Drug Addiction

Forum about drugs

2009-09-10T12:41:00.000-07:00

PICTURES

2009-09-09T13:08:00.001-07:00

War on Drugs

2009-09-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

The USA has fought many wars, and even waged a few of their own. Some of them just, some of them not. However, the most unjust war has been lurking around since 1971 and to this day is still ruining numerous lives every day. The most hysterical element about it is that it is destroying the lives our nation’s own citizens. Whilst we “spread” democracy to so-called uncivilized societies around the world, there is an unconstitutional, laughably ineffective war against personal freedom and the American people raging on right here at home. This is none other than what President Richard M. Nixon declared as the “War on Drugs”. The 1960's was a turbulent but simultaneously promising period of time for America. Two Kennedy’s, one King, and several US servicemen were caught in the grip of death while the whole world was watching. Many in America were mourning and they weren’t going to resist the inevitable change in their collective consciousness. Thus, there was the birth of the most radical counter-culture the world may have ever seen, and one of their main elements was widespread experimentation with psychoactive drugs. Marijuana, LSD, and Amphetamines (otherwise known as Speed) became the corner stones of the Hippie Era, along with war protest, commune life, rock music and the ideology of peace, love and understanding. This break in the tradition of American youth, radically different from the comfortable conservative ‘50's, caused fear in many who wanted to relive the past. Including the US government.However, drugs were not solely prevalent to middle class white suburban youth. A much uglier, less promising side of the 1960's also produced a widespread experimentation with psychoactive substances, which resulted in much more devastating effects. The culprits in this case were the US servicemen serving overseas in the Vietnam War. The wretched atmosphere of guerrilla warfare drove many soldiers to self medicate with Heroin, and many came back to the US as addicts.Both movements towards drug experimentation were the response to the US governments own actions. And the US government was not going let the madness grow any bigger. In 1971, President Nixon declared a War on Drugs. The war mainly consists of a series of acts, most importantly the Controlled Substances Act, a vast increase of funding for law enforcement to arrest manufacturers, traffickers, distributers, and most of all, recreational drug users.In 2002 alone, the federal government spent over 18 billion dollars; 6 billion went to treatment, prevention, and education but the rest went towards supply reduction (law enforcement). And every year the amount of tax payer money gets higher. The amount of arrests for drug violations has been continuing to sky rocket as well: In 1980, a little over half a million Americans were arrested for drug violations; In 2006, that number has increased to 2 million. And more than 70 percent of those arrests are for drug possession, as opposed to manufacturing and distributing. One would hope with so many arrests of non-violent drug offenders and billions of dollars of tax payer money that drugs are no longer as big of a problem, or that America is at least more peaceful now. The sad irony of the War on Drugs is that it is extremely ineffective, and in many ways very detrimental to American society. The cost of wholesale and retail Heroin and Cocaine has actually gotten cheaper since the war was waged. Not only are they cheaper, but now they are more pure and unadulterated than ever. In fact, not only are drugs cheaper and more pure, but homicide rates have increased in exact correlation with the war’s efforts. In the 1970's, homicide in America spiked drastically and has stayed high since; the last time homicide was anywhere near the levels we have now was during another period of prohibition: the Alcohol Prohibition from 1919-1933.It is plain to see that prohibition of recreational drugs is not the answer. Nor is constitutional. The federal War on Drugs violates the 1st, 9th, and10th amendment in the US Constitution. The 10th amendment 10th amendment, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively or to the people,” is most clearly in opposition. The federal government cannot prohibit drugs because it is not a power delegated to them, rather, it is the State’s decision. This is why Alcohol Prohibition had to be amended in 1919, as the 18th amendment. In order for the federal government to prohibit other recreational drugs, the Constitution has to be amended, which has not happened. The 1st amendment, which protects our freedom of religion, is also at odds with the War on Drugs due to the fact that drugs have been a major element of several faiths since ancient times. Even today, there are religions that use drugs for such things as divination, including the Bwitists of Africa, the Mazatecs of Mexico, and the Ayahuasqueros of the Amazon. However, the US federal government does not recognize religious drug use for the majority of it’s population. There is an exception, the Native American Church, which uses Peyote as their sacrament. If their drug use is able to be protected by the 1st amendment, how come no one else is.The 9th amendment opposes the War on Drugs more abstractly, but perhaps in a more profound way. The 9th amendment, today, is used vigorously to protect the rights of privacy in the battle for a women’s right to choose. This protection theoretically could be used for people who take recreational drugs privately. The obvious conclusion is that the War on Drugs has been more than a failure, but a detriment to American society. It not only is ruining the lives of many in America, but it is also stripping the American of his or her freedom. The symbolism of the war on personal freedom is perhaps more disturbing than the physical effects of the blunder. America was founded to be the nation of the free, for the people and by the people. Unfortunately, the War on Drugs is an indicator of what this country has turned into; a nation of people ruled by persons, with no regard to human rights or the founding fathers intentions.

Glue sniffing,solution addiction,samad bond addiction

2009-09-02T03:40:00.000-07:00

majority of these Glue sniffing children are orphans and runaway children, who earn their livelihood by cleaning cars at busy business centres, or work as child labours or “scavengers”. Glue sniffing has become an opiate of choice among these children, especially among those aged between 10-15 years.

They use “Samad Bond”, a kind of home made glue used for binding leather, rubber, textile, and wood or glass — by spreading it on a piece of cloth, rolling it and then start inhaling, which makes them snooze. The side effects are more dangerous than those of cannabis and other drugs. “After inhaling the glue, sometimes we do not feel pain even when one cuts himself or herself.

Sheraz,a street child

“I got the habit from runaway children who live at Data Darbar in Lahore,” said 13-year-old boy, Maqbool. Once he developed breathing problems, he returned home where he quitted glue sniffing, he added. Another boy, Imran (15) said he ran away from his home because his father always beat him, and he started cleaning up cars to survive. He said it was the only source of his income. “We collectively buy a jar of Samad Bond and then use it,” he added.

Glue, benzene, gasoline, varnish thinner, lighter fluid and aerosol belong to a group of volatile hydrocarbons and petroleum derivatives that were still being used for addiction, particularly by people working at garages and petrol stations.

Medical reports say that Glue sniffing could cause dangerous side effects on behaviour, such as euphoria, slurred speech, hallucination and psychosis. The habit could also damage brain, lever, kidneys, heart and myocardium. If it is daily used over a period of six months it could cause permanent brain damage.

Though our country has laws to combat drug abuse, but not as yet formulated laws to combat glue sniffing. There is an urgent need to address this problem before it addicts many more children.

Adrenaline Addiction

2009-08-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

here are people who just will not let go and must be buzzing non stop. They will be on the phone all the time, make notes and calculations. Even if they seem to be relaxing, they are planning their next moves. Hyperactive people are constantly in action, but can eventually start getting burnt out and become bored. At that point, they will tend to seek those higher and higher thrills, in order to get the adrenaline going,
since smaller challenges will not be good enough to get it produced. It is only a matter of time before they are in danger of getting into troubled waters.

