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Question by Sarah: How does Crack Cocaine use affect Diabetes, specifically?
Hi – I’m a Type 1 – insulin dependant – diabetic (have had it for 23 years, since I was 5 yrs old), and I am / have been in drug treatment / “rehabilitation” for crack cocaine and heroin addiction for the past 10 years. Every 3 months, when it is mandatory to see an actual Doctor, rather than just a key-worker, for a so-called “medical review”, when I tell the ‘Doctor-Of-The-Day’, (dubbed so because my treatment centre is SOOO good and consistent that I get to see a new and totally unfamiliar Doctor each and every time!), that I am diabetic, I am ALWAYS, without fail, met with the cliche, car-mechanic style sharp intake of breath, followed by, “Oooo! Well then you REALLY need to be careful of what you’re doing then, in that case!”…. But NEVER an explanation as to WHY, EXACTLY, I, especially, i.e., more than other, NON-diabetic clients need to be SO careful! I have asked, more than once, why diabetics in particular need to be so much more especially careful when using drugs, as a result of the condition, but the Doctors (don’t know why I insist on using a capital D for Doctor, like they’re all God-like or something?!?! but that’s besides the point here isn’t it?, SO…), The ALL the doctors I’ve so far put this question to just fob me off with, “Well, you’re key-worker can/will answer that for you if you ask them another time; I’m simply here to review your prescription and unfortunately don’t have the time to discuss other, non-drug-related matters, at this time.” I.e., I don’t really know, so I’ll use my apparent/imagined importance to avoid the question altogether.”!!!!!!! I think it’s obviously needless for me to say here that my key-workers are just as baffled / ignorant on the subject as I and all the so-called ‘professional’ doctors are, so I still don’t have an answer! I understand diabetes, and I studied Biomedical Science at degree level for one year, so I’m not STUPID and I DO understand how the human body works better than most, so I tried to find the answer for myself using information that is available online – However – Trying to find info’ that explains or describes how crack and/or heroin use / addiction affects a diabetic user, specifically, with regard to their diabetes only, I’ve found is near enough impossible! Everywhere you go, for info’ on “effects of crack cocaine and heroin on diabetes/diabetics” supplies only generic info’ on the drugs’ common (side) effects with NOTHING specific pertaining to how exactly diabetes does, or potentially could, affect or complicate the drugs’/body’s usual interaction / metabolism of the drugs in question. Can someone with REAL knowledge on this subject please tell me why a diabetic addict/user is so much more at risk than a non-diabetic addict/user?!?! I would really appreciate REAL, solid, scientific info’ on this subject rather than simple conjecture, theory and suggestion/personal opinion! Many thanks, Sairra x X x

Best answer:

Answer by Mr. Peachy®
You’ll never catch me capitalizing doctor unless it’s a salutation like “Dr.”, for example. There are a few doctors worthy of respect, but I suspect they won’t be found in a treatment center. At any rate, I have learned (the hard way) that drugs… all drugs, tend to interfere with the metabolism in one way or another. Many of them can either increase insulin resistance or cause excess release of cortisol which causes the liver to release stored glycogen as glucose into the blood. As a type one, the last thing you want is insulin resistance (my particular situation as a type two). It would, in effect, make you “double diabetic” meaning you would have to increase your insulin dose for the same amount of carb intake. Trust me, you don’t want to go there. As to specifically which drugs cause what, I don’t really know as I have investigated myself (a former meth and alcohol user) and found very little specific information on the subject. What I can tell you is this. Since getting off of all drugs (that includes the diabetes drug, Metformin), and learning a lot on nutrition, my life has improved significantly. I would never consider going back. Sorry I couldn’t have been more help, but there just isn’t a lot of stuff available out there. Perhaps this might be an opportunity for you to continue your Biomedical Science education and become an educator on the subject. The more I learn about what drugs do to me, the less I want them in my body. And that includes legal, and especially prescription, drugs

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Amanda Bynes checks out of Malibu rehab facility
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Question by Evan: I NEED TO KNOW THE MONEY SPENT ON ALCOHOL REHABS YEARLY. RECENT AND RELIABLE PLZ.?
RECENT AND RELIABLE PLZ.

