In The News:

You are currently browsing the archive for the In The News: category.

Vicodin Addiction: Prescription Abuse
~by guest blogger Alex Kerwin

Vicodin Addiction: Prescription Abuse
Vicodin is a synthetic opiate created in a laboratory. Similar to morphine, its primary use is to control moderate to severe pain. Since the medication works on pain-receptors in the brain and produces a feeling of euphoria and well-being, Vicodin is frequently a drug of choice for substance abuse. In 2010, over 130 million prescriptions were written for Vicodin, and related medications. Consequently, opiate addiction has surged with over 10 million Americans self-reporting prescription medication abuse. Increasing awareness of prescription addiction with education and alternatives in treatment are paramount. Vicodin addiction is an epidemic in the USA, and people with substance abuse issues should not feel alone or stigmatized when seeking treatment.

How Addiction Begins
Initially, people are prescribed Vicodin for pain, usually after injury or surgery. During the recovery process, Vicodin is taken on a regular basis and the brain begins to experience a “good feeling,” or a state of euphoria. In response, the brain makes less “good chemicals,” on its own, and relies on the Vicodin to supply these chemicals. Unfortunately, when Vicodin is discontinued, the brain continues to create less “feel good” chemicals, and the person may experience depression and withdrawal.

Increased Tolerance and Dosage
Addiction will drive the person to increase the amount of Vicodin to create the feelings of well-being as the tolerance to the drug increases. People with addiction will take dangerously high dosages of the drug and risk liver and kidney damage, as well as overdose and death. It is not uncommon for addicted persons to seek several doctors and visit hospital emergency rooms as a response for the brain’s increased demand of the drug.

Signs of Withdrawal
Once the use of Vicodin is stopped, many addicted individuals will experience an overwhelming psychic desire for the drug. In addition, withdrawal is accompanied by dreadful feelings of impending doom, physical aches and pains, nausea and vomiting, and deep depression with suicidal thoughts. Depending on the extent of the addiction, it is dangerous for people to attempt detoxification from the substance without supervision and they are strongly encouraged to seek professional assistance.

Help from Treatment Centers
In 2009, over 11 million people received treatment for substance abuse and addiction. As awareness of substance dependence increases in society, treatment centers are being recognized as important resources and assistance in addiction recovery. Using an approach of the psychological and physical needs of the individual, treatment focuses not only on the cessation of the drug, but provides coping strategies on restoring the individual to their former selves. The ultimate goal of substance abuse treatment returns people to productive functioning in the family, workplace, school, and the community.

Addiction can be Treated Successfully
As with all chronic disease, addiction can be managed successfully. Treatments centers provide powerful strategies for living a healthy and productive life without drug dependence. According to researchers, most people that enter treatment have positive outcomes and refrain from substance abuse.

NEED HELP NOW?
Affordable Phone Counseling for Families Dealing with Substance Abuse
Recovery Resources for Friends, Families and Employers

RELATED:
>Chronic Pain Management & Pain Pill Addiction: What to do?

>My True Story of Prescription Drug Addiction

>Pain Meds Cause More Pain! The new silent epidemic

>Opiate Pain Meds: Avoiding Opiate Prescription Drug Addiction in Recovery

>Read more about this topic—chapter 27, Why Don’t They JUST QUIT?

>Effects of Addiction

>The Accidental Addict

 

SELF TESTS:
> Self-Tests: Codependence

> Self-Tests: Alcohol and Drug Addiction

Sign up for our Free Changing Lives E-Newsletter!

RETURN:
From “Vicodin Addiction: Prescription Abuse” to Changing Lives Foundation Blog Home

Follow Me on Pinterest
____________________________________________________________________________
Vicodin Addiction, Prescription Abuse, Vicodin Addiction, Prescription Abuse

Pin It
Buffer
email

August 18, 2012 by jherzanek | 1 comment

Is it okay to smoke some weed

 

JoeHerzanekQ Is it okay for a recovering addict
to smoke pot?


A. No


This has also been referred to as the “marijuana maintenance plan.”
Regardless of what a person’s past drugs of choice were, smoking pot
during recovery is a very bad idea.

Many people who have tried this have ended up with one of two results:
the same lack of control and abuse problem with smoking pot, or a return to their drug of choice.
Drug users tend to make poor choices while under the influence
of any mind-altering drug. Good intentions fly out the window when
any use begins.

This is actually just an attempt to continue using something—
anything—rather than remain substance free. In order to set the record straight and make this simple, below are questions I am asked over and over, and I’ve included the answers I give over and over.
Our persistent attempts to find a loophole can be quite
humorous at times!

 

JoeHerzanekQ Is it okay to smoke some weed once
in a while?


A. No


 

JoeHerzanekQ If I was a heroin addict and I quit that drug
completely, is it okay to just smoke some weed?


A. No



 

JoeHerzanekQ If I’m a recovering alcoholic, is it okay to
smoke some weed?