It is not all that hard to become an adrenaline junkie, and although on the face of it, to be hyperactive would seem to be beneficial in some line of business but as I said, it can bring about hurried decisions and mistakes. In the business such as forex, banking, betting, bookmaking, driving etc. making even one mistake, can be catastrophic.

The possibility of what adrenaline addiction can cause, must never be underestimated and must be borne in mind, especially by those who are in positions where there is no room for mistakes.

Forex Addiction

2009-08-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

There are certain people born with a natural tendency for impulsiveness. Quite
a number of these tend to lean towards gambling, the driving reason often being adrenaline addiction.

When the central nervous system needs more stimulation, it seeks to find bigger thrills to feed on.

It is known that forex trading can provide huge thrills, and to approach this business allowing the adrenaline addiction to dictate, can turn out to be very costly.

When muddy data play a part in forming an opinion, and added to this, decisions are made spurred on by adrenaline addiction, it can be a formula for disaster.

Adrenaline addiction can make people sacrifice quality to get instant results. This can lead them to take steps which are not properly planned, and more often than not, result in failure. In forex trading one must beware of this problem.

Many executives and leading political figures are prone to this kind of addiction, which explains why at times, they tend to make certain hurried regrettable decisions. Adrenaline addicts are not frowned upon like some alcoholics, but are given full marks for being constantly on the go, and praised for their relentless efforts to try and achieve their goal.

Bookmakers and casinos are rescued time and time again, by shrewd punters, who when thinking clearly are hard to beat, but when under pressure, allow adrenaline addiction to take over, and start making erratic decisions which costs them dearly.

We have all seen some very high wired tennis stars, boxers, film stars, and footballers, who thrive when constantly in the limelight, only to dwindle to serious boredom when out of it, which in turn, leads to ther thrill seeking that can have serious overtones.

The bottom line is to stay in control and keep cool at all times. You have to slow down sometimes to win.

Warning for masturbation

2009-08-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

Do not think of masturbation as evil, wicked or damaging to your health. It is not. You will not go blind, grow hair on your palms, or be unable to have a healthy sex life
Do not aim NEVER to masturbate again - aim to have it as part of your life, but a small part which, while it is comforting, does not interfere with relationships with others.
Be aware that masturbation is indeed good for you as it rids the body of unwanted substances through ejaculation.

tips for quiting masturbation

2009-08-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

If you have the tendency to masturbate at night, in bed, do some sit ups or other exercise before you get into bed so you burn some of your extra energy
Never give up hope you can and will overcome the addiction even if you need help
It is all in your brain, you can always replace your thoughts with wholesome ones if you really want to. You have the power to stop it.
If you have the tendency to maturbate looking at porn on computers, try moving your computer into a room where others can see you.
Consider installing porn-blocking software on your computer. Of course you will know the password to bypass the blocking function, but just having it pop up will give you a chance to reconsider and move to another activity instead of masturbating.

Steps to quit masturbation

2009-08-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

Decide whether your masturbation is a cause for concern. Masturbation has become an obsession when it interferes with your daily routine and your relationships. If you find yourself masturbating instead of spending time on more important things on a daily basis (and you are no longer a teenage boy or girl!), then it might be time to break the cycle of behavior you are in.
Isolate the cause. There is a reason or reasons you masturbate excessively, and you must find out why. If you concentrate on just stopping masturbation then you will just return to your addiction after a short period of success. So, why do you masturbate? It could be because you are bored, lonely, hurt, stressed, or it could be because of pains from the past. You're going to have to get yourself in a relaxed state conducive to productive thought to really find out why you turn to masturbation. What are you trying to escape? Avoid focusing on symptoms. Saying you masturbate because it feels good is not the real reason you masturbate excessively. Dig deep into your feelings. If you find this part difficult you may need therapy to help you discover feelings you are not seeing clearly right now.
Deal with your feelings. Dealing with feelings correctly is a skill and may be a skill you have forgotten or need to learn. Feelings are the result of thoughts. How we interpret the world and ourselves in our minds determines how we feel. We decide how we feel about things. If you masturbate because you feel bored then it is because you decided to feel bored. Nobody made you feel bored. You did.
Change the thought patterns that are leading to excessive masturbation. You can no longer see masturbation as a solution to your boredom or loneliness. The more you learn to enjoy your everyday life the less you will want to turn to masturbation.
Narrow down the times of the day that seem to be the biggest problem for you. Isolating the times of the day that you struggle the most can help you to focus your efforts better to overcome masturbation addiction. If you know you struggle most when you lay down at night then you can create a plan specific to that time of day, for example do not lay down. Maybe you need to exercise and burn some testosterone before going to bed. Exercise will also help you to be more tired and fall asleep faster. If you struggle at different times of the day or several times throughout the day then try to narrow down the times and the environment you're in when this becomes difficult.
Spend some time each day, perhaps in the morning, visualizing a new you. A more confident, sociable, outgoing you. It's important that you start reprogramming your brain on a daily basis. It may seem awkward at first but if you persist, you will become more comfortable with your new self-image.
Change your habits. You cannot overcome a masturbation addiction so long as you are spending a lot of time alone in your bedroom viewing pornography. Get out and meet people. Form healthy relationships and perhaps find another outlet for your sexual energy.
Have an emergency way out - When the wave of temptation comes you need to have a pre-planned emergency way out. Many people have found that snapping a rubber band on their wrist helps break the automatic thought chain that leads to masturbation. Of course you don't want to hurt yourself, just have something similar to get your mind off masturbating.

How to Stop a Masturbation Addiction

2009-08-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

Masturbation is sometimes called "self love" or "solo-sex". It is a normal and healthy activity, and indeed is the way most adolescents discover what makes them feel good before they embark on an adult sexual relationship. In some cases however, it can become an obsession. And that is not healthy. Medically masturbation is not a physical disease. Problems arise when it starts interfering in our lives as a stress, guilt or a thorn in our relationships. Even if little masturbation does that then it is termed "harmful"

Painkillers Addiction

2009-08-24T16:09:00.003-07:00

Prescription Painkiller Addiction

Dependency on prescription painkillers often starts with a common injury, surgery or condition:

You experience frequent pain or discomfort.
You were in a car accident.
You slipped and fell.
You lifted a heavy box at work.
You pulled a muscle while playing golf or tennis.
You strained yourself working out at the gym.
You had back surgery.
You have fibromyalgia or severe arthritis.
You are recovering from an operation or cancer treatment

You started pain medication for discomfort

Your physician prescribed a painkiller to help you manage the pain. Weeks or months after the initial injury has healed, you still take opioid painkillers likeVicodin®, OxyContin®, or Percocet®. Perhaps in an even higher dosage than at first.

You realize now that you cannot do without the prescription painkiller.
The drug meant to help you now hurts you. In addition to your pain from the initial injury or a fear of medical treatment, you now experience the painful discomfort of withdrawal. Your pain has not eased, but intensified. We see patients who had treated a level-2 or 3 pain, after one year using painkillers, jump to level 8 or 9.
Know that you are not the only one.
Approximately 75% of our patients suffer from a dependency on painkillers like OxyContin®. We recognize that patients became physically dependent on prescription painkillers, or other opiates, through no fault of their own. We help you change the story. This chemical imbalance requires expert medical treatment in a safe, humane and effective environment.

