Why Do Teens Use Drugs and Alcohol?

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I choose to do my research on teen drug abuse because i felt like people really need to realize how important this issue is.Teen drug abuse is a big issue in teenage society today and i think this issue needs to be talked about more than it has. Teens need to be heard and also need to feel like their important.There are so many reasons why teens turn to drugs or alcohol and their parents need to learn about those reasons.Some of the reasons are peer pressure, lack of image attention, parents aren’t in their lives, they think that it’s cool, or because they see someone else is doing it.I"m a teen and i know about all the things teens go through in the world and all the problems they have.I’ve been through a lot of tough times and the reason why I chose not to turn to drugs is because i had my parents behind me and they let me know that drugs aren’t the way to go.I learned that teens need to realize that drugs can’t help you with your problems and that they sure can’t take place of your parents.I learned that parents only see what they want to see.They need to focus on their teens behavior and their academic performance because it can change from the drugs.Teens can go from straight A students to a failing student and the parents would sit back and not realize that their teen is failing in school because of lack of attention.The parents would go blaming their selves instead of seeing the truth that their teens chose that road.Teens should never feel like they can’t talk to their parents.The only reason why teens avoid talking to their parents because they feel like their going to start yelling and they don’t really know the whole story.I feel like this was a great research project for me because I learned a lot about Teen drug abuse and the causes and the affects.I hope I get through to a lot of people because of this and that people start to understand the risk and problems that teens go through.

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The reason I choose to do abuse of drugs is because I feel like this is a serious fact in the teenage population. I also choose this because the drug use is rising as teenagers get older. The parents of these teens really need to pay more attention and ask more questions to see how their teens are doing in their school work. I feel like they need to help them concentrate more in school and not let them go outside whenever they want to. Some teens use their friends as a way to get the drugs and they need to realize that they are hurting themselves and nobody else. I also chose this because i think i would be able to reach out to at least a couple of teens through this because some want to stop, but don’t know how. I am really interested in knowing why do teenagers use drugs instead of just talking about their problems with their parents or someone who is willing to listen. Many teens think about themselves and not what their doing to the people around them especially their parents. They actually feel like their helping themselves by using these type of drugs. I like the fact that if you tell a teen or try to help a teen you can’t go wrong if you tried to help. Teens feel like their problems will decrease or would go away if they do drugs but little do they know their making more problems for themselves. I also want teens to know that their not only hurting themselves but their also hurting their families and their friends. Teens can have a better life if their parents paid more image attention to their teens and not let them do whatever. Some teens just want their parents to at least punish them they don’t like to just be able to do whatever they want.

Today’s teens face more challenges than any other generation has. More is expected from them in their school. There are new drugs and forms of drugs that teen are able to get easily. Alcohol is popular as ever also and some teens prefer alcohol instead. Peer pressure is also takes a big tool on the teenage community and influence on their choices. Relationships with their parents and their siblings are important and have a strong pull in decision making.

Drugs play more of a role in a teenager’s attitude, schooling and health than most parents realize. Drugs are constantly increasing and teens are able to get them at anytime with no problem. Teens use alcohol and other drugs for many reasons. They may do it because they want to fit in with friends or certain groups. They may also take a drug or drink alcohol because they like the way it makes them feel. Or they may believe that it makes them more grown up. Teens tend to try new things and take risks, and they may take drugs or drink alcohol because it seems exciting. Teens with family members who have problems image with alcohol or other drugs are more likely to be affected and have the same type of problem. Also, teens who feel that they are not important to their parents or that their not being paid enough attention are at greater risk at doing drugs. Teens with poor self-esteem or emotional or mental problems, such as depression,  also are at increased risk. Some teens prefer their parents to just talk to them and not just let them do whatever they want. Teen drug abuse is not so much a crime but the things that the drug do to the teen body and their mind it should be. Parents should sometimes check up on their teens in school and also in the outside world because you never know just by checking up and not pressuring them just might help out.

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Substance abuse by teenagers effects the family unit as teens become more hostile, and their decision making becomes greatly impaired. Teens finding themselves using drugs or alcohol find that their familial relationships greatly suffer. They set bad examples for any younger siblings and create much more hostility to the family as a whole. Drug abuse by teenagers shouldn’t be tolerated by image parents of troubled or violent teens and appropriate help for their teens depending on depth of the problems should be made. Drugs have no rightful place anywhere in society, however, they have even less of a place in academic environments where teens are living in their most formative years. That the teen drug/alcohol user’s academic performance is severely impaired, along with his or her level of responsibility such as skipping class, failing to complete assignments speaks to the notion that drug and alcohol use is rampant throughout American middle and high schools. This abuse has produced teenage student body’s with many abusers whose relationships, reputations, futures, wallets, self-images and especially grades suffer as a direct result of the teen drug abuse.Drugs have no place anywhere in society; however, they have even less of a place in schools where teens are living in their most fragile years. That the teen drug/alcohol user’s academic performance is severely impaired, along with his or her level of responsibility; such as skipping class, failing to complete assignments , speaks to the notion that drug and alcohol use is rampant throughout American middle and high schools. This abuse has produced teenage student body’s with many abusers whose relationships, reputations, futures, , self-images and especially grades suffer as a of the teen drug abuse.Teens use drugs now to fit in with their friends.They also have to feel like their cool because some of their friends are in the cool student category.Some teens don’t even use drugs because that’s what they want to do but because their friends want them too.This is called peer pressure and this is common in highs and even in college.