Best answer:

Answer by raysny
The most recent I could find for the US has the figures for 1997:

“A study shows that the U.S. spent a combined $ 11.9 billion on alcohol and drug abuse treatment, while the total social costs were more than $ 294 billion. The results were part of the National Estimates of Expenditures for Substance Abuse Treatment, 1997, which was released at the end of April by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

The report, prepared by the MEDSTAT Group for SAMHSA, examines how much is spent in the U.S. to treat alcohol and drug abuse, how that spending has changed between 1987 and 1997, how much of the spending is done by the private and public sectors, and how substance abuse expenditures compare to spending for mental health and other health conditions in the U.S.”
http://www.usmedicine.com/newsDetails.cfm?dailyID=54

In NY:
“States report spending $ 2.5 billion a year on treatment. States did not distinguish whether the treatment was for alcohol, illicit drug abuse or nicotine addiction. Of the $ 2.5 billion total, $ 695 million is spent through the departments of health and $ 633 million through the state substance abuse agencies. We believe that virtually all of these funds are spent on alcohol and illegal drug treatment.”
Source: National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, Shoveling Up: The Impact of Substance Abuse on State Budgets (New York, NY: CASA, Jan. 2001), p. 24.

States Waste Billions Dealing with Consequences of Addiction, CASA Study Says
May 28, 2009

The vast majority of the estimated $ 467.7 billion in substance-abuse related spending by governments on substance-abuse problems went to deal with the consequences of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, not treatment and prevention, according to a new report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

The report, titled, “Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State and Local Budgets,” found that 95 percent of the $ 373.9 billion spent by the federal government and states went to paying for the societal and personal damage caused by alcohol and other drug use; the calculation included crime, health care costs, child abuse, domestic violence, homelessness and other consequences of tobacco, alcohol and illegal and prescription drug abuse and addiction.

Just 1.9 percent went to treatment and prevention, while 0.4 percent was spent on research, 1.4 percent went towards taxation and regulation, and 0.7 percent went to interdiction.

“Such upside-down-cake public policy is unconscionable,” said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA’s founder and chairman. “It’s past time for this fiscal and human waste to end.”

CASA estimated that the federal government spent $ 238.2 billion on substance-abuse related issues in 2005, while states spent $ 135.8 billion and local governments spent $ 93.8 billion. The report said that 58 percent of spending was for health care and 13.1 percent on justice systems.

Researchers estimated that 11.2 percent of all federal and state government spending went towards alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse and addictions and its consequences. The report said that Connecticut spent the most proportionately on prevention, treatment and research — $ 10.39 of every $ 100 spent on addiction issues — while New Hampshire spent the least — 22 cents.
http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2009/states-waste-billions-dealing.html

Key Findings

Of the $ 3.3 trillion total federal and state government spending, $ 373.9 billion –11.2 percent, more than one of every ten dollars– was spent on tobacco, alcohol and illegal and prescription drug abuse and addiction and its consequences.

The federal government spent $ 238.2 billion (9.6 percent of its budget) on substance abuse and addiction. If substance abuse and addiction were its own budget category at the federal level, it would rank sixth, behind social security, national defense, income security, Medicare and other health programs including the federal share of Medicaid.

State governments spent $ 135.8 billion (15.7 percent of their budgets) to deal with substance abuse and addiction, up from 13.3 percent in 1998. If substance abuse and addiction were its own state budget category, it would rank second behind spending on elementary and secondary education.

Local governments spent $ 93.8 billion on substance abuse and addiction (9 percent of their budgets), outstripping local spending for transportation and public welfare.¹

For every $ 100 spent by state governments on substance abuse and addiction, the average spent on prevention, treatment and research was $ 2.38; Connecticut spent the most, $ 10.39; New Hampshire spent the least, $ 0.22.

For every dollar the federal and state governments spent on prevention and treatment, they spent $ 59.83 shoveling up the consequences, despite a growing

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Question by Sandy Bagelstein: Are there any certificates I can get along with my psychology degree?
I know you can get a suicide hotline “crisis prevention” certificate, but what else can you get!?
And you’re the top contributor?

Best answer:

Answer by Yaku
you can get a bs diploma, 4 years

Add your own answer in the comments!

Pitman to host drug abuse forum
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