment center, detoxing, is of the utmost priority. You must make a change in your lifestyle in order to prevent you from taking pain killers and or other drugs again. The longer you wait to get treatment the worse it’ll get; take action now.

Avoiding addiction should be a priority for patients or anyone who has to be on pain killers; substitute a non-addictive type if possible or find other ways to minimize the pain. The body’s natural pain killers, endorphins, have been replaced by these pain killing drugs; get them flowing again with lots of laughter. What should people, and patients with chronic pain problems or conditions, do to avoid the possibility of addiction is a burning question.

Some facts about Painkiller Addiction and its Cure

It is really absurd to say, but it must be mentioned that the mode of addiction is getting advanced day be day like the technology. The drugs are getting sophisticated gradually. Previously, people used to take heroine, cocaine or any other drugs for their addiction; whereas, nowadays people rely just on the simple painkillers for getting high. Although, it is very easy to call painkillers simple, but they are not. Taking overdose of painkillers can ruin a man’s life; it can even drag him towards death. Now, people search for painkiller rehab more than that of other drug or alcohol rehabs. Killer drugs like heroine, cocaine or marijuana cost much more than that of painkillers and these drugs are also very hard to find; whereas painkillers are easily available in any store. As a result of which, people tend to get addicted to painkillers more.

Addiction of painkillers often comes from its medicinal application. When people get immune to the initial dose of painkiller, they want more to get relieved from the pain. This gets a person towards painkiller addiction slowly, as they become physically and mentally dependant on the painkillers. Addiction to painkillers is seldom intentional, most of the time people get addicted after its usage as medicine.

You can easily know if a person is addicted to painkillers if you observe him or her carefully. The symptoms of addiction to painkillers can be easily recognized. Painkiller addicts yawn excessively; they also sleep for long periods of time. The most noticeable effect is the mood of an addict. It swings from extreme violence to calmness in moments. Some other side effects of painkillers are lightheadedness, fatigue, nausea, constipation, headache, dry mouth, euphoria, anxiety and abdominal pain. There are various other painkiller addiction symptoms that are noticeable in an addict.

Governments of every country are upset about this painkiller addiction matter. It is ruining the future of the youth generation of today. The govt. has established many free painkiller rehabs all over United States in order to uproot this addiction from the young people. Still, they did not succeed because a free painkiller rehab can never undertake all the measures that are needed for total rehabilitation of a drug addicted person. Proper treatment can only be obtained in the private rehabs. A private painkiller rehab can provide both proper treatment and comfort for the patient during the rehabilitation process.

Alongside proper medicinal treatment, comfort and luxury is a very important factor for curing a drug addicted person. Well known painkiller rehab like that of Cliffside Malibu has got enough monetary power to provide the patients with a luxurious life in a rehab. Comfort is a must during treatment as the withdrawal effects are grueling and hard for a person to tolerate. Sometimes, the patients go wild during the treatment process and only adequate comfort can sooth their mind. The intolerable withdrawal effects can even drive an addicted person towards madness.

However, the private rehabs cost a lot and due to this excessive cost, many people can’t afford it. The govt. should look to it that the facilities of the free rehabs are increased to a high level like the private rehabs or they should pressurize the private rehab to lessen the cost. Otherwise, it will be impossible to uproot the painkiller addiction disease from the society.

Addiction to Prescription Drugs

Drug Addiction: Prescription Drugs

Everybody knows what addiction is. It is a continuing intense need for a certain something: alcohol, food, cigarettes – you name it, you can get addicted to it. It is the unnecessarily strong need to have the item you are craving for. When you talk about drug addiction, the usual idea that pops into our minds are those drugs that can be obtained through drug dealers and are illegally bought and sold. What some people do not know is that drugs or medication that we ingest to help us feel better or to cure certain ailments are emerging as substances that can also be abused. These are often mood-altering drugs like sedatives or pain killers that give people that feeling of being detached from the world or being in a state of euphoria. These drugs are either taken in tablet form, via injections, or as pills. Whatever form they take, prescription drugs are now becoming a rising force to be reckoned with in the fight against drug addiction.

What Prescription Drugs are People Getting Addicted To

There are quite a number of prescription drugs that can be abused by their users and are available with a written prescription. While some may be a refillable prescription, there are prescriptions that can only be used once and require a new prescription for every purchase. These drugs are divided into five categories by the DEA or Drug Enforcement Agency and are called Schedules.