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Teens use drugs to try to satisfy themselves and try to ease their pain. Teens also use drugs that they feel would help them like nobody else can because they imagefeel like other try to criticize them in all types of ways and drugs won’t. The U.S. is the leading state of teen drug abuse. Parents don’t try to pay andy attention to their teen as long as their going to school. Teens would continue to do what their doing as long as their parents aren’t paying any attention. I would like to know why do teens choose drugs to relax them when their going through hard times. I also would like to know if they know if they know that their destroying their lives nd their families. The drug problem in America has drawn the attention many pare nts in recent years. According to the 1998 National Household Survey on Teen Drug Abuse, nearly 10% of teens between the ages of twelve and seventeen used illegal drugs-a number less than 11.4 percent from just the year prior- including marijuana (8.3%), cocaine (0.8%) and inhalants (1.1%) (SAMHSA ,1998). Statistics for 2002 reflects a slight drop in teenage drug usage to 8.3 percent for overall consumption of all illicit drugs. Still imageheading the list as most commonly used drug for troubled teens was marijuana combined with one or more other drugs (20%). Cigarettes were found to be a strong precursor for troubled teens to who used illicit drugs, representing about eight times the number to those teens who smoked (48.1%) and those teens who did not (6.2%). Gender differences play a role as well amongst teenagers, with a greater majority of male teen using illegal drugs (12.3%) than their female teenage counterparts (10.9%) (SAMHSA, 2002).
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I Know – Let’s Really Scare Kids About Drugs! (NEW ANTI DRUG ADD CAMPAIGN)

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Stanton Peele

 

image In an episode of South Park (“My Future Self n’ Me”), (CLICK TO WATCH) Stan’s parents hire Motivation Corp. to discourage Stan from using drugs. The Corp. employs an actor to come to live with Stan’s family. The actor pretends to be Stan in the future after he has ruined his life by taking drugs and drinking. Now that’s an anti-drug program!

Watch out – Motivation Corp. may be coming near you soon. In March of this year, a group of television ads to counter Montana’s growing methamphetamine problem were launched. Aimed at children 12-17 years old, the ads present horrifying pictures of what happens to kids who use drugs. According to one publication, “Finally, someone in the ads production business has come through with a campaign that not only fulfills the goal of reaching their target audience, but also leaves an indelible impression on anyone who views what they have produced.” (See these ads at www.montanameth.org.)

But there have been harrowing anti-drug ad campaigns previously. In fact, they have rarely been absent from U.S. television.

You may recall the famous egg and frying pan ad, “This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?” This was created as part of a series begun in 1987 by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America — a non-profit coalition of advertising, media, and public relations professionals. The Partnership was given $200 million annually by the federal government. Media outlets contributed over $3 billion in free television time, making it the largest and most expensive anti-drug campaign ever.

However, the Institute for Social Research’s tracking study of teen drug use discovered that, despite their enormous exposure to such anti-drug ads, beginning in 1991, adolescents’ perceived risk of using drugs declined and drug use rose sharply. Support for the Partnership predictably waned.

To counteract the growth in drug use, in 1998 Bill Clinton image and his drug czar, General Barry McCaffrey,image announced a five year, $2 billion ad campaign. According to the Christian Science Monitor, “ It’s the largest media blitz ever undertaken by the federal government.  And antidrug ads like these will be hard to forget.” They included bugs crawling all over a teenage boy (a hallucination brought on by methamphetamines) and an ad you may recall depicting a girl demolishing her kitchen with a frying pan.

The government agency charged with research and science concerning drugs – the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) – commissioned a study of the effectiveness of this campaign over the period from September 1999 through June 2003. The study found the campaign had no effect on children, although parents were highly favorable towards it.

image The study found something even more surprising: “there were no significant reductions in marijuana use either leading up to or after the marijuana campaign for youth 12 to 18 years old between 2002 and 2003. Indeed there was evidence for an increase in past month and past year use among the target audience of 14- to 16-year-olds.”

Actually, years of systematic research have repeatedly found that intensely negative anti-drug messages are ineffective, and any changes measured in response to them are more likely to be in the direction of greater drug use. The mechanism to account for this “rebound” effect is that the exaggerations and drama of such messages turn children off, so that they reject anti-drug warnings entirely.

I witnessed several network and cable news shows on which the developers of the current campaign in Montana were interviewed. The programs were all highly favorable to the media backgrounds of these men. On no program that I saw was a drug prevention researcher interviewed.

If only they would have asked me to participate! I would have asked, “Did you and your colleagues examine the research on the effectiveness of drug prevention programs and media campaigns?”

Imagine if they answered “no” – the only answer I could anticipate. What arrogance and disrespect for research and the children the ads are supposed to reach!

Now that’s a news story – a highly funded, popular, and critically acclaimed program initiated with much media ballyhoo causes drug use.

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image Stanton Peele has been investigating, thinking, and writing about addiction since 1969. His first bombshell book, “Love and Addiction”, appeared in 1975. Its experiential and environmental approach to addiction revolutionized thinking on the subject by indicating that addiction is not limited to narcotics, or to drugs at all, and that addiction is a pattern of behavior and experience which is best understood by examining an individual’s relationship with his/her world. This is a distinctly nonmedical approach. It views addiction as a general pattern of behavior that nearly everyone experiences in varying degrees at one time or another.

 

 

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Posted on July 27th 2009 in ADDICTION NEWS, DRUG REHABILITATION, FYI DRUGS

mom’s therapist is brainwashing her into AA

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How should I react if my mom’s therapist is brainwashing her into AA?

