Studying

Posted on September 29th, 2008 by Victor

Studying is a very simple concept right!?!  Yes it is, but it also takes some dedication and a heck of a lot of keeping focused and keeping on track.  It is so important that we study, in order to get the results that we want.  And if we don’t want better results than we don’t study.  In order to get good grades in class, we must apply ourselves, focus on what we are doing, and make sure that we are directly connected to what we are doing.

It is so simple, yet sometimes we will become complacent and that isn’t good for us.  We need to do the very best that we can in whatever we are doing.  One thing that I have noticed here lately is that it takes a lot more than just to show up for a class.  It takes involvement in that class also.  We must participate in what we are doing in order for whatever we are studying to become very effective.  Now this concept isn’t knew to us, yet it is like a God Shot to someone such as myself.

I have been in recovery for quite sometime now.  However even with the time that I have in, I have not participated too much in my recovery, nor have I even studied that much in order to get the results that I would like to have.  I suppose a guy would even say that I have pretty much just rested on my morals, if in fact I even had any to begin with.  So I come up with the conclusion that we need to get back to the basics.  And what are the basics of studying.

First thing is to show up on time.  We can not be late for class because there are consequences for being late, or tardy if you remember.  And if you get too many of them than you can get suspended and than if that happens you are going to be missing out on a lot of things from the class that you will probably end up failing.  So showing up on time is very important.

Now in class we have to also pay attention to the teacher.  That being said, if you are in Recovery, the teacher can be a lot of different things.  I know many will automatically go into the Sponsor, God stuff, etc.  but there are other teachers such as just friends, maybe your partner, books, literature, Forums sites that have a whole lot of Resources and things of the such.  These things are all teachers and if we are paying attention to it than we are off to a wonderful start.

Now usually during class, when the teacher is teaching, most of us have used what we know as taking notes.  Now as far as the notes are concerned, that is pretty much the same as journalism.  Now if you go to most websites that are used for recovery they or most of them have journal forums in them so you are able post and most of the Internet world are not able to see them unless they are members of that Forum so that is a good way to express yourself and to be able to take note so to speak.

Than  when all is said and done, once we have commensed this way of life, we than are ready to take the test.  The test in recovery and being able to pass the test is to learn how to live life without the use of using.  To put into action the things that we are taught by all the process above and to score on that test so to speak.  The score depends on how well we follow the directions and how well we have listened throughout sessions.  That my friends is Studying to this addict.

Thanks for allowing me to share.

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Filed under: Acceptance, General Discusions, Recovery, Treatment

Addiction The Disease Concept

Posted on September 14th, 2008 by Victor

Addiction The Disease Concept

The Disease model of addiction is probably the most controversial and debated topic in the entire field of substance abuse/addiction. One would have to be well informed on the subject to even attempt to understand the controversy intelligently. This site will not claim to know for sure one way or the other (disease/not disease) but will present a little of both sides of the on going debate with in the professional circles. First, we must accurately define Disease, since when the word disease is mentioned most think of something like cancer, aids, heart, etc., something which can be isolated in part and extracted from the body and visibly viewed and observed by the eye under a microscope or other apparatus. This is not the case with the “disease of alcoholism/addiction” or at least not at this time. According to Webster’s Dictionary disease is defined as follows:
“Disease: Any departure from health presenting marked symptoms; malady; illness; disorder.” Then we must go on to define concept as well, which according to Webster’s is: “Concept: A notion, thought, or idea.”

This popular model of addiction is credited to E.M. Jellinek who presented a comprehensive disease model of alcoholism in 1960(13). The World Health Organization acknowledged alcoholism as a serious medical problem in 1951, and the American Medical Association declared alcoholism as a treatable illness in 1956. Following Jellinek’s work, the American Psychiatric Association began to use the term disease to describe alcoholism in 1965, and the American Medical Association followed in 1966 (14). As with many concepts and theoretical models in the addiction field, the disease concept was originally applied to alcoholism and has been generalized to addiction to other drugs as well. The “disease of addiction” is viewed as a primary disease. That is, it exists in and of itself and is not secondary to some other condition. This is in contrast to the psychological model of Dual Diagnosis (discussed in the next section), which addictive behavior is seen as secondary to some psychological condition.