A. No


 

JoeHerzanekQ I’m in recovery, but since weed is found to
grow naturally in many places, is it okay
to just smoke weed?


A. No


 

JoeHerzanek

Q Since weed is not really a drug, is it okay to
smoke some weed?


A. No


 

JoeHerzanekQ I heard about a guy in recovery that smokes
weed. Do you think I might be able to?


A. No


 

JoeHerzanekQ There is an organization called NORMAL.
If a group like this is able to get marijuana legalized,
do you think I could just smoke weed?

A. No


 

JoeHerzanekQ I’ve heard about smoking “medical marijuana” for people
with health problems. What’s up with this?


A. This is one really bad idea.

 

Supposedly for pain relief, it is now possible to get a medical marijuana
(MM) card. The typical MM card-holder is a twenty-three-year-old
male. Even if it were true that we have high numbers of young males
with chronic pain—smoking marijuana for “medical reasons” is still a
mistake. First of all, it is very easy to just extract the active ingredient,
THC, and use it in pill-form. Why inhale the smoke into the lungs, other
than to get the quicker rush, or “high” the drug produces?

Secondly, this is one more way of throwing our hands up in the air and saying
“People are just going to get stoned and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Do we, as a nation, want to make it easier for young people to get stoned? Personaly, I don’t think so. Lastly, marijuana addiction is number three on the list of reasons people seek treatment. The first is alcohol, second is for
opiates (pain meds) and then marijuana. After these three, come cocaine, and methamphetamine.

“We owe it to the people we serve to speak out
about the unintended consequences legalization (of
marijuana) would have and the toll it would take on the
health and safety of our communities.”
“Over the course of my career, from St. Petersburg
to Seattle, I learned a lot about the damage drug abuse
does to the fabric of our society—and about the terrible
toll it takes on individuals, families and communities
across this country,” Kerlikowske told his former peers.
“I’ll never forget the rage and despair I felt when I
worked undercover and I saw a drug dealer take a hit of
marijuana—and then blow the smoke in the face of his toddler.”

~Gil Kerlikowske, Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy
(comments from a speech given at the International Conference of Chiefs of Police Annual Convention, October 23, 2009).

 

Why Don't They Just Quit? What families and friends need to know about addiction and recovery." by Joe HerzanekThis “Q & A with Joe” is excerpted from Part 5 of “Why Don’t They Just Quit? What families and friends need to know about addiction and recovery.”

 

NEED HELP NOW?
Affordable Phone Counseling for Families Dealing with Substance Abuse

MORE ASK JOE:
>How can I know if my addicted friend or loved one is telling the truth?

>”I need help because I’m not able to deal with my live-in Fiance’s need to get drunk every night.”

>Should my husband “back off?”

Sign up for our Free Changing Lives E-Newsletter!

okay for recovering addict to smoke pot okay to smoke pot okay for recovering addict to smoke pot
okay to smoke pot okay to smoke weed

 

 

February 16, 2012 by jherzanek | 21 comments

Pain Meds Cause More PainPain Meds Cause More Pain! The new silent epidemic.

This article excerpted from the award-winning book “Why Don’t They Just Quit? What families and friends need to know about addiction and recovery.” by Joe Herzanek

Technology is wonderful—up to a point. The medical and pharmaceutical industries have made huge advances to help those suffering from all sorts of diseases. Most of these advances are genuine lifesavers.

Americans are enjoying longer and higher quality lives—so much so, that we have come to expect many things as normal (diseases cured, symptoms gone and less pain for those suffering the debilitating affects of certain health problems).

Much Too Popular
One class of drugs—opiate painkillers, has become much too popular. These meds will not only relieve physical pain but will also give the user a pleasant euphoric effect at the same time. For a significant and growing number of people this euphoric state of mind is becoming more and more difficult to let go of (similar to the popularity of Valium in the 70′s—which by the way, has been recently increasing as well).

So how and why is this happening? How do pain meds cause even more pain? Let me start by saying that these drugs are very necessary for genuine pain—such as pain experienced after a surgery, broken bones, dental work and more. When used as prescribed, for short periods of time these drugs make life manageable. In some very rare cases they may be appropriate for extended periods of time—especially when a person has a terminal disease. A very small percentage of people fall into this category. Thank God for these medications.

The majority of people who take these medications do not fall in this group. Here is where the problem starts. Rarely does anyone start out to become dependent on opiate pain meds. It happens slowly without being noticed. This is an insidious process. Usually, there comes a time when a person’s physical pain is gone. With regular use of painkilling drugs, the central nervous system has come to expect the drug and the sedative affect it produces—as normal.

Withdrawal
When a person stops using the drug, the body revolts. This is called withdrawal. It’s normal. Much less extreme, but nonetheless similar, a heavy coffee drinker who suddenly quits drinking coffee altogether will experience headaches for a few days. This is because their central nervous system has become accustomed to regular jolts of caffeine throughout the day. Withdrawal from caffeine is usually short-lived and not too difficult. Stopping opiate pain meds is similar, but much, much more intense. The withdrawal symptoms are often very painful—so much so that the person will start to think that their pain is not really gone and they must get and take more pain meds.