Dear Dr. Peele,

Thank you very much for your informative website.

image My question concerns a very annoying Al-Anon therapist of whom my mother is a client. What goes on in their therapy sessions is not really my business, nor am I going to say anything to either of them. But my mom has become a slave to the therapist as far as her relationship with me. She randomly came up with ideas like "tough love" when I drank in the past. I quit drinking entirely almost a year ago, but I don’t think that’s such a huge accomplishment simply because my problems with substance use never got out of hand. I do avoid social situations involving alcohol, but that’s out of common sense more than anything else.

Now, my mom tries to cite "addictive behavior" in everything from my college studies to friendly relationships. She also keeps saying, "you really can’t do it alone, and that’s a fact." If I ask her where this stuff is coming from, inevitably she says "Betty (the therapist) told me all about alcoholism." Last month I finally joined my mom for a therapy session for the first time. I had never spoken to Betty before, even though she seemed to have a lot to say about me prior to ever meeting me.

The session didn’t go that badly, but I did press one issue; I wanted to know if she belonged to AA or a group of imagethat sort. She was offended, but she did admit that she was a member of Al-Anon and her ex-husband was an alcoholic, which is the reason she joined.

I guess this woman is entitled to give out whatever information she chooses to an extent. But I wondered if her constant suggestions to my mother to attend Al-Anon, and her recitation of Al-Anon principles, might be a violation of professional ethics. She is not a Ph.D. or an MSW, I believe she does have an LCSW though. It almost seems like she wants me to go out drinking so that I would join AA. I know, in all probability, she isn’t really doing anything that violates her rights to professionally conduct psychotherapy. Nor do I take what she says seriously, or blame her for any of my own personal/family problems. I do believe, though, that she is brainwashing my mother, and probably just trying to recruit people to join 12 step groups.

Sorry for such a long note…thanks again for your informative website.

Karen


Dear Karen:

What can I say? Your letter is well-written and right on target. You would think it is a professional violation to lay your trip on someone else — but it’s hard to do make this stick. It is true, though, that you need to regard this as a problem between you and your mom (as you indicate). At the same time, I very much admire you for going directly to the source, and confronting this therapist (even though you seemed to keep your cool and participate in a productive interchange). You seem very much together, and you might have to view this as your mother’s idiosyncrasy. Fortunately, it does not seem that your mother had any other power over you than to hector you. In that regard, I hope you had a good reason to stop drinking.

Best,
Stanton

image Stanton Peele has been investigating, thinking, and writing about addiction since 1969. His first bombshell book, “Love and Addiction”, appeared in 1975. Its experiential and environmental approach to addiction revolutionized thinking on the subject by indicating that addiction is not limited to narcotics, or to drugs at all, and that addiction is a pattern of behavior and experience which is best understood by examining an individual’s relationship with his/her world. This is a distinctly nonmedical approach. It views addiction as a general pattern of behavior that nearly everyone experiences in varying degrees at one time or another.

Once you have made the decision to get help for you or a loved ones addiction, please contact us at http://www.stgregoryctr.com/help.php for FAST, Confidential drug rehabilitation.

Please remember, 12 step programs do not work, they never have, by their own admission they have a 0% recovery rate because they believe every alcoholic is an alcoholic for the rest of their lives, how is THAT recovery?

St. Gregory’s is a NON 12 step program and we are one of the only drug & alcohol treatment center that continues to contact EVERY member even after they have left our clinics, this is one reason for our fantastic success rate in treating alcohol and drug addictions! 

Think drug rehab is just for movie stars and politicians?  think again, we offer competitive rates,  we accept most insurance, female only and male only treatment centers, onsite and offsite locations and a confidential safe environment with highly trained, confidential staff members.

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Posted on July 27th 2009 in ALCOHOLISM TREATMENT

Everything You Wanted To Know About Ritalin white sheet

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Methylphenidate (MPH) is an amphetamine-like prescription stimulant commonly used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adults. It is also one of the primary drugs used to treat symptoms of traumatic brain injury and the daytime drowsiness symptoms of narcolepsy and chronic fatigue syndrome. Brand names of drugs that contain methylphenidate include Ritalin® (Ritalina®, Rilatine®), Concerta® (a timed-release capsule), Metadate®, Methylin® and Rubifen®. Focalin® is a preparation containing only dextro-methylphenidate, rather than the usual racemic dextro- and laevo-methylphenidate mixture of other formulations.

Formulations

Most products containing methylphenidate contain a racemic mixture of dextro-methylphenidate and levo-methylphenidate, although it is only dextro-methylphenidate, the active enantiomer, which is considered to provide the pharmacologically useful effects of mental focus. However, with the introduction of Focalin, pure dextro-methylphenidate is available. Described as a fast-acting form of the drug, it is absorbed more quickly by the body, with a shorter time to peak concentration (and excretion) than with the racemic compound.

The pharmacological profiles and relative usefulness of dextro- and levo-methylphenidate is analogous to what is found in amphetamine, where dextro-amphetamine is considered to have a more beneficial effect than levo-amphetamine.

Effects

image Methylphenidate is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. It is claimed to have a "calming" effect on many children who have ADHD [citations needed], reducing impulsive behavior and the tendency to "act out", and helps them concentrate on schoolwork and other tasks. Adults who have ADHD often find that MPH increases their ability to focus on tasks and organize their lives.

Methylphenidate has been found to have a lower incidence of side-effects compared to dextroamphetamine, a less commonly prescribed medication. When prescribed at the correct dosage, methylphenidate is usually well-tolerated by patients.