Arguments Against the Validity of the Disease Concept

As earlier stated, the disease concept is controversial and not without critics. Two well-known critics are Stanton Peele (16) and Herbert Fingarette (15), both of whom have written books, as well as articles disputing the disease concept of addiction.

Since the disease concept is attributed to Jellinek, a lot of criticism has been directed at his research, which was the basis for his conclusions about the disease concept. Jellinek’s data were gathered from questionnaires that were distributed to AA members through its newsletter, “The Grapevine”. Of 158 questionnaires returned, 60 were discarded because members had pooled and averaged their responses, and no questionnaires from women were used. Jellinek himself acknowledged that his data was limited. Therefore, one might wonder why Jellinek’s concept of the disease of alcoholism received such widespread acceptance.
One reason is that the disease concept is consistent with the philosophy of AA, which is by far the largest organized group dedicated to help for alcoholics.
Secondly, as Peele noted: “The disease model has been so profitable and politically successful that it has spread to include problems of eating, child abuse, gambling, shopping, premenstrual tension, compulsive love affairs, and almost every other form of self-destructive behavior… From this perspective, nearly every American can be said to have a disease of addiction.” (16)
Herbert Fingarette goes on to state that the alcohol industry itself contributes to forming a public perception of alcoholism as a disease, as a marketing ploy:
“By acknowledging that a small minority of the drinking population is susceptible to the disease of alcoholism, the industry can implicitly assure consumers that the vast majority of people who drink are not at risk. This compromise is far preferable to both the old temperance commitment to prohibition, which criminalized the entire liquor industry, and to newer approaches that look beyond the small group diagnosable as alcoholics to focus on the much larger group of heavy drinkers who develop serious physical, emotional, and social problems.” (15)
There are many other criticisms of the disease concept, however we will not go in to them at this time. Instead we will review some of the evidence to support the disease concept.

Arguments Endorsing the Disease Concept

Since the introduction of the disease concept research studies have examined a possible genetic link in alcoholism/addiction. One such study demonstrates that the offspring of alcoholics are approximately three to five times more likely to develop alcoholism than offspring of non-alcoholics (18). However, the genetic influence on other drug addiction has received less research attention. Also, in 1983, there was a popular theory of alcohol addiction expressed by D.L. Ohlms in his book “The Disease Concept of Alcoholism”(17) that proposed that alcoholics produced a highly addictive substance called THIQ during the metabolism of alcohol.

THIQ is normally produced when the body metabolizes heroin and is supposedly not metabolized by non-alcoholics when they drink. According to Ohlms, animal studies have shown that a small amount of THIQ injected into the brains of rats will produce alcoholic rats and that THIQ remains in the brain long after an animal has been injected. Therefore, the theory is that alcoholics are genetically predisposed to produce THIQ in response to alcohol, that the THIQ creates a craving for alcohol, and that the THIQ remains in the brain of the alcoholic long after the use of alcohol is discontinued. This would provide a physiological explanation for the fact that recovering alcoholics who relapse quickly return to their previous use patterns. More recent research on genetic causes of alcoholism has focused on some abnormality in a dopamine receptor gene and deficiencies in the neurotransmitter serotonin or in serotonin receptors (19).

As you can see from the above information there is still room for debate and I assure you that the controversy continues.

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Filed under: Addiction, Disease, Recovery

Conditions In The College Environment Encourage Binge Drinking

Posted on July 15th, 2008 by Victor

Heavy alcohol use, or binge drinking, among college students in the United States is tied to conditions in the college environment. That is one of the key findings from research conducted by researchers with the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (CAS), a landmark study that surveyed more than 50,000 students at 120 colleges from 1993 to 2001. In a new review that examines the findings from the CAS and their implications, the researchers conclude that heavy drinking behavior of students was more common in college environments that have a strong drinking culture, few alcohol control policies on campus or in the surrounding community, weak enforcement of existing policies, and alcohol made easily accessible through low prices, heavy marketing and special promotions. The review appears in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

The review was conducted by CAS Director Henry Wechsler, lecturer on society, human development and health at Harvard School of Public Health and Assistant Director Toben Nelson, assistant professor of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota.