A Vicious Cycle
Not only is the body expecting this drug, but a person who is taking pain medication is also building a tolerance to it. Their body is requiring more, sometimes lots more—to feel better. This is a vicious cycle that feeds on itself and only gets worse over time. The person taking theses drugs will also become much more sensitive to all pain—as the normal ability to handle mild pain with over-the-counter medications is now diminished.

I’ve recently watched this problem arise close to home, as a family member needed surgery. He had been regularly taking large amounts of pain meds for back pain. While in the hospital for knee-replacement surgery, he found that he required a much larger dosage of pain meds than a normal person would need. After he was given the maximum safe dosage—excruciating pain still persisted. One feels helpless in these situations.

To ensure that this doesn’t happen, pain meds really should only be used when truly needed. Otherwise, when the time comes that a person genuinely needs them—these pain-relieving drugs may not work at all.

How large is this problem really? In 2007 there were a total of 3.7 billion prescriptions written in the United States. 182 million were for pain meds*! I have double-checked these numbers because I thought they couldn’t be correct. Pain meds are second only to prescriptions written for lowering cholesterol (192 million prescriptions). Anti-depressant prescriptions came in third with 158 million.

If you subtract people aged 21 and under from these numbers—that leaves 230 million adults. According to these calculations, over 15 million people are taking opiate pain medications every day. This is 5% of the entire adult population.

Do all these people need opiate pain medication every day? The only way to know for sure is to quit, go through withdrawal and see how you feel after a few months—drug-free. More and more people are unwilling to go through this process. Today, addiction to opiate pain medications is one of the main reasons people are checking into rehab centers.

So how does one avoid becoming dependant on pain medications? And once a person has become dependant on them, how do they learn to safely quit?

Return from Pain Meds Cause More Pain! The new silent epidemic to Drug Addiction Help Now Home

RELATED ARTICLES:
Opiate Pain Meds: Avoiding Opiate Prescription Drug Addiction in Recovery

Read more about this topic—chapter 27, Why Don’t They JUST QUIT?

Effects of Addiction


* IMS Health Services (2007 Research Statistics)

Sign up for our Free Changing Lives E-Newsletter!

February 12, 2012 by jherzanek | 6 comments

Vicodin Abuse and Dangerous New Painkiller Worries Experts

December 26, 2011 in In the News, In The News:, Painkiller Abuse, Teen Trends by jherzanek | 2 comments

Vicodin Abuse and Dangerous New Painkiller Worries Experts

Zogenix Headquarters

Zogenix headquarters, San Deigo, CA where work is underway to formulate a purer, more powerful version of the USA's second most-abused medicine, hydrocodone. Experts fear this new painkiller could trigger a brand new round of abuse. /Lenny Ignelz/Associated Press

There are a few medications available today that help some people with the initial quitting phase. However, I strongly advise anyone in recovery to consult with a trusted doctor before taking anything.

The following article addresses Vicodin Abuse and a dangerous new painkiller—a pure, more powerful version of the nation’s second most-abused medicine. 

One of the more difficult groups of substances for an addict to stop using is pain medication—mainly, the opiate drugs like Vicodin, Percocet, heroin, and OxyContin.
~Joe Herzanek

To receive new posts in your email please click here


By Chris Hawley/Associated Press

NEW YORK — Drug companies are working to develop a pure, more powerful version of the nation’s second most-abused medicine, which has addiction experts worried that it could spur a new wave of abuse.

The new pills contain the highly addictive painkiller hydrocodone, packing up to 10 times the amount of the drug as existing medications such as Vicodin. Four companies have begun patient testing, and one of them — Zogenix of San Diego — plans to apply early next year to begin marketing its product, Zohydro.


If approved, it would mark the first time patients could legally buy pure hydrocodone. Existing products combine the drug with nonaddictive painkillers such as acetaminophen.

Critics say they are especially worried about Zohydro, a timed-release drug meant for managing moderate to severe pain, because abusers could crush it to release an intense, immediate high.

“I have a big concern that this could be the next OxyContin,” said April Rovero, president of the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse. “We just don’t need this on the market.”

OxyContin, introduced in 1995 by Purdue Pharma of Stamford, Conn., was designed to manage pain with a formula that dribbled one dose of oxycodone over many hours.

Abusers quickly discovered they could defeat the timed-release feature by crushing the pills. Purdue Pharma changed the formula to make OxyContin more tamper-resistant, but addicts have moved onto generic oxycodone and other drugs that do not have a timed-release feature.

Oxycodone is now the most-abused medicine in the United States, with hydrocodone second, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s annual count of drug seizures sent to police drug labs for analysis.

The latest drug tests come as more pharmaceutical companies are getting into the $10 billion-a-year legal market for powerful — and addictive — opiate narcotics.