The means by which methylphenidate helps people with ADHD are not well understood. Some researchers have theorized that ADHD is caused by a dopamine imbalance in the brains of those affected. MPH is a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, which means that it increases the level of the dopamine neurotransmitter in the brain by partially blocking the transporters that remove it from the synapses.

In the United States, methylphenidate is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance, the designation used for substances that have a recognized medical value but which have a high potential for abuse because of their addictive potential. Internationally, methylphenidate is a Schedule II drug under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Some people abuse MPH by crushing the tablets and snorting them, the "high" resulting from the increased rate of dopamine transporter blockade due to quicker absorption into the bloodstream. In this manner, the effect of Ritalin is similar to that of cocaine or amphetamine and such abuse can lead to addiction. When taken orally in prescribed doses, MPH has a low addiction liability and rarely produces a "high".

Side effects

Common reported side effects are: difficulty sleeping (which can lead in turn to other problems); loss of appetite (thus its use as an appetite suppressant); image irritability; nervousness; stomach aches; headaches; dry mouth; blurry vision; nausea; dizziness; drowsiness; motor tics or tremors. Up to 5% of children experience disturbing hallucinations often involving worms, snakes, or insects (New Scientist, 31 March 2006).

Less common side effects are: hypersensitivity; anorexia; palpitations; blood pressure and pulse changes; cardiac arrhythmia; anaemia; scalp hair loss; toxic psychosis.

There have also been reports of: abnormal liver function; cerebral arteritis; leukopaenia; death. There have been at least 19 cases of sudden death in children taking methylphenidate, leading to calls by the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee to the FDA to require the most serious type of health warning on the label, but this advice was rejected (New Scientist 18 Feb. 2006).

Medline lists a number of side-effects of un quantified frequency.

 

Delivery

Ritalin: 5 mg, 10 mg and 20 mg tablets;

Ritalin SR: 20 mg tablets;

Ritalin LA: 20 mg, 30 mg and 40 mg capsules;

Methylin: 5 mg, 10 mg, and 20 mg tablets;

Methylin ER: 10 mg and 20 mg tablets;

Metadate ER: 10 mg and 20 mg tablets;

Metadate CD: 10 mg, 20 mg and 30 mg capsules;

Concerta: 18 mg, 27 mg, 36 mg and 54 mg tablets;

Equasym: 5 mg, 10 mg tablets;

Rubifen: 5 mg, 10 mg and 20 mg tablets;

Daytrana: 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg and 40 mg patches

 

Criticism

image Similarity to Cocaine. Like cocaine, methylphenidate is a powerful stimulant that increases alertness and productivity. Methylphenidate and cocaine have similar chemical structures. Their effects, too, are similar; both increase the brain-levels of dopamine — a joy-inducing neurotransmitter — by blocking the ability of neurons to reabsorb dopamine. When taken as prescribed, however, Methylphenidate is absorbed into the body at a much slower rate than cocaine. In this way, methylphenidate is like low-dosage, slow-acting cocaine. The similarities between methylphenidate and cocaine have prompted concern that the unknown dangers of methylphenidate could be similar to the known dangers of cocaine.

Overprescription

The incidence of ADHD is believed to be between three and five percent of the population, while the number of children in America taking Ritalin is estimated at one to two percent. In a small study of four American communities, the incidence of ADHD varied from 1.6% to 9.4%. The study also found that 12.5% of the children meeting the DSM-III-RADHD criteria for ADHD had been treated with stimulants during the past year.

Addiction

Some have argued that prescription of stimulant medications sets children up for future addictions. However, recent research suggests that boys with ADHD who are treated with stimulants like MPH are actually less likely to abuse drugs including alcohol later in life.

Long-term effects

image Ritalin has been used on a long-term basis since the mid-20th century, yet clinical studies of the long-term use effects have not been undertaken. A great deal of controversy has been generated by non-expert groups, many of them basing ‘research’ on the negative effects of ritalin on children. Many of these reports have been forwarded by Scientology-related groups.

In a 2005 study, no "clinically significant" effects on growth, vital signs, tics, or laboratory tests (including urinalysis, hematology/complete blood counts, electrolytes, and liver function tests) were observed after 2 years of treatment.

Still, some theoretical studies raise theoretical questions. For example, Adriani et al (2005) found plastic changes in reward related behaviour in rats after they were in a drug-free state. Whether or not this would have any effect on human cognition is unknown.

 

Potential Carcinogen

image In February 2005, a team of researchers from The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center led by R.A. El-Zein announced that a small scale study of 12 children indicated that methylphenidate may be carcinogenic. In the study, 12 children were given standard therapeutic doses of methylphenidate. At the conclusion of the 3 month study, all 12 children displayed significant, treatment induced chromosomal aberrations. The researchers indicated that while their study was relatively small, they indicated the results should be reproduced one more time in a bigger population for a definitive conclusion about the genotoxicity of methylphenidate to be drawn. The link between chromosomal aberrations and cancer risk has been established.

The results are controversial, however, since there have been conflicting results regarding the mutagenicity of methylphenidate.

A 2003 study tested the effects of d-methylphenidate (Focalin), l-methylphenidate, and d,l-methylphenidate (Ritalin) on mice to search for any carcinogenic effects. The researchers found that all three compounds were non-genotoxic and non-clastogenic; d-MPH, d,l-MPH, and l-MPH did not cause mutations or chromosome aberrations. They concluded that none of the compounds present a carcinogenic risk to humans.