During its 14-year existence, the CAS focused attention on widespread binge drinking at American colleges and the ensuing serious health and social consequences to drinkers, fellow students and neighbors. “Our study drew attention to the heavy drinking of students, most of whom were not considered alcoholics or in need of traditional treatment, but nevertheless experienced problems as a result of their drinking,” said Wechsler. Students who binge drink–defined by the CAS as five or more drinks in a row for males, and four or more drinks for females, on a single occasion in the past two weeks–are more likely to experience a wide range of problems, including academic difficulties, social conflict, risky sexual behavior, risky driving behavior, vandalism, injury and alcohol overdose. Binge drinkers were also more likely to engage in other risk behaviors such as tobacco and illicit drug use. Students who binge drink frequently were most likely to experience these problems.

In addition to the harms drinkers cause for themselves, CAS research drew attention to the problems that drinkers cause for others on and around campus. The “secondhand” effects of alcohol use, similar to the concept of secondhand smoke, helped people understand that student drinking is harmful to the larger campus community. These problems include drinking-related behavior that is disruptive to studying and sleep, vandalism, and physical and sexual assaults.

“The five/four drink binge measure is a good indicator of who will experience alcohol-related problems, and more importantly, captures most students who actually experience problems, something measures with higher drink thresholds fail to do,” said Wechsler. Binge drinkers account for the vast majority of unintentional injuries, vandalism and disorderly behavior on campus due to alcohol, the researchers found.

CAS research focused on the contribution of the college environment to student drinking behavior. “Binge drinking among college students varies widely from college to college,” said Nelson. “At some colleges almost no students binge drink, while at others nearly four in every five students do. Interestingly, we found that the levels of binge drinking, and the problems related to it, remain very stable at the same colleges over time.” This finding occurred despite surveying a new group of students in each of the CAS surveys. “That suggests there is something about certain college environments that promote binge drinking,” added Nelson.

While some students chose to enroll in a college because it has a party reputation, CAS research found that campuses that emphasize intercollegiate athletics and fraternity and sorority life have higher levels of binge drinking. Students who lived off-campus with friends or in other unsupervised settings were also more likely to binge drink.

On the other hand, colleges that restricted use by banning alcohol on campus or offering substance-free housing options had fewer drinkers, and as a result lower binge drinking levels. State and local government can also play a role. Students who attended colleges in states with stronger alcohol control policies were less likely to be binge drinkers.

The ease with which students can access alcohol is another important factor. “A ‘wet’ college environment, one that has many stores where students can buy alcohol, and may be influenced to do so by heavy marketing, low prices and special promotions, creates the conditions for heavy drinking,” said Wechsler. “If colleges can change those conditions, they can reduce binge drinking among their students.”

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
—————————-

“What We Have Learned From the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study: Focusing Attention on College Student Alcohol Consumption and the Environmental Conditions That Promote It,” Henry Wechsler, Toben F. Nelson, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 69(4):481-490, 2008.

The Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study was funded by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Harvard School of Public Health (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/) is dedicated to advancing the public’s health through learning, discovery, and communication. More than 400 faculty members are engaged in teaching and training the 1,000-plus student body in a broad spectrum of disciplines crucial to the health and well being of individuals and populations around the world. Programs and projects range from the molecular biology of AIDS vaccines to the epidemiology of cancer; from risk analysis to violence prevention; from maternal and children’s health to quality of care measurement; from health care management to international health and human rights.

________________________________________________

Source: Todd Datz

Harvard School of Public Health

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Filed under: Addiction, Alcohol, Illegal Drugs, Substance Abuse

Texas town reels from horrific abuse in its midst

Posted on June 23rd, 2008 by Victor

Texas town reels from horrific abuse in its midst

Sunday, June 22, 2008 5:44 PM EDT
The Associated Press
By PAUL J. WEBER Associated Press Writer

MINEOLA, Texas (AP) — In the windowless front rooms of a former day care center in a tiny Texas community, children as young as 5 were fed powerful painkillers they knew as “silly pills” and forced to perform sex shows for a crowd of adults.

Two people have already been convicted in the case. Now a third person with ties to the club, previously known in town only as a swingers group, is set to go on trial Monday not far from Mineola, population 5,100.

“This really shook this town,” said Shirley Chadwick, a longtime resident of Mineola. “This was horrible.”