“It’s like the wild west,” said Peter Jackson, co-founder of Advocates for the Reform of Prescription Opioids. “The whole supply-side system is set up to perpetuate this massive unloading of opioid narcotics on the American public.”

The pharmaceutical firms say the new hydrocodone drugs give doctors another tool to try on patients in legitimate pain, part of a constant search for better painkillers to treat the aging U.S. population.

“Sometimes you circulate a patient between various opioids, and some may have a better effect than others,” said Karsten Lindhardt, chief executive of Denmark-based Egalet, which is testing its own pure hydrocodone product.

The companies say a pure hydrocodone pill would avoid liver problems linked to high doses of acetaminophen, an ingredient in products like Vicodin. They also say patients will be more closely supervised because, by law, they will have to return to their doctors each time they need more pills. Prescriptions for the weaker, hydrocodone-acetaminophen products now on the market can be refilled up to five times.


Zogenix has completed three rounds of patient testing, and last week it announced it had held a final meeting with Food and Drug Administration officials to talk about its upcoming drug application. It plans to file the application in early 2012 and have Zohydro on the market by early 2013.

Purdue Pharma and Cephalon, a Frazer, Pa.-based unit of Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals, are conducting late-stage trials of their own hydrocodone drugs, according to documents filed with federal regulators. In May, Purdue Pharma received a patent applying extended-release technology to hydrocodone. Neither company would comment on its plans.

Meanwhile, Egalet has finished the most preliminary stages of testing aimed at determining the basic safety of a drug. The firm could have a product on the market as early as 2015 but wants to see how the other companies fare with the FDA before deciding whether to move forward, Lindhardt said.

Critics say they are troubled because of the dark side that has accompanied the boom in sales of narcotic painkillers: Murders, pharmacy robberies and millions of dollars lost by hospitals that must treat overdose victims.

Thousands of legitimate pain patients are becoming addicted to powerful prescription painkillers, they say, in addition to the thousands more who abuse the drugs.

Prescription painkillers led to the deaths of almost 15,000 people in 2008, more than triple the 4,000 deaths in 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last month.

Emergency room visits related to hydrocodone abuse have shot from 19,221 in 2000 to 86,258 in 2009, according to data compiled by the Drug Enforcement Administration. In Florida alone, hydrocodone caused 910 deaths and contributed to 1,803 others between 2003 and 2007.

Hydrocodone belongs to family of drugs known as opiates or opioids because they are chemically similar to opium. They include morphine, heroin, oxycodone, codeine, methadone and hydromorphone.

Opiates block pain but also unleash intense feelings of well-being and can create physical dependence. The withdrawal symptoms are also intense, with users complaining of cramps, diarrhea, muddled thinking, nausea and vomiting.

After a while, opiates stop working, forcing users to take stronger doses or to try slightly different chemicals.

“You’ve got a person on your product for life, and a doctor’s got a patient who’s never going to miss an appointment, because if they did and they didn’t get their prescription, they would feel very sick,” said Andrew Kolodny, president of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing. “It’s a terrific business model, and that’s what these companies want to get in on.”

Under pressure from the government, Purdue Pharma last year debuted a new OxyContin pill formula that “squishes” instead of crumbling when someone tries to crush it.

But Zogenix, whose drug is time-released but crushable, says there is not enough evidence to show that such tamper-resistant reformulations thwart abuse.

“Provided sufficient effort, all formulations currently available can be overcome,” Zogenix said in a written response to questions by The Associated Press.

At a conference for investors New York on Nov. 29, Zogenix chief executive Roger Hawley said the FDA was not pressuring Zogenix to put an abuse deterrent in Zohydro.

“We would certainly consider later launching an abuse-deterrent form, but right now we believe the priority of safer hydrocodone — that is, without acetaminophen — is a key priority for the FDA,” Hawley said.

FDA spokeswoman Erica Jefferson said the agency would not comment on its discussions with drug companies, citing the need to protect trade secrets.

Drug control advocates say they’re worried the U.S. government is too lax about controlling addictive pain medications. The United States consumes 99 percent of the world’s hydrocodone and 83 percent of its oxycodone, according to a 2008 study by the International Narcotics Control Board.

One 41-year-old loophole in particular has fed the current problem with hydrocodone abuse, critics say. The federal Controlled Substances Act, passed in 1970, puts fewer controls on combination pills containing hydrocodone and another painkiller than it does on the equivalent oxycodone products.


A Vicodin prescription can be refilled five times, for example, while a Percocet prescription can only be filled once.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Food and Drug Administration have been studying whether to close this loophole since 1999 but have made no decision. Congress is now considering a bill that would force the agencies to tighten the controls.

“This is a problem that is fundamentally an oversupply problem,” said Jackson, the drug-control advocate. “The FDA has kind of opened the floodgates, and they refuse to recognize the mistakes made in the past.”

