DC pledges 1m/- for drug recovery centre
Kinondoni District Commissioner Jordan Rugimbana has pledged to contribute 1ml/- to support the newly introduced treatment and rehabilitation centre for drug addicts at Kikale village in Rufiji district, Coast region. Rugimbana made the pledge …
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Anti-depressants could help stroke patients recover more quickly by …
Anti-depressants could help recovery after a stroke – even in patients who are not depressed, research suggests. The drugs could reduce dependence, physical disability, depression and anxiety in the first year after a stroke, according to the study …
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Question by Frenzy: How often must one get drunk before you would consider them an alcoholic? ?
With what frequency must drinking to get drunk, not having a glass of wine over dinner for instance, occur before you would consider a person an alcoholic?

I don’t buy into this AA mythology that alcoholism is a disease, by the way. It’s an expression of a specific behavior – excessive consumption of alcohol to get become inebriated. So, if you happen to be a member of that cult, you don’t have to answer this question.

Best answer:

Answer by LIKELY STORY
Well, the doctors say, I think it is one or two drinks a day is OK, maybe three stretching it, so take it from there, then you are damaging your body

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Rehab Center Starts Treating Smartphone Addicts
Nomophobia: the fear of being without technology. No, this isn’t our attempt at an Onion-style satirical news piece. According to some mental health professionals, nomophobia — “no-mobile-phone-phobia” — is an actual disorder affecting millions of …
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Octomom Nadya Suleman skips treatment center for drug addiction to star in …
Nadya ‘Octomom’ Suleman clearly isn’t taking her 28-day stint rehab too seriously as it turns out the mother-of-14 has been shooting a spoof music video in Tennessee. Suleman checked into a treatment centre for anti-anxiety drug Xanax addiction, stress …
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Celebrity Rehab: 5 Stars Who Sought Treatment For Addiction Post-Split
… the doctor ordered — in moderation. But for addicts — current or recovering — the stress of the split can trigger a dangerous relapse into past bad behaviors. Click through the slides below to see five celebrities who took the big step to get …
Read more on Huffington Post

Austin Texas Drug Rehab Identifies Increase in Young Adult Addiction
Burning Tree maintains two treatment centers in Texas, near Austin and Dallas, providing long-term residential treatment for substance abuse patients from the contiguous U.S. The centers provide a dual diagnosis to determine potential co-occurring …
Read more on San Francisco Chronicle

Recovered alcoholic helped other in Dallas diocese
Because of his work, more than 30 parishes started their own addiction ministry programs, and thousands of people have found strength in sobriety. And through his example, Paschke has given other recovering alcoholics hope that it’s possible to find …
Read more on Seattle Post Intelligencer

RECOVERY, ONE STEP AT A TIME
For me, making the decision to enter a 12-step recovery program was not easy. Taking a good, long, hard, solid look at who I had … Spirits are torn from their bearings and battered on addiction’s rocky ground. Movement, intention and a grateful heart …
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Clients say halfway house neglected, exploited them
“Come join us in recovery!” ¶ So urged the Web ads for Peachford House, a halfway house program in Clearwater that promised to help people addicted to drugs and alcohol. ¶ Peachford would put them up in nice apartments, find them work and support …
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Substance abuse is an ongoing and serious problem for millions of people in this country. When someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol, they are not the only person living with the addiction. Friends, coworkers, and entire families suffer right along with the addict. Almost one in ten people either has or has had a substance abuse problem. People get addicted for many reasons, and some people can do drugs occasionally without becoming addicted. For those that do develop a substance abuse problem, it can be next to impossible to quit without some help.

Most addicts know that what they are doing is harming them, but they either don’t know how, or don’t want to quit using drugs. Addicts are good at denying things, and it can be hard to get a person with a substance abuse problem to face the fact that they are out of control. Sometimes an intervention can work, but that’s not always the case. The addict has to have the desire to quit for the treatment to be successful.