Video games addiction

2009-08-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

Studies show that the excitement of video games makes playing them addictive. Parents of preteens hardly find this surprising.

Ask any preteen how they love to spend their spare time, and chances are you'll get an earful about video games. But why do they love them so? Are they addictive? According to some studies it would appear that the excitement of video games causes the brain to release a chemical that is, in essence, addictive. For any parent who has seen the fervor by which some kids play video games, this news is no surprise.

What makes these games so addictive? Media literacy specialist, Dr. Charles Ungerleider explains that "they're very compelling with increasing complexity, so a child becomes more facile, yet wants to know more and apply new skills." While wanting to improve their game isn't a problem in itself, it becomes one if video games are "taking a youngster away too much from other activities," says Ungerleider. "Then the parent has to intervene and limit the amount of time the youngster spends with the video game."

Professor of Computer Science, Maria Klavee feels video games, if not too violent, can "offer some real opportunities for puzzle solving, strategic and critical thinking". But she adds that it's important that video and computer games are played in moderation. Klavee says parents should "provide a selection of activities, not just the ones that have the most action or are addictive. Choose some that involve problem solving or good story lines. Also aim for a balance in your child's life. Sports are important, reading's important. Just think of computer games as one more component in a child's exploration of what's out there in society."

As for addiction? Ungerleider believes that "a parent can prevent youngsters from becoming addicted to too much TV or too many video games by establishing a pattern of selective viewing or by using video game material early in a child's life so that by the time a youngster gets to be an adolescent and there's very little surveillance or control, it's less likely to occur."

Finally, Ungerleider remind parents that "if a youngster becomes addicted to video games it can be a problem and the parent does need to intervene and provide attractive alternatives.

Money for drugs

2009-08-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

Schizophrenia

2009-08-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Schizophrenia Overview

Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling mental illness. It affects men and women with equal frequency

People suffering from schizophrenia may have the following symptoms:

Delusions, false personal beliefs held with conviction in spite of reason or evidence to the contrary, not explained by that person's cultural context
Hallucinations, perceptions (can be sound, sight, touch, smell, or taste) that occur in the absence of an actual external stimulus (Auditory hallucinations, those of voice or other sounds, are the most common type of hallucinations in schizophrenia.)
Disorganized thoughts and behaviors
Disorganized speech
Catatonic behavior, in which the affected person's body may be rigid and the person may be unresponsive

Sugar Addiction

2009-08-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Some experts believe kicking sugar is harder than kicking cigarettes or even heroine.....

Sugar is every where. It is advertised on television, at parties, in drinks, and hidden in many foods. So, to get the sugar out of your diet, where do you start? The tips below will get you started.................

Know all the sneaky names for sugar.

Read food labels and get rid of condiments, sauces, and dressings with sugar in them. Learn to make condiments and dressings with out the sugar.

Eat fruit

Fruit is a great way to eat something sweet, and control calories. Just stay away from dried fruit or sweetened fruit.

Avoid artificial sweeteners

just a crutch. They keep you from learning to enjoy the natural sweetness of real food. There are also studies that show that they can make you crave sugar, not to mention the studies that show other dangerous health effects like cancer

Eliminate the white stuff.

White flour, white rice, and white potatoes. These have the same affect on blood sugar as sugar, and this will make sugar harder to kick. These foods keep you on the insulin- low blood sugar cycle.

Avoid juice

Even 100% juice is sugar water in disguise. Drink water, and if you must, only a splash of juice for flavor.

Try stevia.

Stevia is an herb that is very sweet and has a slight licorice flavor. While it is a stretch to make a whole dessert with stevia, it is great in coffee and on cereal. It may take some getting used to, but it is way better than loading your food with sugar or known toxic chemicals.Tip: Look for stevia in the dietary supplement section. It will not be with the sweeteners

Learn to use honey.

If you really need a sugar fix, eat some honey. Learn to cook with it. Learn how to drizzle it in thin steams. It is very high in sugar but, has other benefits that sugar does not and it is all natural.Tip:Buy honey local to your area. The local pollens the bees use to make the honey could help prevent some seasonal allergies.

Limit alcohol

.Alcohol is made from sugar. It acts like sugar in the body. Especially when you first are trying to kick sugar stay away from any alcoholic beverages.

Bring a low sugar dessert to share.

Temptations are everywhere. Show others how delicious a low sugar life style can be

Keep it out of the house.

Do not temp yourself with your child's pop tarts or your husband's ice cream. Tell your family what you are doing and then put your foot down. It is hard enough with out sweets calling your name all day long.

Eat sweet potatoes, red potatoes, and brown rice with meals.

These are the foods to replace the white foods with. Sweet potatoes make a yummy dessert with a little yogurt. Steam small red potatoes or some brown rice to eat with dinner. If time is an issue, cook these items ahead of time.

If you must eat sweets, eat them after meals

.After meals sugar has less of an effect on blood sugar. You will be less likely to crash and crave more late

Sugar is a hard habit to kick. Cravings will lessen with time. The longer sugar is out of your diet the easier it gets.

Internet Addiction Disorder

2009-08-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

So far addictions have mainly focused on highs that are produced from the use of drugs or other external forces that affect the brain’s chemical responses. However it has recently been brought to the public’s attention that an individual can receive a similar kind of “high” from using the Internet. This malady has been termed Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). The research for this disorder is fairly new and scarce, but the results leave something to mull over. It affects everyone involved with the “user,” and moreover there are a few psychologists who know how to treat it.