Pure hydrocodone falls into the stricter drug-control category than hydrocodone-acetaminophen medications, meaning patients would have to go to their doctors for a new prescription each time they needed more pills. But Jackson said that’s no guarantee against abuse, noting that dozens of unscrupulous doctors have been caught churning out prescriptions in so-called “pill mills.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration, which enforces controls on medicines along with the FDA, said it could not comment on drugs that have not yet been approved for sale.

However, Zogenix has acknowledged the abuse issue could become a liability.

“Illicit use and abuse of hydrocodone is well documented,” it said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission in September. “Thus, the regulatory approval process and the marketing of Zohydro may generate public controversy that may adversely affect regulatory approval and market acceptance of Zohydro.”

Return from Vicodin Abuse and Dangerous New Painkiller Worries Experts to Drug Addiction Help Now Home

RELATED ARTICLES:

Pain Meds Cause More Pain! The new silent epidemic

Opiate Pain Meds: Avoiding Opiate Prescription Drug Addiction in Recovery

Chronic Pain Management & Pain Pill Addiction: What to do?

Read more about this topic—chapter 27, Why Don’t They JUST QUIT?

Effects of Addiction


 

________________________________________
Vicodin Abuse,  New Painkiller, Painkiller addiction

Tags: , , , , ,

Melanie Griffith speaks about her addiction to pain pills

September 27, 2011 in Al-Anon Related. . ., In The News: by jherzanek | 1 comment

melanie-griffith-and-antonio-banderas

Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas. — Photo by AP


melanie Griffith talks about her husband’s support (or lack of it) regarding her recovery from addiction to pain pills.

“I went away to rehab for three months; it took 10 days just to detox. I wish he would go to a meeting with me or to Al-Anon, but it’s very foreign to him.”

This article below illustrates the fact that anyone can feel “all alone” (even being married to a sex symbol), addiction strikes people from virtually all walks of life, and that we all need support and understanding.

by: Meg Grant | from: AARP The Magazine | November 2011 issue

Q: What first attracted you to Antonio?

A: Everything, really. His way. He’s very funny. The first thing he asked me was my age. I said, “That’s the rudest thing anyone has asked me first.” But there was something about him. Still is. I just love him.

Q: Is it hard to be married to a sex symbol?

A: No — not any harder than being married to any man.

Q: How do you keep your marriage going?

A: We’re willing to change with each other, let old things die and new things be born. But it’s a constant endeavor.

Q: How is Antonio as a dad?

A: If the kids need him, he’s there. But he has a different parenting style. He can talk to them deeply about things they won’t talk to me about, because I’m the one saying, “You’re supposed to be doing this right now. It’s your responsibility.” I’m the disciplinarian; he’s the understanding, philosophical one. We balance each other.

Q: Antonio and I talked about the recent news of men being unfaithful. What do you think of these guys?

A: I would feel so hurt. I don’t know if humans were meant to be with only one person. I don’t think so. But I don’t believe Antonio could tolerate my being with someone else, just as I couldn’t tolerate his being with someone else.

Q: He said that you all participated in your rehab a few years ago, and it welded you.

A: I’m sorry to say, that’s in his mind. I started on pain pills when I hurt my knee skiing and just kept taking them. The kids knew; Dakota and Stella called me on it. Antonio was in London at the time. I went away to rehab for three months; it took 10 days just to detox. We had two family weeks there, but we didn’t follow through. Antonio was supportive to the extent that he can be, but if you’re not an alcoholic or drug addict, and you find out that your wife is a bad one, it’s hard to deal with. As long as I’m okay, he’s okay. I wish he would go to a meeting with me or to Al-Anon, but it’s very foreign to him. Addiction runs in my family but not in his.

Q: So it’s been your journey alone.

A: Yes. And I don’t mean that against him. I would like him to do more, but it’s a difficult thing to have happen in any family, and in that way he has been totally by my side. He really is the greatest guy.

 

NEED HELP NOW?
Drug Addiction Phone Counseling and Intervention for Families Dealing with Substance Abuse

PURCHASE:
To purchase the award-winning book “Why Don’t They Just Quit? What families and friends need to know about addiction and recovery”

RETURN:
Return from: “Melanie Griffith speaks about her addiction to pain pills ” to BLOG HOME

 

__________________________________________________________
Melanie Griffith pain pill addiction Melanie Griffith pain pill addiction

Tags: , , , , , ,

Elderly couple in support group

Elderly couple in support group

Participants in a support group for older adults at the Hanley Center, an addiction treatment and rehab center in West Palm Beach, Fla. say a prayer. A remarkable shift in the number of older adults reporting substance abuse problems is making this scene more common. Between 1992 and 2008, treatment admissions for those 50 and older more than doubled in the U.S. That number will continue to grow, experts say, as the massive baby boom generation ages. Photo: Wilfredo Lee / AP

___________________________________________________________

An increasing number of Baby Boomers and elderly Americans are seeking treatment for substance abuse–and this number is growing rapidly. According to The Associated Press, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that treatment admissions doubled in adults age 50 and over between 1992 and 2008.