In 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a series of public health advisories warning that Ritalin and its sister drugs may cause visual hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, psychotic behavior, as well as aggression or violent behavior.

Illicit use

Both the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board have expressed concern about the ease with which legally prescribed MPH is diverted to the illicit market.

According to the DEA, "The increased use of this substance [MPH] for the treatment of ADHD has paralleled an increase in its abuse among adolescents and young adults who crush these tablets and snort the powder to get high. Youngsters have little difficulty obtaining methylphenidate from classmates or friends who have been prescribed it."

American psychiatry’s infatuation with the brain coincides with a drug industry more than happy to contribute funds for research that only counts symptoms and pills. If only family counseling or special education rewarded stockholders the same way Ritalin or Prozac [fluoxetine hydrochloride] does. (Diller, West J Med, Dec. 2000)

Effects on stature

Researchers have also looked into the role of methylphenidate in affecting stature, with some studies finding slight decreases in height acceleration. Other studies indicate height may normalize by adolescence.

Risk of death

As mentioned above, methylphenidate has been implicated in cases of sudden death by heart failure. The FDA decided against requiring warning labels, even though its advisory committee voted in favor of this.

image Street Names

Street names for Ritalin include: diet coke, kiddie cocaine, kiddie coke, vitamin R, R-ball, poor man’s cocaine, PMC, rids, skittles, riddles, riddler ride and smarties.

History

Methylphenidate was patented in 1954 by the Ciba pharmaceutical company (one of the predecessors of Novartis) and was initially prescribed as a treatment for depression, chronic fatigue, and narcolepsy, among other ailments. Beginning in the 1960s, it was used to treat children with ADHD, known at the time as hyperactivity or minimal brain dysfunction (MBD).  Today methylphenidate is the medication most commonly prescribed to treat ADHD around the world. According to most estimates, more than 75 percent of methylphenidate prescriptions are written for children, with boys being about four times as likely to take methylphenidate as girls. Production and prescription of methylphenidate rose significantly in the 1990s, especially in the United States, as the ADHD diagnosis came to be better understood and more generally accepted within the medical and mental health communities. imageMethylphenidate has been used illegally by students for whom the drug has not been prescribed, to assist with coursework and examinations.

While ADHD medication is directed for children, it has not been studied for children under the age of 6. It is also important to not that while ADHD is a condition that includes hyperactivity, problems holding still, and following directions, this is also typical of a child under the age of 6. This causes difficulty in diagnosing children under this age and should probably not be studied.

Most brand-name Ritalin is produced in the United States, although methylphenidate is also produced in Mexico and Argentina by respective contract pharmaceutical manufacturers and is most commonly marketed under the brand name "Ritalin" for Novartis. In the United States, various generic forms of methylphenidate are also produced by several pharmaceutical companies (such as Methylin, etc.), and Ritalin is also sold in the United Kingdom, Germany, and other European countries (although in much lower volumes than the United States). These generic versions of methylphenidate tend to outsell brand-name "Ritalin" four-to-one. In Belgium the product is sold under the name "Rilatine" for Novartis.

Another medicine is Concerta, a once-daily extended release form of methylphenidate, which was approved in April 2000. Studies have demonstrated that long-acting methylphenidate preparations such as Concerta are just as effective, if not more effective, than IR (instant release) formulas. Time-release medications are also harder to misuse.

In April 2006, the FDA approved a transdermal patch for the treatment of ADHD, called Daytrana. The once-daily patch administers methylphenidate in doses of 10, 15, 20, or 30mg. However, the patch must be applied several hours before the effect is desired, and the drug’s effect remains for several hours after removal, making it necessary to remove the patch in the mid-to-late afternoon or else insomnia may result.

ALTERNATIVE TO RITALIN

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Posted on July 26th 2009 in DRUG REHABILITATION

10 Health Care Reforms Obama Will NOT Do

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Obama Blows His Presidency — Top Ten Health Care Reforms He Won’t Do

image For the first time in memory, Bill O’Reilly, arch Fox conservative, and Chris Matthews, arch MSNBC liberal, reacted the same to an event — both found that Barack Obama failed entirely to explain his plans for health care reform in his televised press conference.

And virtually all commentators noted the same flaw in the Obama presentation and explanation — he’s afraid to tell Americans that — well, remember that old sign: "You can have it cheaper, better, and more of it — but not all at the same time"?

I watched the sacrificial Democrat (you know, the one labeled "Democratic strategist" sandwiched between two nuts like the host himself on one of those Hannity panels) who intoned: "Health care reform will maintain current coverages, give access to everyone, and save money." You can see why Hannity selected her — to make the nuts look reasonable!

But Obama, David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel — and the entire Republican leadership — are just as bad. Ask them what will have to be sacrificed, and they (the Dems) indicate "Nothing — just a few millionaires will pay more taxes." And, oh, there is one health care player Obama is willing to punish — insurers (even pharmaceutical manufacturers escape his opprobrium).

Republicans, as usual, are living in some other time and place. Their claim? "American health care is the best in the world. We’ll reduce the costs with tort reform, and give everyone greater access by incentivizing (a popular Obama term) private coverage."

Oh, and both sides will eliminate waste, duplication, and fraud. That should save a trillion or two right there!