Internet Addiction Disorder

The growth of a hardly satisfied and very innovative population has created an environment where the saturated use of the computer, and its additional benefits is an orthodox. It no longer matters where one travels or how much room for luggage one has, a computer can be brought regardless of the inconveniences. This availability opens a door to the Internet that can be accessed from almost anywhere a person whishes to render its services. Just like any other hobby however some of its users start to spend an extended amount of time in it, which can lead to an addiction of the pastime. These people who cross the line are said to be suffering from a newfound diagnosis termed by researchers as Internet Addiction Disorder or (IAD) (Dr. Grohol, 2003, par. 1).
Since the craving people have to use the Internet unrestrained is a fairly new concept that has been brought to public attention just recently there has not been much research done in the field to date. And it is still a very debatable question whether it exists or not. Some say that the Internet is addictive to the point where it controls one’s life, others say that it is not the same as getting high or drunk to an extreme. Nevertheless the Internet is affecting the people who use it extensively whether it be called addictive or not.
According to Dr. John Grohol the original research cases were exploratory surveys which do not explain the relationship between the supposed behavior and its cause (2003, par. 2). In other words, the surveys can explain why a person feels and behaves in certain way, but they cannot conclude that the behavior has been caused by the prolonged usage of the internet (Dr. Grohol, 2003, par. 2). Grohol does, nevertheless, agree that people do have problems from spending too much time on the computer, and he relates to the idea that people engage in the activity because they do not want to deal with the problems in their lives (2003, par. 4). It is similar to the behavior that a person who watches a lot of TV reveals, or the person who reads an abundant amount of books, or that of the person who goes out for a few drinks regularly.
An alternative theory as to why people use the Internet to a great extent is a very plausible idea. Dr. Grohol has made a model (see insertion 1) where the individual is said to go through phases in their discovery of the Internet and its resources. The first stage occurs when the individual is new to the environment, a newcomer, or is an existing user that finds a new activity, it is referred to as the stage of enchantment or obsession (Dr. Grohol, 2003, par. 20). This is the phase that is highly “addictive” to the individual until of course they reaches stage two, disillusionment (Dr. Grohol, 2003, par. 20). In this stage the individual has to become uninterested in the activity they engage is so often, once that is accomplished the individual can safely reach the third stage, Balance (Dr. Grohol, 2003, par. 20). This balance symbolized a normalized usage of the internet, it is reached at a different period by everyone and the phases can still be recycled if the individual finds another interesting new activity (Dr. Grohol, 2003, par. 20).
The enterprises most people engage in while on the Internet deal with chat rooms, discussion forums, e-mailing, or on-line gambling. This action is therefore said to be nothing more than socialization (Dr. Grohol, 2003, par. 17). Even though this new kind of socialization is employed in a different kind of modality. David Greenfield, PhD, founder of the Center for Internet Studies disagreed by quoting that "It's (the Internet) a socially connecting device that's socially isolating at the same time (DeAngelis, 2000, par. 7)."
Researchers who concur that the Internet is addictive have already established that the disorder develops into a dependency for the person; they experience tolerance and withdrawal affects (Ferris, par. 1). Similar to what an addict of any other substance goes through, and becomes just as isolated as them. Rejecting the real world and adopting the Internet as a route of escape to a mood altering experience (DeAngelis, 2000, par. 8).
The rationale why people become addicted to the Internet is vast. Some theories to explain addiction disorders are rooted with behavioral explanations, psychodynamic and personality explanations, sociocultural explanations, and biomedical explanations (Ferris, par. 5). The behavioral view is that the individual functions under B.F. Skinner’s operant conditioning (Ferris, par. 8). In which the subject can either be rewarded positively, negatively, or be punished for their course of action. An example of it would be an individual who has always been too timid to met new people and make acquaintances. For this individual the Internet would represent the means to experience love, hate, satisfaction, and fulfillment without interacting face to face with another person (Ferris, par. 8). A rewarding experience that could become reinforcing in itself.
The psychodynamic and personality explanations to addiction deal with the individual and his/her experiences. Depending on the childhood events that affect the individuals as children and the personalities traits they developed, they become predisposed to develop an addictive behavior, or none whatsoever (Ferris, par. 6). It is not the subject or the activity that is important in this case, but the individual, and the foundation under which they become addictive. A foreign exchange student can be liable to go on the Internet looking for familiarity and in the process is susceptible to a desire to be mentally there all the time.
Sociocultural explanations illustrate addicts according to their race, sex, age, economic status, religion, and country (Ferris, par. 7). However there is not enough diversity among the current Internet users to affirm that that kind of a statement as valid. For example alcoholism has been said to be more common in Native Americans, Irish Americans, and Catholics (Ferris, par.7).
The biomedical explanations deal with hereditary and congenial factors, chemical imbalances in the brain and neurotransmitters (Ferris, par. 9). This suggestion resembles the use of prescribed drugs by patients who need the chemical balance in the brain, or those who get a high from running, or gambling. The Internet provides a temporary high.
The largest survey to date on the subject was conducted in 1998 with 18,000 participants by David Greenfield (DeAngelis, 2000, par. 8). He found that 5.7 percent of those who participated in the survey met his criteria for compulsive Internet usage (DeAngelis, 2000, par. 8). Greenfield believes that “the psychoactive nature of the Internet” is expressed by addicts who experiences time distortion, accelerated intimacy and decreased inhibition (DeAngelis, 2000, par. 9). He admits that “there is something strong and powerful” about Internet addiction, and that most affected areas seem to be marriages and relationships (DeAngelis, 2000, par. 11). This straining on marriages and relationships seems to be transpired from the compulsive use of pornography, cybersex and cyberaffairs. There was even a 62 percent acknowledgement of people who logged on to pornographic sites for an average of four hours a week to view the material (DeAngelis, 2000, par. 10). Out of the percentage that logs on to pornographic sites 37.5 percent users confessed that they masturbated while online (DeAngelis, 2000, par. 10).
In another research conducted by psychologist Kimberly S. Young, Ph. D., there were 496 heave Internet participants who were compared to the clinical criteria for Pathological gamblers (Young, 1996, par. 1). The reason this was done was because Pathological gambling is considered the closest type of addiction to internet addiction since it involves failed impulse control without involving an intoxicant (Young, 1996, par. 1). The participant had to meet four or more of the criteria (see insertion 2) to be classified as a “dependent” Internet user; if the participant did not meet the criteria over a 12-month period then they were considered “non-dependent” users (Young, 1996, par. 2). Of the ones who volunteered 239 females and 157 males were classified as dependent, and 54 females and 46 males where considered non-dependent (Young, 1996, par. 3). The dependency of the internet on an individual can harshly “disrupt one's academic, social, financial and occupational life” said Young, just like any other disorder; gambling, drug use, or eating disorders (1996, par. 4).
There have been publicly announced people who are said to suffer for IAD (Internet Addiction Disorder). One case was, reported in the New York Times, of a woman who had been divorced by her husband because of her excessive use of the Internet. Still the woman did not come to her senses and continued to use the internet so much that she forgot to buy food for her children, to take them to doctor appointments, and to buy enough oil to warm her home (Ferris, par. 10). There is also the story of a seventeen year old who suffered from Internet withdrawal symptoms; when taken to a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center his body convulsed about, and her started to throw chairs around (Ferris, par. 10).
Treatment for people who have been diagnosed with Internet Addiction is very hard to find. First, one has to deal with finding a psychologist or a physician who will see eye to eye and acknowledge that the disorder is real, and not attributes to another disorder (King, 1996, par. 29). Then, there’s the lack of the psychologists’ knowledge of how to diagnose a treatment, and conduct the follow-ups for the IAD patients (King, 1996, par. 29). Going cold turkey can of course work for some, but not for everyone because it requires a lot of positive support and anti-depressants. In that (cold turkey) category the people who work in a job where the computer is a requirement, and not a choice, would definitely fail the treatment miserably.
Analogous to the treatments of addictions or semi-addictions, methods to treat Internet addicts have been created. One such treatment resembles dieting (King, 1996, par. 30). A twelve-step group program can be develop from the model, Eating Disorder, so that participants can gradually deal with the reduction of the behavior (King, 1996, par. 30). An additional option would be to use the computer itself as a deterrent in IAD (King, 1996, par. 31). In this situation though the recovery would be computer assisted. The individual’s arrival is automatically recorder and so is their departure (King, 1996, par. 31). In between sessions a reminder flashes on the screen so that the user can stop momentarily and update his/her journal on the computer (King, 1996, par. 31). On the journal the users records how their time was spent while on-line (King, 1996, par. 31). This provides users with the opportunity to balance the lingering emotions; whether the activity offered a weighty satisfactory feeling or remorseful one at the end of a session.
Although there are numerous web sites, and books were one can receive treatment for IAD, Dr. Orzack believes that it should not be treated on-line, and that a “psychopharmacological” is best in some situations (King, 1996, par. 32). Right now Dr. Orzack treats patients with cognitive behavioral therapy at the psychiatric outpatient clinic of McLean Hospital in Boston, MA (King, 1996, par. 32). Albeit the McLean Hospital only treats individuals it is currently trying to set-up a group oriented treatment program (King, 1996, par. 33). The program has to be able to focus on every individuals needs of treatment since not everyone uses the Internet for the same purposes (King, 1996, par. 33).
The people who log on to utilize the chat rooms are evidently looking for social acceptance, while the ones who create a role playing persona are eager to be accepted as themselves (King, 1996, par. 33). Yet the primary step to take in the path to recovery is to accept and not refute, a defense mechanism mentioned by Freud Sigmund called “denial,” that one might be undergoing Internet Addiction. Once this obstacle is conquered the treatment can be performed healthier than it would have otherwise been with patients who rejected they suffered from any kind of disorder.
Hopefully the increase in number of individuals who suffer from the disorder can compel researchers to performs more surveys and study more cases. Right now, it has not even been listed in the DSM ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) as a diagnostic code for health practitioners or psychologists to be reimbursed (Brahn and Markovich, 2002, par. 16). Therefore they call it “impulse control disorder (Brahn and Markovich, 2002, par. 16).” "The reason why we call it an addiction and not a compulsion is we believe with addiction there is a euphoric component, euphoric recall, and with compulsion there is no euphoria," Parker said defending his view (Brahn and Markovich, 2002, par. 7). Jay Parker, along with fellow psychologist Hilarie Cash, run the Internet/Computer Addiction Services in Redmond, Wash. (Brahn and Markovich, 2002, par. 6).
King quoted on his web site that “A passion adds value to one's life, and an addiction takes away value (King, 1996, par. 8).” So it is best for one to be conscious of the amount of time spent on the Internet and the consequences that could spring from it. Addiction or not the quantity of time spent on the Internet does take away from one’s life and detaches those whom one loves most. Threading life carefully knowing that time is not a luxury is the best way to go.