It is widely predicted by experts that this wave will continue–as baby boomers who developed drug addiction problems 30 to 40 years ago continue to age. Older adults are more likely to abuse alcohol than illicit drugs, the article states. According to the AP, treatment professionals state that there are many older adults with substance abuse issues who are not seeking treatment.

Currently, there are few treatment programs specifically designed for older adults (with more and more coming on the scene each month). The article notes that seniors in mixed age groups may have a hard time relating to younger participants and may end up mentoring younger participants instead of focusing on their own issues.

___________________________________________________________

Big spike recorded in older drug, alcohol addicts

MATT SEDENSKY, Associated Press
Updated 02:39 a.m., Wednesday, May 18, 2011

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — They go around this room at the Hanley Center telling of their struggles with alcohol and drugs. They tell of low points and lapses, brushes with death and pain caused to families. And silently, through the simple fact that each is in their 60s or beyond, they share one more secret: Addiction knows no age.

“I retired, I started drinking more,” one man said. “I lost my father, my mother, my dog, and it gave me a good excuse,” said another.

A remarkable shift in the number of older adults reporting substance abuse problems is making this scene more common. Between 1992 and 2008, treatment admissions for those 50 and older more than doubled in the U.S. That number will continue to grow, experts say, as the massive baby boom generation ages.

“There is a level of societal denial around the issue,” said Peter Provet, the head of Odyssey House in New York, another center offering specialized substance abuse treatment programs for seniors. “No one wants to look at their grandparent, no one wants to think about their grandparent or their elderly parent, and see that person as an addict.”

All told, 231,200 people aged 50 and over sought treatment for substance abuse in 2008, up from 102,700 in 1992, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Older adults accounted for about one of every eight seeking help for substance abuse in 2008, meaning their share of treatment admissions has doubled over the 16-year period as other age groups’ proportions shrunk slightly.

The growth outpaces overall population gains among older demographics. Between 2000 and 2008, substance abuse treatment admissions among those 50 and older increased by 70 percent while the overall 50-plus population grew by 21 percent. Experts say that’s because boomers have historically high rates of substance abuse, often developed three or four decades ago, that comes to a head later in life.

“The baby boom population has some experience with substance misuse and is more comfortable with these substances,” said Dr. Westley Clark, director of SAMHSA’s center on substance abuse treatment.

Treatment professionals believe the actual number of older people with substance abuse problems is many times larger than the amount seeking help.

While the number of older people with substance abuse problems is booming, relatively few facilities offer treatment programs specifically for their age group. Most pool people of all ages together; many divide by gender. Those that do offer age-specific programs say it helps participants relate to one another and keeps them focused on themselves, rather than mentoring younger addicts.

Provet said some have questioned whether it’s worthwhile to target efforts at seniors, who generally have fewer years left to benefit from treatment than younger people. He dismisses that reasoning, comparing it to arguing that a cancer patient should be turned away from chemotherapy or radiation treatments simply because they’re 65.

Besides, older participants at Odyssey House have the highest completion rate — 85 percent during the last fiscal year.

“It’s almost as if they say, ‘This now is my last shot. Let me see if I can get my life right finally,’” he said.

Among those taking that approach is Henry Dennis, who at 70 has used heroin for the past 50 years. He came to Odyssey before, relapsed and was arrested for drug possession. Dennis says he’s seen at least a dozen friends die of drug use, but it wasn’t enough to make him stop.

Now in his eighth month of treatment, he says he finally has the resolve to quit.

“I’m going to get it right this time,” said Dennis, who has worked a variety of odd jobs. “I don’t want to die, not just yet.”

Dennis’ treatment is paid for by the state of New York. Many pay out of pocket. Medicare offers some coverage for outpatient treatment but generally doesn’t cover inpatient programs.

Experts have observed a rise in illicit drug use, while treatment for alcohol has dropped even though it remains the chief addiction among older adults. The 2008 statistics show 59.9 percent of those 50 and older seeking treatment cited alcohol as their primary substance, down from 84.6 percent in 1992. Heroin came in second, accounting for 16 percent of admissions in that age group, more than double its share in the earlier survey. Cocaine was third, at 11.4 percent, more than four times its 1992 rate.

Surveys show the vast majority of older drug addicts and alcoholics reported first using their substance of choice many years earlier, like Dennis. That lifelong use can lead to liver damage, memory loss, hepatitis and a host of other medical issues. A minority of people find comfort in drugs and alcohol far later, fueled by drastic life changes, loneliness or legitimate physical pain.

Don Walsh, a participant at Hanley’s support group, falls into the latter category. He is among 19 men and women who gather on this day in the room with pale blue walls and the calming whir of a fish tank. One comes in a wheelchair, another with a walker; one dozes off during the session.

Walsh, a 77-year-old lawyer, says he didn’t develop a problem with alcohol until he retired a year ago. His relentless schedule of 12- to 14-hour days disappeared into a series of leisurely lunches and dinners where the wine flowed freely. One day, he blacked out in his garage. Had it happened while he was driving home, he thought, he might have killed himself and others.