The first group of these drugs includes those that are illegal and have no medical indications whatsoever. This list carries such notorious drugs like ecstasy, heroin, PCP, LSD, and marijuana, among others. These are some of the most dangerous drugs around.

The second group that the DEA compiled includes drugs like codeine, morphine, amphetamine, methadone, methamphetamine, and even cocaine. These drugs have some medical usages and can only be obtained by a written or typed prescription. Prescriptions for these drugs have to be signed by the doctor prescribing it and are non-refillable prescriptions. These drugs exhibit a very high potential for addiction with severe mental and physical dependence as the effect it may have on a user.

The third of drugs listed by the DEA includes medications like Vicodin, Butisol, Plegine, as well as Anabolic Steroids of any kind, codeine, and even testosterone. These drugs can result in a medium to low physical dependence and a rather high mental or psychological dependence for the person. Prescriptions can be either issued orally or written down and is refillable in a six-month time frame for up to five refills.

The fourth division of the list that the DEA generated includes drugs that cause a somewhat limited psychological or physical dependence, although they are still potentially addictive and dangerous. Some of the drugs in this list include Valium, Ativan, Xanax, Doral, Luminal, and a whole lot more. While these may be categorized as lower drug types in the list of addictive drugs, they can still carry a certain amount of repercussions with the constant intake addiction to them causes.

The final list of drugs in the DEA’s watch-list for addictive medication include Lomotil, Codeine combined with other non-narcotic medicines like Robitussin and Actifed as well as Buprenorphine that are found in Buprenex and Temgesic. These drugs do not require a prescription to obtain them and have a pretty low level of addiction potential.

What are the Signs of Addiction?

One of the signs of having an addiction to a certain prescribed medication is the person’s inability to stop himself from using the medication. Some of the more tell-tale signs of a person being addicted to these drugs include the sudden feeling of confidence, belligerence, extreme changes in activity which could include prolonged hours of sleep after bursts of hyperactivity, and even hallucinations or wild imaginings. Taking a person off such medications and seeing them go through certain withdrawal symptoms like excessive sweating and shaking can also alert you to a person’s being addicted to the drugs they have been taking.

While people might say that addicts are people with a weak will, there are actually people whose brains react differently to drugs than others, making them more prone to addiction than others. Another reason why some people get addicted to their prescribed medication is also due to the re-arranging of the way the brain runs after a prolonged use to the substance. This “re-wiring” of the brain alters the way the mind processes logic and makes it hard for a person to listen to reason.

Who Are Prone to Becoming Addicts?

While we may believe that everybody is susceptible to becoming an addict, there are a few factors that make some people more susceptible than others when it comes to becoming a drug dependent. Some of these factors include fatigue or overwork, alcohol dependency, a condition that requires pain-killing medication and a family background or history of addiction. It has also been noted that younger people, women and the elderly are also very prone to drug dependency and addiction.

How to Treat Drug Addiction?

Drug addiction is a serious problem that requires treatments to not only take the person away from his dependency but to also cleanse him of the drugs still coursing through his body. Such treatments are available for those people who want a change in their lives for the better and for those who want to be able to live their lives without having to look towards these chemical substances to help them cope with the pressures of everyday life.

Some of the available treatments that people can use include medical detoxification or detox and in-patient treatments. Detox usually helps a person overcome their addiction by getting them to give up these substances voluntarily or going cold turkey and coping with it in an institution that monitors their withdrawal symptoms. In-Patient treatment lasts longer and is done in an exclusive treatment facility that not only gets the patient to stop using these drugs but also educates them to the further dangers of continuing usage. There are also other treatments for drug dependents aside from these two more common ones.

These treatments are designed to help individuals cope with their addictions while slowly cleansing their bodies of the remaining toxins the drugs have left behind. Treatments are also dependent on what fits each individual; therefore, choosing a treatment that can maximize the person’s detachment from their dependency is essential to a person’s fast recovery.

Pharmaceutical Drugs – A new killer in the addiction world

Pharmaceutical drug abuse among people is increasing every year at alarming rate. The addicts have found it as a very easy mode of addiction. It has hit the young generation the most. Since it is hard for the young people to get drugs like heroin, cocaine or marijuana because of their cost, they have altered the mode of addiction. The most used pharmaceutical drugs used for addiction are the painkillers. Addiction to painkillers has spread like plague all over the world and the youths of United States are the worst victims. Although, the govt. has put ban on deadly drugs like heroin or cocaine, but it is impossible to ban a medicine. Utilizing this chance, the youth have started taking painkillers for addiction.