Mesothelioma

2009-08-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

Mesothelioma, if malignant, is an aggressive form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. The asbestos that enters the body lodges itself within the lining the lungs, abdomen, heart, as well as other organs and eventually the problem takes an adverse shape and tumors form. The latency period of mesothelioma can be many years, so often diagnosing children with mesothelioma can be difficult because they have not lived that long. However there have been rare cases and studies that detected mesothelioma in children. Because the prognosis is poor, doctors need to carefully diagnose mesothelioma in their youngest patients. It is important to understand that mesothelioma is not inherited through genes, therefore just because your Mother or Father has it, does not mean it automatically is passed on. Mesothelioma is also not contagious. There have been cases where children have been diagnosed with mesothelioma but it is through contact with an asbestos exposure. Asbestos exposure can happen many different ways…..

In some cases parents who worked in manufacturing or construction companies have exposed children to asbestos through clothing. When at work the asbestos would get trapped in either the clothing or other accessories and when brought home the transmission occurred through the air. That asbestos contaminated air could then be breathed in by a child. Asbestos makes its way into tiny airways of the lungs and then cannot be breathed or coughed out.

In other cases homes built between the 1920s and 1980s may have attics that contain asbestos insulation known as vermiculite. Older roofs may contain asbestos that would then be breathed in. If there is ever a question whether or not your house contains asbestos it is always best to hire a licensed professional asbestos inspector.

There are ongoing studies and most doctors agree that more research must be done before a conclusion is met. Dr. Moran and some of his colleagues recently published a study in the journal, Histopathology, which they analyzed eight cases of children suffering from mesothelioma. All of the children had peritoneal mesothelioma cancer, which is cancer of the abdominal cavity lining. Adults, however, usually suffer from pleural mesothelioma cancer, which is in the lining of the lungs. The children diagnosed with mesothelioma often complained of pain from bloating, due to fluid build-up of their abdomen. This shows that it is possible for children to be diagnosed with mesothelioma, although most victims are adults due to the longevity it usually takes for the disease to manifest.

Mesothelioma symptoms are generally non specific and resemble common sicknesses such as viral pneumonia, heart disease, flu, and bronchitis. These symptoms include: shortness of breath (dyspnea) or difficulty breathing, coughing and/or coughing up of blood, chest or abdomen pain caused by excessive fluid, weight loss, husky voice, difficulty swallowing, fever, anemia, bowel obstruction, inability to sleep, and loss of appetite. Since these are general symptoms of common viral diseases, it is important to report any asbestos history you have to a doctor so the correct diagnosis can be made, especially in children as they may be harder to diagnosis

Laying Good Groundwork

2009-08-05T13:12:00.001-07:00

No parent, child, or family is immune to the effects of drugs. Some of the best kids can end up in trouble, even when they have made an effort to avoid it and even when they have been given the proper guidance from their parents.

However, certain groups of kids may be more likely to use drugs than others. Kids who have friends who use drugs are likely to try drugs themselves. Those feeling socially isolated for whatever reason may turn to drugs.

So it's important to know your child's friends — and their parents. Be involved in your children's lives. If your child's school runs an anti-drug program, get involved. You might learn something! Pay attention to how your kids are feeling and let them know that you're available and willing to listen in a nonjudgmental way. Recognize when your kids are going through difficult times so that you can provide the support they need or seek additional care if it's needed.

A warm, open family environment — where kids are encouraged to talk about their feelings, where their achievements are praised, and where their self-esteem is bolstered — encourages kids to come forward with their questions and concerns. When censored in their own homes, kids go elsewhere to find support and answers to their most important questions.

Ages 13 to 17

2009-08-05T13:11:00.002-07:00

Kids this age are likely to know other kids who use alcohol or drugs, and to have friends who drive. Many are still willing to express their thoughts or concerns with parents about it.

Use these conversations not only to understand your child's thoughts and feelings, but also to talk about the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Talk about the legal issues — jail time and fines — and the possibility that they or someone else might be killed or seriously injured.

Consider establishing a written or verbal contract on the rules about going out or using the car. You can promise to pick your kids up at any time (even 2:00 AM!) no questions asked if they call you when the person responsible for driving has been drinking or using drugs.

The contract also can detail other situations: For example, if you find out that someone drank or used drugs in your car while your son or daughter was behind the wheel, you may want to suspend driving privileges for 6 months. By discussing all of this with your kids from the start, you eliminate surprises and make your expectations clear

Ages 8 to 12

2009-08-05T13:11:00.001-07:00

As your kids grow older, you can begin conversations with them by asking them what they think about drugs. By asking the questions in a nonjudgmental, open-ended way, you're more likely to get an honest response.

Kids this age usually are still willing to talk openly to their parents about touchy subjects. Establishing a dialogue now helps keep the door open as kids get older and are less inclined to share their thoughts and feelings.

Even if your question doesn't immediately result in a discussion, you'll get your kids thinking about the issue. If you show your kids that you're willing to discuss the topic and hear what they have to say, they might be more willing to come to you for help in the future.

News, such as steroid use in professional sports, can be springboards for casual conversations about current events. Use these discussions to give your kids information about the risks of drugs.