Patrick Kelly, 41, is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, tampering with physical evidence and engaging in organized criminal activity.

In all, six adults have been charged in connection with the case, including a parent of the three siblings involved.

Jurors this year deliberated less than five minutes before returning guilty verdicts against the first two defendants, who were accused of grooming the kids for sex shows in “kindergarten” classes and passing off Vicodin as “silly pills” to help the children perform.

Jamie Pittman and Shauntel Mayo were sentenced to life in prison. Kelly also faces a life sentence if convicted, and Smith County prosecutors hope for another swift verdict.

Thad Davidson, Kelly’s attorney, said his client passed a lie-detector test proving his innocence and worries about getting a fair trial in Tyler, 25 miles southeast of Mineola, which is in Wood County.

“I think it’s impossible to get a fair trial within 80 miles of Smith County,” Davidson said.

Mineola, about 80 miles east of Dallas, is a close-knit, conservative bean-processing town of with more than 30 churches. Residents there want to put the scandal behind them as quickly as possible.

The one-story building where prosecutors say four children — the three siblings, now ages 12, 10 and 7, and their 10-year-old aunt — were trained to perform in front of an audience of 50 to 100 once a week has been vacant since the landlord ousted the alleged organizers in 2004.

Down a slight hill is a retirement home, and even closer is the office of the local newspaper. Doris Newman, editor of The Mineola Monitor, said rumors of swinger parties spread around town but that no one mentioned children being involved.

Newman, who can see the building from her office window, said she remembers the parking lot filling up with more than a dozen cars at night.

In August 2004, an editorial under the headline “Sex In the City” opined that if the swingers left quietly, “we’ll try and forget they’ve infiltrated our town with their set of moral standards.”

“It’s not that we’re trying to look the other way,” Newman said. “But there’s a lot more to Mineola than that.”

According to a Mineola police report, the department first investigated a complaint in June 2005 in which the siblings’ foster mother said one of the girls described dancing toward men and another child saying that “everybody does nasty stuff in there.”

In the second trial, Child Protective Services caseworker Kristi Hachtel testified, “I’ve seen a lot and I never in my wildest dreams imagined this. They were preyed upon in probably one of the most heinous ways possible.”

The children are now doing better, the welfare agency said.

“Through counseling and therapy sessions, these children are now finally feeling secure and safe,” agency spokeswoman Shari Pulliam wrote in an e-mail.

Permanent custody of the three siblings was given to John and Margie Cantrell. This week, prosecutors in California charged John Cantrell with sexually assaulting a child in the state 18 years ago. Margie Cantrell said her husband is innocent.

Kelly’s attorney moved Friday asking to postpone the trial in light of the allegations against Cantrell, a state witness. Texas Child Protective Services said it would be “common” for the agency to investigate.

The Rev. Tim Letsch is opening a church in the yellow-plastered building where the children were abused. He acknowledges that building a congregation might be difficult because of the stigma attached to the property.

“You got to decide whether you’re willing to forgive those kind of things,” Letsch said. “It’s a hard deal. Especially for a spiritual person to walk in and say, ‘This happened here.’”

See more stories in this category

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Filed under: Addiction, General Discusions, Mental Health, Sex, Teenagers

Desperation

Posted on June 12th, 2008 by Victor

Good Morning. What comes to my mind this morning is the word desperation. Here we are going to share what was the desperation that got me into finally surrendering to my addiction and to make the choice that I did Make on May 24, 2006. What happen to cause me to fall into the category of desperation. First let us look here at the meaning of desperation.

Main Entry:des·per·a·tionPronunciation: \ˌdes-pə-ˈrā-shən\ Function:noun Date:14th century 1 : loss of hope and surrender to despair
2 : a state of hopelessness leading to rashness
The loss of hope and surrender to desperation, a state of hopelessness leading to rashness. That was most definitely there and so was the rashness to take action to do something about the drug issue that I had and to get the help that I needed to get in order to get well once again. But there still was something that was a little different this time compared to the other times that I had cleaned up before. I knew that I could no longer safely use drugs again. That the drugs had quit working and I had lost all of my willpower in order to even think about controlling my drug use.