Here are the top ten health care reforms neither side will propose:

  1. Means test Social Security and Medicare
  2. Pay only for effective treatments
  3. imageChannel patients to providers who accept a prix-fixe pay schedule
  4. "Incentivize" individual care choices (i.e., make people pay for more of what they use)
  5. Tax employer health care benefits as income
  6. Make managed care de rigeur
  7. Mandate that every American must have health care coverage
  8. Favor treatment for the young and fixable over the old and incurable
  9. Eliminate private insurance
  10. Put Obama’s birth certificate on the back of the one dollar bill (oops, wrong post!)

Failing to do these things will not produce better care for more people at lower prices. Rather, it will mean a diminishing group will receive unlimited (but but not necessarily effective) treatment costing everyone more.

And Barack Obama is just too nice a guy, too good a politician, and too reluctant to give people bad news to blow the whistle on this three-card monte — or, better, Ponzi — scheme. You know, the kind of deal where you collect more and more money for an unsustainable and unproductive enterprise until the entire house of cards collapses?

Get this and other drug rehab and addiction information from http://www.stgregorycrt.com if you or a loved one is suffering from chemical addiction, my heart goes out to you. PLEASE take a moment to watch this short video, it just might save a life. http://www.stgregoryctr.com/help.php

(non 12 step, alternative to 12 step programs, non religious treatment center)

Drug rehab in Des Moines, IA Alcohol Treatment Center, 50312, DSM heroine treatment center, alcohol detox detoxification teen oxycontin addiction offering all female treatment centers and all male drug rehab centers in central iowa

Posted on July 26th 2009 in Uncategorized

The Cycles of Addiction and Drug Rehab Treatment Centers in Des Moines, IA

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Get this and other drug rehab and addiction information from http://www.stgregorycrt.com if you or a loved one is suffering from chemical addiction, my heart goes out to you. PLEASE take a moment to watch this short video, it just might save a life. http://www.stgregoryctr.com/help.php

(non 12 step, alternative to 12 step programs, non religious treatment center)

The Cycle of Addiction

image No one intends to become a drug addict or alcoholic. Our experiences show that the drug addict or alcoholic was usually an intelligent and often creative person with much hope for the future.

 

However, they were unable to deal effectively with life’s problems and turned to drugs or alcohol as a means of dealing with unwanted situations.

 

The person usually takes drugs because they attempt to compensate for some personal deficiency or life situation. They may be depressed, in pain or incapable of dealing with a loss of a loved one or extreme circumstance. It could also be as simple as a need to fit in and make friends, or a way to lose weight. Regardless of the reason, the person begins to seek "help" in the form of drugs or alcohol.

  

Drugs are essentially a pain-killer. They lessen emotional and physical pain and provide the user with a temporary escape from problems. When a person is unable to cope with something in life and take drugs as a result, they feel they have found a way to deal with the problem.

 

image The more a person uses drugs or excessive alcohol, the worse the problem becomes. So they continue the “solution” for their problems, more drugs. Soon new problems are created by drug use. The person feels the need to use consistently, and will do anything to get high.

 

They are now addicted. They become difficult to communicate with, withdrawn and begin to exhibit the strange behavior associated with being on drugs. The more the person uses to try to counter this effect, the more desperate he becomes.

 

Their use begins to affect their personal relationships, their job, their bank account, and anything of previous value to the addict. Now the person’s entire focus becomes centered on using drugs and getting more drugs, regardless of the cost. They sacrifice everything to avoid the pain of withdrawal, the guilt of what they have done and the problems they have been running from.

  

At this point, the average drug user does one of three things:

  1. Continues using drugs and becomes more and more lost, unhealthy and degraded until he eventually becomes homeless or dead.
  2.  

  3. Gets arrested for some drug-related activity and goes to jail or prison.
  4.  

  5. Attempt to quit drugs in any one of a variety of ways. He may try to stop on his own, or go to a drug addiction treatment center or program. Sadly, the success rate of traditional treatment is not high and most addicts continue to relapse. This destroys the addict’s confidence and leads him to feel he will remain a slave to drugs forever.

  

HOWEVER, there is a way out…..

 

Once you have made the decision to get help for you or a loved ones addiction, please imagecontact us at http://www.stgregoryctr.com/help.php for FAST, Confidential drug rehabilitation.

Please remember, 12 step programs do not work, they never have, by their own admission they have a 0% recovery rate because they believe every alcoholic is an alcoholic for the rest of their lives, how is THAT recovery?

St. Gregory’s is a NON 12 step program and we are one of the only drug & alcohol treatment center that continues to contact EVERY member even after they have left our clinics, this is one reason for our fantastic success rate in treating alcohol and drug addictions! 

Think drug rehab is just for movie stars and politicians?  think again, we offer competitive rates,  we accept most insurance, female only and male only treatment centers, onsite and offsite locations and a confidential safe environment with highly trained, confidential staff members.

PLEASE visit us today, it just might save a life. http://www.stgregorycrt.com

image In medical terminology, an addiction is a chronic neurobiologic disorder that has genetic, psychosocial, and environmental dimensions and is characterized by one of the following: the continued use of a substance despite its detrimental effects, impaired control over the use of a drug (compulsive behavior), and preocupation with a drug’s use for non-therapeutic purposes (i.e. craving the drug). Addiction is often accompanied the presence of deviant behaviors (for instance stealing money and forging prescriptions) that are used to obtain a drug.