Talking to your child About DRUGS

2009-08-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

Preschool to Age 7

Before you get nervous about talking to young kids, take heart. You've probably already laid the groundwork for a discussion. For instance, whenever you give a fever medication or an antibiotic to your child, you have the opportunity to discuss the benefits and the appropriate and responsible use of those drugs. This is also a time when your child is likely to be very attentive to your behavior and guidance.

Start taking advantage of "teachable moments" now. If you see a character on a billboard or on TV with a cigarette, talk about smoking, nicotine addiction, and what smoking does to a person's body. This can lead into a discussion about other drugs and how they can potentially cause harm.

Keep the tone of these discussions calm and use terms that your child can understand. Be specific about the effects of the drugs: how they make a person feel, the risk of overdose, and the other long-term damage they can cause. To give your kids these facts, you might have to do a little research.

Is Music Addictive?

2009-08-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

There is the weaker notion of "psychological dependence", which implies that you will miss not having something, but not to the extent that you would deem yourself to be suffering. I think that might be a fair description of many people's relationship with music.

MUSIC detrimental effect on the body

2009-08-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

Most drugs have some detrimental effect on the body if taken to excess, and it is a consequence of the false feelings created by drugs that they often are taken to excess. Music is not a substance, so it isn't going to cause the type of damage that drugs cause. But the excessive consumption of music can cause ill-health. The most common example is when too much exposure to overly loud music damages receptor hair cells in the ear, which causes deafness, particularly in those frequencies that occur strongly in the music

How Strong a Music is?

2009-08-03T13:47:00.000-07:00

So if music is a drug, how strong is it? Is it dangerous? Should it be classified on some narcotics schedule as class A, B, C or D?

Speaking entirely from personal experience, I would say that the effect of the strongest music is somewhat greater than that of caffeine, but less than that of alcohol.

Music as Illusion?

2009-08-03T13:46:00.001-07:00

If we want to be pedantic, we might say that music is more of an illusion than a drug, in that it acts on perceptual modules in the brain whose purpose is to perform genuine perception, but it provides data belonging to a subset of possible data which the relevant modules are not able to process correctly.

That said, music is the only significant illusion that is generated and consumed for pleasure in a major way. We could interpret entertainment such as motion pictures (i.e. film and television) as a similar form of illusory contrivance, however, in this case the contrivance is one that produces perceptual input that it is almost identical to what the real input would be if the fiction being portrayed was indeed factual. Whereas if we regard music as a type of speech, it is nota realistic imitation of any normal type of speech.

Music as Super-Stimulus

2009-08-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

According to my super-stimulus theory of music, music consists of contrived "speech" which is a super-stimulus for the perception of musicality, where musicality is a particular perceived property of speech which provides information about the internal mental state of the speaker, which consequently influences the listener's emotional response to the speech of the speaker.

The nature of the contrivance is such that, if this theory is correct, we must judge the feelings created by music to indeed be false. For example, a musical instrument does not have any mental state at all, so any emotional reaction to a perception of that instrument's mental state must be entirely spurious. Even if a musical performer is singing, so that the music is closer to normal speech, the musicality of the singing reflects the abilities of the performer and the song-writer in contriving the musicality, and does not necessarily reflect the true inner mental state of the performer.

Is music is a drug?

2009-08-03T13:42:00.001-07:00

Music acts on our emotions and feelings. Drugs act on our emotions and feelings. We generally recognise that the feelings created by drugs are not "real". Does the same apply to music? Is music a drug?

Gutka Addiction

2009-08-03T13:39:00.000-07:00

Gutka is a preparation of betel nuts and tobacco designed to be chewed. It originated in the Indian Subcontinent, where gutka consumption is widespread today, and spread from there to areas with a large Indian population. Like other tobacco products, gutka is potentially addictive and cancerous, and in India, some moves have been made to attempt to restrict the availability of gutka to address health concerns.

In addition to betel nuts and tobacco, gutka also includes an extract of acacia called catechu, and slaked lime, which is designed to catalyze a chemicalreaction when gutku is chewed, releasing alkaloids in the blend to make it more powerful. Gutka is also usually blended with spices and seasonings, which can make it sour, hot, or sweet. Sometimes traditional Ayurvedic herbs are used to give gutka an illusion of respectability, and sweet flavorings are often designed to appeal specifically to children.

Classically, gutka comes in the form of a loose powder which is inserted into the mouth, chewed, and eventually spat out. Like other betel nut chews, gutka is highly staining, leaving a characteristic reddish to orange stain on the lips, tongue, and teeth, and it also stains the streets and sidewalks when people spit it out. Gutka is also extremely addictive, and thanks to the tobacco content, it can contribute to the development of oral and throat cancers.

One of the biggest groups of gutka users is children, especially in impoverished neighborhoods. Gutka is also used by people who are trying to quit smoking, or individuals who wish to avoid the social consequences of smoking. Many users are unaware of how addictive gutka can be, and they are greatly surprised when they attempt to give up the habit. Gutka is also a mild stimulant, making it appealing to students, shift workers, and other people who may have trouble staying awake sometimes.

Although gutka is largely unregulated in India, many officials became concerned about widespread use of the substance in the early 2000s, and for a brief period of time, there was actually a ban on gutka. Regulation of gutka will probably focus on making it harder for children to obtain, and encouraging labeling to indicate its carcinogenic and addictive properties. In some regions of India, education campaigns have been launched to teach children about the dangers of gutka, but such programs primarily reach children who are actively in school, excluding children who lack access to education.

top 10 drugs

2009-07-31T05:03:00.001-07:00

COCAINE

CRACK COCAINE

ESTACY

HEROIN

LSD

MARIJUANA

METHAMPHETAMINE

OPIUM

PCP

Psilocybin MUSHROOMS

Drug Addiction in America & England

2009-07-30T03:29:00.000-07:00

THERE are in the United States about 60,000 opiate addicts, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics estimates, and some medi- cal experts believe that 1,000,000 is closer to the actual number of those addicted to morphine, heroin, and related drugs. Neither figure, however startling, indicates in itself the far-reaching ramifications of the addiction problem. For a complicated web of corruption, degradation, vicious police practice, and secondary crime has developed around the use of narcotics in America. At its center stands the punitive anti-addict policy embodied in our narcotics laws.

The country's first major legislative effort to control narcotics, the Harrison Act, was to set the direction for all future legislation in this field. The law, passed by Congress in 1914 and still in effect, was essentially a tax measure designed to regulate the handling of narcotics by distributors and dispensers. While saying nothing about addicts' as such, it was very broadly interpreted to mean that a doctor's "good faith" prescription of narcotics to an addict was itself improper; and since this law's enactment, few medical practitioners have cared te take the risk of trying to help a narcotics patient with his problems. In recent years, considerably more stringent anti-narcotics legislation has been enacted-much of it, paradoxically, tending to perpetuate the very condition meant to be curbed. The Boggs Act provided minimum mandatory sentences for all narcotics offenses-it followed the 1951 Kefauver Committee's investigations publicizing the narcotics problem. Four years later, a Senate subcommittee investigation, under the chairmanship of then Senator Price Daniel, led to the federal Narcotics Control Act of 1956, which both raises previous minimum sentences for violations and permits the death penalty to be imposed, on adults found guilty of selling heroin to persons under eighteen. This law-like most of the country's drug statutes-fails to provide the proper distinction between the addict and the peddler who is a non-addict: the mere fact of possession, purchase, sale, or transfer of narcotics is made punishable. So, too, a vast array of state laws prohibits the unauthorized possession and transfer of narcotics; finally, in several states, addiction is in itself a crime.