rashness

Main Entry: 2rash Function:adjective Date:1509
1: marked by or proceeding from undue haste or lack of deliberation or caution <a rash promise>
2obsolete : quickly effective
Desperation came in a form for me that on May 24, 2006., I looked around at where I was with at the time. I wanted out but didn’t know how to get out. I wanted help, but yet didn’t know or so I thought I didn’t know where I could get the help that I so much needed. Not only did I need the help it was right then and there that I wanted something different in life rather to keep getting high and living the life of the lifestyle that goes with it all. So at that particular moment where I should have been higher than another planet in the sky, I knew that it was time for me, ME, to do something different and be willing to take whatever steps I had to take in order to get the help that not only I needed, but I finally wanted. I still believe today that I want to be free from the self-induced prison that the drugs had me trapped in for so many years and years.

The Desperation of it all on that particular evening has made a world of difference in my life today. Although life isn’t easy to live on a daily basis and no one said that it would be easy, it has made a complete 180 degree turn to the life that I was living and the life that I headed for so many years and years. Some people still believe however that you must hit a bottom of complete desperation before you will actually take action to do something different in order to get help. Yes, for me personally, this is my experience. I had to have my back up against the wall with no room to move before I was willing to do anything different. Although this time around my back wasn’t up against the wall that would force me to seek some sort of help. I wasn’t in trouble with the law, I didn’t have a probation card to get signed, The thing that I did have was a willingness to do something different and a feeling within myself that I no longer wanted what I was seeing on that particular evening. Others are able to stop without having to go to the depths of hell with there drug use or whatever it is that is getting them to the point of complete bankruptcies which is good! However I only know that for this addict, I had to go to the extremes that I have always done in order to finally and I do believe finally surrender.

Desperation is to get to the point of being completely hopeless. In May 24, 2006 I was completely hopeless. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would ever be able to recover from the state of mind and body that I was in at that moment. Looking back to that particular time, I can see that I have recovered from that state of mind and body. I am no longer the desperate person that I was back than in those areas of my life. However with that being said, there are other areas in my life, that I still am in desperation and that is why we continue to work on issues that arise daily. Each day we wake up we continue to have situations that we have to deal with during our walk in our journey. So thanks for allowing me to bring the topic up and hope that maybe just one person will be able to relate and that it might just help one person to look for a solution to whatever there problem is.

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Filed under: Acceptance, Desperation, General Discusions, Recovery

Drug and Alcoholism Interventions

Posted on May 28th, 2008 by Victor

Drug and Alcoholism Interventions

Drug and alcoholism intervention is an attempt by family members and friends to help a chemically dependent person get help for his or her addiction. The purpose of an addiction intervention is to help the substance abuser see the physical and mental destruction their addiction creates. Interventions are usually successful and often enable the abuser to move on to successful drug and alcohol treatment programs.1

As with all addictions, drug and alcohol abusers are usually the last to admit there is a problem. Or, the abuser may realize there is a problem but just cannot seem to seek help. Family, friends and careers also suffer and can be destroyed by the abuser’s addiction. Jay notes, one out of 3 people is living with or related to someone with an alcohol or other drug problem. Intervention is the most effective technique families can use to help a loved one suffering from chemical dependency - alcoholism or other drug addiction. It is also the most ignored. But just as CPR is often the first, life saving step in helping a heart attack victim, intervention is the most powerful step that a family can take to initiate the recovery process.2 By taking action, families and friends can get help for their loved one and help for themselves as they cope. According to Addiction Intervention Resources, 92 percent of those intervened on go to treatment and have the opportunity to change their lives.

Treatment centers and 12-step programs offer counseling, psychotherapy, support groups, and family therapy.3 These 12-steps consist of:
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol–that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.3
In addition, medications can also aid in suppressing withdrawals or cravings and in blocking the effects of drugs.