As we said, there are a multitude of reasons that people develop substance abuse issues. Some are doing it to block out the memories of a bad relationship or a painful childhood. Some do it to relax or escape from the routine of daily life. The ironic thing is that substance abuse creates more problems than the person ever had to begin with.

Some develop substance abuse problems purely by accident. They are prescribed medication by a doctor, and they either take more than they are supposed to or they continue to take the medicine after their doctor tells them it’s OK to stop. Drugs like Xanax and Valium are especially addictive because they give an almost instant euphoric feeling. There are almost as many people with prescription substance abuse issues as there are people abusing street drugs. Many teenagers turn to using prescription medicines to get high because they are often easily obtained. Below is a chart that lists the numbers of Americans who have substance abuse problems, and the drugs they take:

People, especially teens, are susceptible to peer pressure and they often begin taking drugs to fit in, or to feel more at ease in social situations. Others are trying to escape the stress of daily life. But, as always, the person ends up with more problems than they started with, and a serious substance abuse issue. Most get caught up in the cycle of use, depression, and guilt. The cycle cannot be broken until the person seeks medical help.

When a person or their family decides to get help for a substance abuse problem, there are programs available in all fifty states that specialize in detoxifying the body, managing painful withdrawal symptoms, and training the person to live a healthy, normal, and drug-free life. There is life after drug addiction, and a substance abuse problem can be fought and won. Don’t be afraid to seek help!

Drug Enforcement Agnecy (DEA) – http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/index.htm
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) – http://www.samhsa.gov/
National Institue of Health (NIH) – http://www.nih.gov/

Opiate abuse and addiction are becoming more and more of a problem across the country. Drugs like codeine and morephine are being abused by people of all ages and from all walks of life. In 2006, the last year for which data is available, over seventeen million people over 60 abused an opiate. Opiate addiction is very difficult to treat, and the drugs you can get out of a medicine cabinet are every bit as dangerous as those that can be bought on a street corner.

Since 1997, admissions to drug rehab centers for opiate addiction have risen from about 16,000 to over 90,000 per year. At one time, heroin was the only opiate that was a problem- now when a reason is given for an admission to a drug treatment center, there is a special category for “opiates other than heroin”.

Many people that become addicted to opiates started taking them for a legitimate reason. But, there are others who use drugs like Xanax, Oxycontin, and Percocet simply for the “rush” that they give. The pills can be crushed and snorted like cocaine, or injected like heroin. With an opiate addiction, the brain’s workings are changed forever, and the body needs more and more of the drug to get the same effect.

Anyone can become addicted to opiates, at any time. However, those who abuse other prescription or street drugs are at particular risk, and the young and the elderly are at risk too. People who are under a lot of pressure, like someone who has a very fast-paced job, often take opiates to “mellow out” and they become addicted.

Here are some signs of opiate abuse to be on the lookout for:

Drowsiness and lethargy

Impaired vision, constricted pupils

Shallow or rapid breathing

Tremors, vomiting and nausea, chills, other withdrawal symptoms

If you think that a friend or family member may be addicted to opiates you should also look for red or raw nostrils from possibly snorting the drugs, or needle marks if they are injecting. An opiate addiction is difficult to treat, and the sooner it can be brought under control the easier it is to beat. Continued opiate abuse can lead to serious respiratory and cardiac impairment, which can be fatal.

As we said, opiate addiction is difficult, but not impossible to treat. First, the painful and debilitating withdrawal symptoms must be treated, often with medicines like naltrexone, buprenorphine, and methadone. Of those three medications, methadone is falling out of favor because it is addictive in and of itself. Not every drug treatment center specializes in the treatment of opiate addiction, so choose carefully. Also, counseling and behavior modification therapy must be used to reduce the possibility of relapse.

A person dealing with an opiate addiction should never try to quit on their own. There are over 13,000 drug treatment centers in the US, and there is probably one near you. If you think you have a problem with opiates, your first stop should be your doctor’s office- they will evaluate you and recommend a treatment program.

Drug Enforcement Agnecy (DEA) – http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/index.htm
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) – http://www.samhsa.gov/
National Institue of Health (NIH) – http://www.nih.gov/