After six weeks of treatment, Walsh says he no longer craves alcohol.

“I have a new lease on life,” he said.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Read about Al-Anon: The Critical Role of Al-Anon in Family Addiction Recovery

Drug Addiction and Alcoholism Recovery Resources for Friends, Families and Employers

Children of Alcoholics, Live in the middle of Life

Return from Baby Boomers and Elderly Seek Drug and Alcohol Treatment, to Changing Lives Foundation HOME

______________________________________________________
Baby Boomers, Elderly seek drug, Baby Boomers, Elderly seek drug

May 19, 2011 by jherzanek | No comments

Illegal Bath Salts“Just because something is not illegal does not mean it’s safe”

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske warned people Tuesday against taking the newest synthetic drugs, often marketed as “bath salts” and being sold legally on the Internet and in drug paraphernalia stores.

The powdered drugs are sold under such brand names as “Ivory Wave” or “Purple Wave.” Kerlikowske said synthetic stimulants in them have made hundreds of users across the country sick already this year. A Mississippi sheriff’s office has said the drugs are suspected in an apparent overdose death there.

“They pose a serious threat to the health and well-being of young people and anyone who uses them,” Kerlikowske said in a written statement. Read the entire article: Drug czar warns against taking “bath Salts” drugs

Also read:
Specialty “Bath Salts” linked to hospitalizations, suicides

NEED HELP NOW?
Drug Addiction Phone Counseling for Families Dealing with Substance Abuse

February 7, 2011 by jherzanek | 3 comments

Cocaine Vaccine Shows Promise in Mice. Promise for whom?

January 27, 2011 in In The News: by jherzanek | No comments

Shows promise for the pharmaceutical industry to make lots of $$$ like they currently do with Suboxone.

One more pill or potion to “help” addicts switch to a new drug

“Additional testing of the cocaine vaccine will be needed on mice, rats, and donkeys before it can be tested on humans. “This looks terrific but humans are not big mice,” he said.”

“but humans are not big mice” good catch.
~Joe

Cocaine Vaccine Shows Promise in Mice
An experimental vaccine tested on mice appears to nullify the effects of cocaine addiction by keeping it from affecting the central nervous system, CNN Health reported Jan. 5.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), about 1.1 million Americans abused cocaine in any form in 2008. When smoked, injected, or snorted, the well-known addictive substance causes euphoria and a heightened sense of energy in users. It can also dangerously accelerate heart rate and increase blood pressure.

The new cocaine vaccine, developed by a team of researchers led by Dr. Ronald Crystal at Weil Cornell Medical College, is a combination of “an inactive common-cold virus with a chemical that imitates cocaine,” according to CNN Health. It works by stimulating the auto-immune system to create antibodies that prevent cocaine from “passing through the blood-brain barrier.”

In the study, vaccinated mice injected with cocaine showed no reaction. Unvaccinated mice “went crazy,” Crystal said, becoming agitated and hyperactive. He said the results were “very promising.”

Crystal hopes the vaccine can be tested on humans in about two years. He said that if the vaccine works on humans, it might be adapted for use with nicotine, heroin, and other addictive substances.

Additional testing of the cocaine vaccine will be needed on mice, rats, and donkeys before it can be tested on humans. “This looks terrific but humans are not big mice,” he said.

The study, “Cocaine Analog Coupled to Disrupted Adenovirus: A Vaccine Strategy to Evoke High-titer Immunity Against Addictive Drugs,” appeared in the Jan. 4, 2011 issue of Molecular Therapy.

This article summarizes an external report or press release on research published in a scientific journal. When available, links to the sources are provided above.

NEED HELP NOW?
Drug Addiction Phone Counseling for Families Dealing with Substance Abuse

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Specialty ‘Bath Salts’ Linked to Hospitalizations, Suicides

January 24, 2011 in In the News, In The News: by jherzanek | 3 comments

Illegal Bath Salts

Illegal Bath Salts

January 24, 2011
News Summary

Alarming numbers of adolescents and others are ending up in emergency rooms and mental hospitals after using ”fake cocaine” — a powder legally sold as bath salts, The Sacramento Bee reported Jan. 18.

The so-called bath salts are not common brands, but instead specially-made powders that are sold in convenience stores and specialty shops in half-gram bottles for about $25 to $30. Users snort them, smoke them, or inject them like cocaine to experience euphoria.

However, they can cause “paranoia, chest pains, and irregular heartbeats,” the Bee reported.
Continue reading Specialty ‘Bath Salts’ Linked to Hospitalizations, Suicides . . .

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Derek Redmond video clip

October 1, 2010 in In the News, In The News:, Real People, Real Stories by jherzanek | No comments

We are posting the link to this powerful clip we use the end of our presentation . . . here it is.