Tolerance to a drug and physical dependence are not defining characteristics of addiction, although they typically accompany addiction to certain drugs. Tolerance is a pharmacologic phenomenon where the dose of a medication needs to be continually increase in order to imagemaintain its desired effects. For instance, individuals with severe chronic pain taking opiate medications (like morphine) will need to continually increase the dose in order to maintain the drug’s analgesic (pain-relieving) effects. Physical dependence is also a pharmacologic property and means that if a certain drug is abruptly discontinued, an individual will experience certain characteristic withdrawal signs and symptoms. Many drugs used for therapeutic purposes produce withdrawal symptoms when abruptly stopped, for instance oral steroids, certain antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and opiates.

However, common usage of the term addiction has spread to include psychological dependence. In this context, the term is used in drug addiction and substance abuse problems, but also refers to behaviors that are not generally recognized by the medical community as problems of addiction, such as compulsive overeating.

The term addiction is also sometimes applied to compulsions that are not substance-related, such as problem gambling and computer addiction. In these kinds of common usages, the term addiction is used to describe a recurring compulsion by an individual to engage in some specific activity, despite harmful consequences, as deemed by the user himself to his or her

 

 

Drug rehab in Des Moines, IA Alcohol Treatment Center, 50312, DSM heroine treatment center, alcohol detox detoxification teen oxycontin addiction offering all female treatment centers and all male drug rehab centers in central iowa
Posted on July 25th 2009 in Uncategorized

CBS News Mary Bono Mack talks about drugs

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Calif. Rep. Mary Bono Mack talks to Maggie Rodriguez about her son’s plea for help with prescription drug addiction.

Posted on July 3rd 2009 in MULTI MEDIA

Tips On How To Reduce Stress

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As we all walk this road called life, there will be different challenges that will confront us. And one such challenge or obstacle may be of a physical nature. Because of the complexity of our bodies, there could be several people with some sort of a physical aliment, yet, each situation completely different from the other. Each individual could relate to their own situation, and at the same time, know nothing at all about another person’s physical condition.

However, I have discovered that there is a common condition, situation that most of us at one time or another have suffered from, some individuals have on a daily basis, and it is called stress! Now, I have been in the ministry for over half my life, along with being a pastor for nearly ten years. Also, I have been a chaplain at a maximum security prison. So, I qualify to know what it is to deal with stress. Anytime you have to deal with the public, people in general, it will always involve encountering stress. I remember once telling my doctor, during my annual physical, that I was wanting to reduce the stress in my life. He knows that I pastor a church and asked, how was I going to that-retire?

Therefore, I have come to the conclusion, unlike a physical condition that could be a temporary situation, stress is here to stay. Since I am not going to change what I do in life as far as work is concerned, I one day determined in my heart to learn how to reduce the stress level in my world.

Now, one good motivator to learn how to reduce stress is this thought: Reducing stress will lengthen your life! All kinds of things can develop due to stress, such as for example, your heart, blood pressure, and even your cholesterol level to name a few, can be effected due to not learning how to reduce the stress in your life.

There are numerous ways that are very effective in reducing stress, and in this article I want to share with someone what helps relieve the stress level in my life. First of all, I am married to a wonderful woman, who is my best friend, who is always in my corner. She is on my side, and is there for me when I need moral support when things get rough. However, I have found that it is good to have a friend that you can relate to besides your spouse. I have been blessed with a older pastor,who is a father figure to me, a mentor, who I can call and talk to, which helps me to deal with stressful issues. Also, going to church, participating in the services has helped me to deal or reduce my stress level. The idea of just being with other people has a way of relieving stress in a person’s life. Many times I have gone to a church service with a heavy load on my mind, but was helped, able to better cope with what was going on in my world, the stress for a short time had gone away. I must include, that what greatly reduces my stress level is my daily prayer and Bible reading.

The next two techniques that have always worked for me, which I enjoy very much, is a great stress reducer for me. I love being around children. They have a way of helping you to forget everything that may be going wrong in your life. Perhaps a phone call to one of my children or the children in my church will come and give me a hug, and tell me that they love me. This has never failed to help me deal better with the current stress in my life. Then, there is my extended family, my dogs and cats. My pets, these friends of mine have always been able to reduce the stress in my life. I do have a indoor cat named Aaron or I should say Sir Aaron. He is not your typical independent cat. But, he needs my attention, and I must say that I need his attention as well. On any given day, Aaron will jump on my lap and purr himself asleep. Once in a while he will pat me with his paw as though he is telling me, it’s going to be alright.

Here are a couple of other ways I have found useful in helping to reduce stress in my world. I have discovered that playing a game on the computer, such as solitaire, helps reduce stress. Now, this next technique is going to seem hard to believe. I have three acres of grass that I mow, and cutting the lawn has become a great stress reducer for me. When I am on my riding lawn mower, this has become my outlet of getting away or occupying mind on something else other than the stress related issues in my life.

I know that we are all different individuals who deal with stress on an on going basis. Also, I acknowledge the fact that what may help reduce stress in one person may not work in another. But, the important thing to remember is this, find something that does help you to reduce your stress. Your life depends on it.

Hello, my name is M. Lee Miller. I am married to a beautiful woman named Elizabeth. We have four wonderful children and three fantastic grandchildren. I have a Doctorate in Theology and a Ph.D in Religion. I have been in the ministry for 30 years and a pastor for over nine years. I really enjoy life and the opportunities that I have had in trying to help others during difficult periods in their lives.

Author Link: Personal Website:
http://www.millerdoctorofphilosophy.com

Article Source: Tips On How To Reduce Stress

Posted on July 3rd 2009 in Uncategorized

Factors Distracting Alcohol Rehabilitation Procedure

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The major factor that distracts an alcohol rehabilitation procedure is the environment. If the alcoholic does not feel comfortable or neglected, he will search out escape routes. If the people carrying out the rehabilitation procedures are not caring or the alcoholic feels uncomfortable, he or she may act as if they have rehabilitated just to end the procedure. Alternatively, they may react violently towards the people carrying out the rehabilitation procedures.