Most people have heard about Opium; this was previously used for addiction. Painkillers consist of some derivatives of opium, which affects certain parts of the brain causing heightened effects. This effect causes heavenly pleasure, due to which people wants more and more of it, ultimately getting addicted to it. Addiction to painkillers has increase to such a rate, that it has outraced other drugs of addiction. People nowadays search more for painkiller rehab than alcohol or other drug rehabs.

The search for painkiller rehab is not worthless, as the proper treatment of addiction can only be done in a rehab. A person can try conducting treatment at home, but the withdrawal effects of painkillers are so severe, that the chance of failure is almost cent percent. Supervision of experts is required at great extent during the rehabilitation process.  Even the detox programs cannot be conducted at home. In the rapid detox process, the drug particles are eliminated from the addict’s body by certain methods. The withdrawal effects show up right after this process. The patients become restless having chronic or acute pain in body parts. Several other symptoms arise, which are simply intolerable for the patient. These unbearable withdrawal effects drive the addicts to madness. The patients need immense care during this period.

However, any ordinary rehab cannot provide all the required treatment methods or proper care that is a must during rehabilitation. World class drug rehabilitation center like the Luxury Drug Rehab has got the ability to provide a patient with all the treatment and comfort. The luxurious lifestyle and mind soothing environment maintained in this rehab is perfect for complete rehabilitation of the patient. Besides the comfort and treatment conducted in this rehab, the other facilities like the individualized treatment programs, fitness trainings, healthy diets is very effective for curing a drug addict.

The most used medicine for curing painkiller addicts nowadays is Buprenorphine. The Buprenorphine treatment has proved to be very successful. Use of this medicine has made the rehabilitation process much easier for the patients as well for the doctors. Prescription drug addiction cannot be stopped; neither can the painkillers be banned. All we can do is inform the young generation about the effects of addiction, so that they stay away from taking painkillers.

Addiction to painkillers has outraced other drugs and alcohol

Addiction is the most common word in today’s world. It can be defined as that condition when a person is unable to stop using something. That something can be movies, music, shopping, cigarettes, alcohol or drugs. The last two are the most common and deadly form of addiction. Thousands of people die every year due to the intake of these two things. Drug addiction is the most common form and it is deadlier than alcohol. Lethal drugs like Cocaine, Heroine, LSD, Marijuana, Hashish etc are found all over the world and they are cause of millions of deaths. Government of every country is trying to uproot these addiction and the drugs. Some of them have already succeeded.

Although drugs have been banned in several countries, the addiction did not leave the youth. Unable to obtain their required drugs, people have changed their mode of addiction. They have now started taking painkillers for getting high. Painkiller addiction is now the most common form of addiction of the world. It is cheap and easily available. Govt. cannot even put a ban on painkillers as it is mainly used as medicine. Although, addiction to painkillers is intentional for some people, some even get addicted after they are being prescribed with painkillers by the doctors or physicists.

Some patients get physically and mentally dependant on painkillers when they are prescribed with painkillers. Even after they get completely cured from the injury or any other pain, they keep on taking painkillers because they feel chronic pains if they do not take these pills. Painkiller addictions have reached a high extent nowadays; millions of people all over the world rely on painkillers. People get too much physically dependant on painkillers, as a result cannot get rid of it. Whenever they try to give up this addiction, certain withdrawal symptoms show up. These withdrawal symptoms are so painful that the addicts get back to the addiction again.

The only way to get rid of painkiller addiction is proper medicinal treatment and care. Proper medicinal treatment cannot be obtained if the person wants to get cured by himself. If a person really wants to get out of this malpractice, then he or she must visit a painkiller rehab. A painkiller rehab is the only place where an addicted person can get proper painkiller addiction treatment. Since the withdrawal symptoms are unbearable, the patients always need special attention, care and mental support. Otherwise, there is no chance of proper rehabilitation.

But, prevention is always better than cure. When you know that you can be a victim of pharmaceutical addiction, you should ask your doctor to adopt some other methods for your cure. Or, you can also have enough control on yourself so that you can stop taking painkillers when you are completely cured. But, very few people can do this. No one knows when the medicine used to cure one self can turn to a lethal poison. Painkiller addiction must be avoided at any cost; it will not only harm yourself but also each and every people around you.

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