Legalizing Marijuana for the Right Reasons in WORLD

2009-07-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

The current debate, in which the citizens of the State of California and the United States of America in general, are engaged in, seems to be exhausting. The medicinal debate appears to be over, now replaced with the seemingly more desperate search for an easy way out of our current economic state. Taxpayers, with the weight of the budget on their shoulders should be reminded of the old video clip of, current California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger lifting weights and weighing in on his feelings on the controversial drug. Now, that word, drug, is a word which does not accurately define marijuana for many. Perhaps, the purpose of the current debates should shift and instead focus not on making up for lost money, but toward studying closely what we know and do not know about marijuana. What facts and myths are influencing society and how it perceives marijuana? How has legal reform affected other countries? Is marijuana like other drugs or a gateway to other drugs? The answers are out there.

Tobacco, Alcohol and countless other daily use substances such as caffeine, appear to be the focus for a majority of the folks who would have you and I believe that marijuana is unhealthful and immoral. Claims of marijuana degrading the socialization of teens, sucking them dry of any ambition or desire of success are extreme at minimum. This viewpoint is old fashioned at best, quite possibly racist in foundation and exceptionally limited in any backing with substance. History will show, quite accurately, the process in which marijuana became illegal in this country.

In the book “The Emperor Wears No Clothes” by Jack Herer, there is the factual story of Harry J. Anslinger, first Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (now defunct) and how his influence allowed for the racist-driven illegalization of a substance associated with Mexicans and African-Americans. Police reports and other claims of rape and murder by individuals under the influence of marijuana were used to strike fear into the hearts of citizens. The claim, however, that these awful crimes were directly attributed to use of marijuana as apposed to good old fashioned sociopathy is obviously unwarranted.

Looking closely at marijuana users and the culture they are involved in may show many outsiders exactly the difference between what society believes and accepts as truth and the reality of the situation. Potheads, stoners, dopers – so many names to describe unsavory marijuana smokers and their entourage circle of smoker friends. The truth is, not all marijuana smokers are low-lifes, but many are highly respected members of society (pun intended). From law, business and marketing to the usual music, movies and the like, the positions marijuana users hold in society varies. Students of high school and college, even the unfortunate junior high and elementary children have been exposed to marijuana. Remember one thing we know about one person in particular, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. This individual who has recently spoke about opening a discussion on the subject, has used marijuana in the past and has been a successful former body-builder, an actor, and now, politician. Anyone from any walk of life, involved in any type of occupation, could be a marijuana smoker, well user at least. Wait, is there a difference between a marijuana smoker and a marijuana user? Well, yes and no. Marijuana smokers are users, however not all users are smokers. How could that be?

Smoking is the most common and popular usage of marijuana consumption, but it is not the only one. Recently, vaporization of marijuana or actually of the THC within the plant matter has become increasingly popular. Vaporization eliminates many of the harmful carcinogens created when combustion of the plant material occurs. This creates a much safer and healthier method of using marijuana. Many of us have also heard of laced brownies and space-cakes, which are baked goods with marijuana as a key ingredient. Does eating marijuana do harm to an individuals body or mental state? Not many studies I have read through ever even mention this. Information. That is the near equivalent of the age-old question of marijuana being harmful to people who consume marijuana at all. Debates have stirred, studies have been conducted, yet it seems we are nowhere near the answers to these questions. Do we lack the technology or understanding of marijuana to study it appropriately? I believe that is impossible at this juncture, since marijuana has been around for approximately 4,000-5,000 years, which we know of.

Users and non-users alike can agree that substance abuse affects, not only those who do the abusing, but those around them as well. But it is the abuse, not the substance, which lends a hand in disruptive and destructive behavior. The abuse is the responsibility of the individual partaking in such substances, and in some cases, anyone else who is enabling the abuse to continue. This has been evident in codependent family systems studied in the past and is still recognized today. These are the real issues with marijuana.

A person with the hopes of truly becoming informed on the subject of marijuana law need only research the history of prohibition in the United States. Research the violence related to alcohol before, during, and after prohibition. Investigate the numerous health problems and legal ramifications of the legalization and regulation of tobacco, including marketing limits. Research the many examples of marijuana law reform in the United States and overseas. By conducting research within your own community, as well as others, you may find real people with real voices who may not have been heard by everyone. The point is to research on your own, to get involved and most importantly, focus on marijuana - not every other substance that is legal or otherwise. Focus on the people who use and do not use marijuana. Those affected by its existence, positively or negatively. No death of a human has ever been documented in the history of this plant. Yes, it's just a plant. Can a plant be immoral? Can a plant be irresponsible? I hope the focus can be shifted back to the people. All people. We are all responsible to be active and involved in the debate as well as the social implications. Are you ready? I am.

Myth #7:

2009-07-25T07:52:00.003-07:00

If you’ve tried one rehab program, you’ve tried them all.

There are short-term, outpatient, long-term, residential and in-patient treatment, to name a few. The type of treatment a person chooses should depend on the amount of time needed for the person to learn the skills necessary to live a life of sobriety. Studies have shown that the longer a person stays in treatment, the higher his or her success rate of sobriety is. The reason for this is simple: addicts did not become addicted over night and the skills and tools needed to maintain sobriety cannot be learned over night either. A month or two of treatment is usually not enough. Six months to a year of residential treatment is the minimum amount of time most people need, followed by transitional living and an umbrella of support once the person begins to go back into mainstream society.

Myth #6:

2009-07-25T07:52:00.001-07:00

Addicts and users won’t seek treatment until they hit rock bottom.

People enter into treatment all of the time without hitting rock bottom. The motivating factors differ from person to person but typical motivators are pressures from family and friends to seek help and personal recognition that the he or she has a problem. For teens and young adults, parents and school administrator are often the driving force in getting the person into treatment. Some people do hit rock bottom and then get into treatment but that is just some people—not all.

Myth #5:

2009-07-25T07:51:00.003-07:00

People can just quit if they really want to.

Willpower has absolutely nothing to do with addiction. Addiction occurs in an area of the brain called the mesolimbic dopamine system that is not under conscious control. It is very hard for addicts to maintain sobriety in the long term. Because drugs change the way the human brain functions, learning behavioral and cognitive skills is necessary for abstinence. No amount of willpower can make an addict quit because the cravings are stronger than willpower. Skills and the appropriate environment help.

Myth #4:

2009-07-25T07:51:00.001-07:00

Treatment is one size fits all.

The most successful drug and alcohol rehabs tailor their programs to meet the needs of each individual client. Some need more therapy than others. Some have undiagnosed mental disorders such as depression or a learning disability that need to be treated. Different people have different issues and problems and people respond differently to similar forms of treatment, even when they are abusing the same substance. Successful rehabs will offer different forms of treatment to meet the individual needs of each person.