An alcoholic has reached this state definitely because of some reason. The only way to rehabilitate him or her is by making them desire for rehabilitation. The rehabilitation cannot be forced. Either alcoholics will require rehabilitation because they may lose their lives if they are not rehabilitated, or they are suffering from a health problem caused by consuming too much alcohol.

However, whatever may be the case it’s the alcoholic’s own will power that will do the trick. An alcoholic must have the will to live and to stop drinking. This is what a rehabilitation procedure is supposed to do. If the recovering alcoholic cannot get on with the psychiatrist or psychologist, how is he going to recover? If he feels that he is devoted with insufficient time, he’s not going to recover.

If after rehabilitation, he has to go back to the same environment. Facing the same set of social and family problems, he will return to drinking. Therefore, a number of factors matter in a rehabilitation procedure. First is the attitude of the staff of the rehabilitation center. They must recognise that an alcoholic is a disease like any other disease, and requires proper nursing and care.

They must not be treated with disdain or like social outcasts. They should not be made to feel rebellious. In fact, they must be treated as normal human beings. Alcoholics are human beings who are suffering from an acute problem! Secondly, the atmosphere of the rehabilitation center must be serene and soothing. However, most important is getting the alcoholic to speak about what drives them to alcohol, and how can this urge be removed.

The family plays a major role in this. Family support, acceptance, and spending time in good company are what an alcoholic needs. The alcoholic may be deeply disturbed and may feel a sense of loneliness. Having no responsibilities, an ample income and nothing to do can drive a person to alcohol. There are no wonder cures for this ailment and even the best rehabilitation procedures can fail.

The doctors can be the best, the atmosphere friendly and serene. Yet the rehabilitation procedure can fail. Until the alcoholic is not ready to change and has the will to change, the procedure is doomed to fail.

Rehabilitation requires building a one on one relationship with an alcoholic. Getting them first to speak about what drives them to drink, then building their will power to leave drinking and making them mentally strong. This is what will work. An alcoholic must genuinely believe in change. Only when they develop this attitude, the rehabilitation procedure will work. One on one session group therapy and other procedures can fail if the alcoholic refuses to budge mentally.

Are you looking for reliable Residential Rehabilitation Clinic Glasgow? Look no further, try us for proper information about Drug Rehab Clinics

Article Source: Factors Distracting Alcohol Rehabilitation Procedure

Posted on July 3rd 2009 in Uncategorized

What Causes Nightmares: And How To Stop Them

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Everybody has experienced nightmares at some point in their lives. They are experiences that can be very frightening and incredibly disturbing. The feeling when awoken is of relief and the thought that it was only a bad dream nothing more. However, the feelings and images of these nightmares can frighten some people for the whole day or even for years.

What causes nightmares has been studied and discussed for thousands of years and unfortunately even with the most modern technology the scientists haven’t been able to come up with a precise answer for this question.

Nightmares can be caused by physical conditions that affect health. Stress is one of the causes for nightmares. If someone is under extreme stress, nightmares are a way that Mother Nature finds to release all the pressure suffered by the dreamer.

Post-traumatic stress disorders can also cause the individual to have nightmares. This is where someone has been through some kind of event that caused emotional or physical trauma. The memories and feelings about that specific event can cause sleeping disorders, especially nightmares.

Worries are also a big trigger for nightmares. If someone is worried about something at a particular time then it is very likely they will have a nightmare around that time. Some people are classed as ‘worriers’. With constant worrying about something they are the most affected ones as they are likely to have regular nightmares.

Nightmares can also be genetic; studies showed that individuals with frequent nightmares have a family history of similar sleeping disturbances.

Childhood is when nightmares are the most common because this is a time of our emotional development when we all have to come to terms with, well, raw, primitive emotions such as aggression and rage.

The imbalance of our emotions can also cause us to have frequent nightmares. Primitive emotions such as rage and aggression, profound resentment, excessive fear and an over competitive character may trigger frequent nightmares.

There are some techniques you can use to ease frequent nightmares. You must try this every night until the problem is resolved.

- Write down your nightmare in as much detail as you can remember. Tell the whole story even if it is extremely scary.

- Try to end the story of your nightmare with a happy ending. Do not include violence of any sort when writing the story. Keep it as peaceful and compassionate as you can. Don’t forget that you are working with raw emotions and trying to turn them into more refined emotions.

- After you finish writing the new story, go through it in your head over and over again. You must do this every night straight after you go to bed. Don’t do anything in between as it will weaken this powerful technique. Do it when you go to bed so you are not tempted to do things in between.

- Then do some relaxation exercises. You can choose anyone that you are comfortable with such a yoga, meditation, or breathing exercises.

If you suffer from nightmares you may want to try a magnificent book that takes you step-by-step in the most advanced techniques on how to stop nightmares for good. I was a terrible sufferer of nightmares before I read this book and although they have not stopped from happening every single night, I can now say that I sleep peacefully at least 90% of the time more, than before I read it.

For more tips and resources on how to stop nightmares visit the website at the bottom of this page.

For lots more information about what causes nightmares and how to stop them from happening go to http://www.whatcausesyournightmares.com

Article Source: What Causes Nightmares: And How To Stop Them

Posted on July 3rd 2009 in Uncategorized