CLICK TO VIEW

Derek Redmond

Derek Redmond



NEED HELP NOW?
Drug Addiction Phone Counseling for Families Dealing with Substance Abuse
My addiction is now in remission. Just the same, it is alive and well–ready to inflict a lot of pain on me. To forget this would be my greatest mistake.

12-Step Recovery and "Things of God"

12-Step Recovery and “Things of God.” A Perfect Match.
~ by ChaplainJoe Herzanek

We are re-posting this article on 12-Step Recovery Groups (AA, Al-Anon, Nar-Anon) in response to a recent local newspaper article. Would love your comments at the end of the post if you like. Thanks!

I’m often asked, especially by many in the Christian Community, if the AA 12-step program conflicts with Biblical Christianity. Some feel that the two just don’t go together. Personally, after three decades of studying and being part of both groups, I have to disagree.

Some in the faith community have come up with alternative support groups to the AA 12-steps (12-Step Recovery). These well-meaning Christians, in my opinion are attempting to “reinvent the wheel.” The real rub seems to come from the term “Higher Power.” There are people who feel that if they don’t say “Jesus Christ—the Son of God” during these meetings, that they are somehow denying their faith. This is just not true.

After counseling with thousands of addicts (and their families) over the past three decades, I’ve discovered two common challenges that occur, when discussions by alcohol and drug dependent people turn spiritual, or to “things of God.”

The first challenge deals with a person’s “history.” An extremely high percentage of recovering people have a negative, or skewed background concerning a belief in God and 12-Step Recovery. Most of these people end up thinking that if there is a God, he surely doesn’t care much about me. Many churches (not all) will try to use guilt to convince a person that they need God. Well-meaning parents and some family members have also used this tactic. In addition to this, negative news stories about men and women of faith, caught living a double life have become more and more common—making the “God thing” as it relates to 12-Step Recovery, even more complex. There’s nothing like a high-profile pastor—caught living a “secret double life”—a hypocrite, to add fuel to the fire (no pun intended).

I would venture to say that for most of us, coming to a clear understanding and commitment to our faith was a process. I know it was for me. It was not until I did my own personal searching and seeking, that I was able to make an “informed decision.” Well-thought, and informed commitments seem to last much longer than those made rashly, during an emotional, spur-of-the-moment event.

As I search the scriptures about Jesus, I see a pattern in His approach. Jesus, quite often attended to a person’s physical needs before talking about spiritual matters. Feeding the hungry, healing the blind, deaf or crippled, came first. Once a person’s physical needs were addressed, He opened the door for deeper discussions. You might say He had earned the right to be bold about faith.

We, (myself included) in the Christian Community will sometimes approach problems in just the opposite way. I think this is a big mistake—especially when I look around at some people’s quick emotional “conversions” which are often followed by repeated relapses to an old way of living.

Are faith, prayer and a strong belief in a kind and loving, benevolent God—critical for 12-Step Recovery and real, long-lasting change? You bet. But it’s good to remember that some things take time.

It’s also good to remember that concerning a person’s addiction, God is just as concerned, if not more, about the addict’s well being as we are. None of this has caught Him by surprise.

The second challenge with 12-step recovery and faith is this; the founders, Bill W. and Dr. Bob knew that they needed to “walk a fine line” when it came to religion and/or God. I’ve read much, and done a lot of research over the years—on both of these men. It’s a fact that both of them studied and read the Bible daily. It’s also a fact that their faith had great influence on their writings.

So why, you might ask, is the 12-step literature so generic when it comes to “things of God?” It appears to me that Bill W. and Dr. Bob intimately understood the mind of the alcoholic. They knew that if they placed great emphasis on a specific belief on Jesus Christ, it would alienate a large number of those needing recovery.

I believe these men had to come to a consensus on this matter. They needed to resolve these questions: What are we truly wanting to do? . . . to accomplish?

I feel they made the perfect choice. Yes, the “God part” is critical and must be a big part of AA and 12-Step Recovery. They knew that if they stepped “over the line” and were looked on as “preachy” many would “tune out.” They decided to trust God—to bring true seekers to Him.

Bill W. and Dr. Bob decided to let AA help with the sobriety part, and to let “God be God” (He will take it from there).

_________________________________________________________________________________

RELATED:
Alcoholism Step 12

RESOURCES:
Addiction Recovery Resources for Families of Substance Abusers, Addicts and Alcoholics

Why Don't They Just Quit? by Joe Herzanek
Why Don’t They Just Quit? What families and friends need to know about addiction and recovery.

> Paperback

> Audio Book CD, MP3 (NEW!)

> Kindle

> Audible Audio Download  (LISTEN TO 4 MIN. SAMPLE)

NEED HELP NOW?
Drug Addiction Phone Counseling for Families Dealing with Substance Abuse

RETURN:
FROM : “12-Step Recovery and “Things of God.” A Perfect Match.” TO CHANGING LIVES FOUNDATION BLOG HOME

__________________________________________________________
12-Step Recovery 12-Step Recovery 12-Step Recovery 12-Step Recovery

October 11, 2009 by jherzanek | 5 comments