Myth #3:

2009-07-25T07:50:00.002-07:00

The user has to want treatment for it to be effective.

Most users do not want treatment. They know they will no longer have access to the drugs they crave and are addicted to and they do not want to go through the intense detoxification period and the following days without their substance of choice. Most people seek treatment because the court ordered them to or because family or loved ones urged them to seek treatment. Studies have shown that the reasons why someone seeks treatment has little influence on success rates

Myth #2:

2009-07-25T07:50:00.001-07:00

Addicts are bad people, stupid, crazy or immoral.

Addiction is a disease that affects the brain and body. Different drugs have different mechanisms for changing how the brain works and functions. But the result on the brain is very similar, no matter which drug the person is using. The molecules and cells change, the user’s mood changes, memory changes and motor skills change. All of the changes combine to create the physical and mental need for the substance, which becomes the most powerful motivator in that person’s life. Thankfully, much of the damage to the brain can be restored after long term sobriety. Addiction does not make the addict a bad person, stupid, crazy or immoral. It’s not a character flaw—it’s a disease.

Myth #1

2009-07-25T07:49:00.000-07:00

Most people start using drugs and alcohol occasionally, which is a voluntary decision. However, the more they choose to use, the more they become addicted. As the addiction grows they end up becoming a compulsive user, dependent and addicted. This happens because drugs and alcohol actually change the brain and these changes affect all aspects of the person’s life. The addiction grows and the person becomes more and more dependent, physically and emotionally, and the drug use gets out of control.

7 Myths about Addiction and Rehab

2009-07-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

The public has a lot of ideas about drug and alcohol addiction and many of those beliefs are actually incorrect. These myths most likely stems from a lack of experience and understanding. Gatehouse Academy aims to dispel these myths and to provide the public with facts about addiction and recovery

Is Your Child a Drug Addict?

2009-07-25T07:45:00.001-07:00

he thought that one's child may be abusing drugs is not something most parents wish to contemplate. However, it’s an unfortunate fact that around twenty eight million Americans have at least one alcoholic or drug-addicted parent, and that by inference, their children are at least 34% more likely to suffer from an addiction than children who don't. If both parents suffer, that figure increases to 400%, an astonishing but true statistic.
If drugs aren’t part of your life, don’t think for a moment that your child is immune from their influence. Drugs can enter a child’s life through many routes and at any age, from simple experimentation or peer pressure, to being unable to cope with feelings of stress or depression. It is not always until children are in their teens that they might experiment with mind or mood altering substances.

overcome these addictions

2009-06-24T03:42:00.000-07:00

Many people reach a point where they need outside assistance to overcome these addictions. The only problem is not everyone has access to someone who can help nor do they want anyone to know they have this problem

Masturbation Addiction

2009-06-24T03:41:00.000-07:00

Some people struggle with a masturbation addiction as well as porn addiction. Masturbating and reaching climax only strengthens your addiction to porn more. If you only struggle with only masturbation addiction then you still have a chemical dependency on the brains neurochemicals. You brain does not see the difference between healthy sex with your spouse and releasing the chemicals yourself. So you become addicted to the easiest way to release the chemicals which is alone and doing the act far too often in some cases

Porn Addiction

2009-06-24T03:40:00.000-07:00

Porn addiction is one of the most difficult addictions to overcome. Millions of people around the world struggle with overcoming this powerful vice once they acknowledge they have a problem. Its been compared to cocaine addiction because of similar neurochemical activity in the brain.

Effects of mobile addiction

2009-06-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

can become totally upset when deprived from their mobile phones for some time, regardless of the reason". "Switching off their phones causes them anxiety, irritability, sleep disorders or sleeplessness, and even shivering and digestive problems.

Finding out whether your child is a mobile-addict is far from easy. "Someone can spend eight hours a day at their computer, or permanently hooked to their phones, and not being an addict. In the case of young people, many parents see this use as something normal, but they should control misuse.

mobile phones can be even positive for teenagers, "since it enables them to keep their friends near and feel backed by their peers", but misusing this device "can have irreversible effects on the development of teenagers' personality".
In fact, addiction to mobile phones should be included into a greater group – that of addiction to new technologies. "This is the result of the dramatic change in values taking place in our times. Likewise the hippy movement, a new generation of teenagers is arising and they have grown up surrounded by mobile phones and the Internet.

many parents who buy a mobile phone to their children and force them to have it constantly connected so as to always know where they are

Mobile Addiction

2009-06-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

young adults admit using their mobile phones during more than four hours a day. Most of them state that they spend "several hours a day", using their phones, be it talking, sending text messages or giving the so-called missed or drop calls. Many of these people take a real offence at not getting a missed call or a message answered, which makes them feel "deeply upset and sad".

this addiction is the result of social changes occurred in the last decade. The main difference between this kind of addiction and alcoholism or drug-addiction is that mobile phones do not apparently cause physical effects, but psychological ones. "Mobile-addicts can be seriously affected at the psychological level but, as they don't show any physical symptoms, their disorder goes unnoticed to others.
Mobile-addicts tend to neglect obligations of important activities (e.g. job or studies), drift apart from friends and close family, deny the problem and think about the mobile phone constantly when they do not have it with them. "Most mobile-addicts are people with low self-esteem and problems to develop social relations, who feel the urge to be constantly connected and in contact with others.

Mental and emotional signs

2009-06-13T13:35:00.000-07:00

§Cycles of being unusually talkative, “up” and cheerful, with seemingly boundless energy
►Increased irritability, agitation and anger
►Unusual calmness, unresponsiveness or looking “spaced out

Physical signs of DRUG Addiction

2009-06-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

►Drug abuse affects the brain and body directly. While high, the drug affects the entire body, from blood pressure to heart rate. Stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine “amp up” the body, increasing blood pressure, metabolism and reducing the ability to sleep.

►Drugs like opiates and barbiturates slow down the body, reducing blood pressure, breathing and alertness sometimes to dangerous levels

►Sudden weight loss or weight gain
►Cycles of excessive sleep
►For smoked drugs, a persistent cough or bronchitis, leading to coughing up excessive mucus or blood.
►Progressive severe dental problems (especially with methamphetamine

Causes of Drug Addiction

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►What makes one person abuse drugs to the point of losing their home, their family and their job, while another does not? There is no one simple reason.
►Drug abuse and addiction is due to many factors. A powerful force in addiction is the inability to self- soothe or get relief from untreated mental or physical pain. Without the self-resilience and support to handle stress, loneliness or depression, drugs can be a tempting way to deal with the situation.

DRUG ADDICTION

2009-06-09T15:36:00.000-07:00

►Different drugs have different effects. Some, such as cocaine or methamphetamine, may produce an intense “rush” and initial feelings of boundless energy.
►Others, such as heroin, benzodiazepines or the prescription oxycontin, may produce excessive feelings of relaxation and calm. What most drugs have in common .

drugtion

2009-06-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

DRUG ADDICTION

►Drug abuse, also known as substance abuse, involves the repeated and excessive use of chemical substances to achieve a certain effect. These substances may be “street” or “illicit” drugs, illegal due to their high potential for addiction and abuse.
► They also may be drugs obtained with a prescription, used for pleasure rather than for medical reasons.