The National Intervention Referral process gives an example of a step-by-step approach to how intervention works. First, contact and intervention facility and speak to a staff member. Second, set up a meeting with an intervention specialist to discuss the history and circumstances of the person in crisis. Third, before the actual intervention occurs, the intervention specialist will meet with the family and friends to discuss each person’s role in the intervention, their boundaries, and the consequences for the substance abuser if he or she does not follow through with the intervention. Fourth, conduct the intervention. Fifth, after the intervention has taken place, the intervention specialist will continue to spend time with the abuser and provide transportation to an arranged-in-advance treatment center. Sixth, once the individual is undergoing treatment, the intervention specialist will continue to keep contact with him or her. The intervention specialist will remain active in the recovery process and act as a liaison between the family and the recovering patient.1 According to National Treatment Referral; the treatment centers with the greatest success rate are those treating the whole person. These treatment centers are offering physical and psychological assistance, education and training.4

In conclusion, a drug and alcoholism intervention can and will save the life of a loved who is addicted to drugs and alcohol. Families and friends must choose to not look the other way but to proactively seek help for themselves and the substance abuser.

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Filed under: Addiction, Alcohol, Recovery, Treatment

MDCT Can Detect Illegal “Dissolved” Drugs

Posted on May 22nd, 2008 by Victor

The smuggling of dissolved drugs, especially cocaine, in bottled liquids can be decreased with the use of multidetector CT (MDCT) according to a recent collaborative study conducted by researchers at the Centre for Forensic Imaging, Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Bern and the Federal Customs Administration (FCA), in Bern, Switzerland.

The study initially consisted of MDCT scans of three wine bottles that contained cocaine solutions that were confiscated at the Swiss Border, said Silke Grabherr, MD, lead author of the study. Once the researchers conducted the scans of the three wine bottles, they did a simulated test using 12 wine bottles with six spiked with cocaine in various concentrations ranging from 10-120 grams. MDCT accurately detected the bottles with the dissolved cocaine because cocaine shows an increase of the X-Ray attenuation, said Dr. Grabherr.

“Fluoroscopy, conventional radiography and sonography have been used to detect hidden drugs, however, these techniques cannot detect dissolved drugs, she said. “MDCT allows us to quickly detect cocaine solutions inside bottles without opening them and even without opening the cargo,” Dr.Grabherr said.

“If a suspicious cargo is scanned with a positive result, it can be tracked without arousing the suspicion of the smuggler. By using the MDCT-screening method, the investigation does not leave any trace, therefore smugglers won’t know if their cargo was examined or not,” she said.

“The fast acquisition of the data also allows screening of a large amount of cargo, for example a whole shipment, without delaying delivery of the cargo. By using the MDCT screening, the possibility that the drug (if it exists), is detected is much higher because every bottle in the cargo is examined,” said Dr. Grabherr.

The study appears in the May issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

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Filed under: General Discusions

The Problem

Posted on May 12th, 2008 by Victor

So what exactly is the Problem? Or does that even need to be addressed? I believe that the problem should be addressed, however there is so many forms of the problem that it would be so hard to pinpoint it all into one area of any particular area of our lives that sometimes we will spend way too much time looking for what the problem is that we miss the solution to the problem. However we need to set up a blueprint if you will allow me to use this phrase for without a solid blueprint of a building you wouldn’t have a solid building now would you? So we need to address the issue of what is the problem. That is a individual opinion and I am sure that there are many that will disagree with me here.

In my Own Experience I have came to believe that until we are sure of what the problem is there is no process to regain control over our addiction or over our addictive thinking which is my own opinion. I believe that we need to get down to the root and the cause of each of the addictions that are ailing us and than once we have opened up that door we will than be able to proceed to the next level of the recovery process.

Since the word addiction as we saw has what is now coincide with our minds and the way in which we react to the issues at hand it means that we have now discovered that we are not only physically, and mentally ill from the use of the substance, but it also processes some sort of bad vibes in the process also and this process never ceases until we do actually face the fact concerning the Problems that entail our everyday lives not just the days that we cleaned up from our main DOC (Drug Of Choice).

We start by recognizing our Problems with each other through our active drug use and being able to relate to the situation that got us there. This is the first part of the recovery phase that I like to call the truth has hit ya in the face but is that enough. Yeah the truth will set you free but only if you are willing to actually accept the truth for the truth. It is not just knowing the truth for knowing the truth and living the truth are two very different things. One may know that they have a sex issue, drug issue, gambling issue, but knowing it isn’t anything unless we are willing to accept this to be the truth and once that is done than we are than able to move into another direction from what some would say is the denial stage of recovery into the active process of the recovery road.

I believe that I finally accepted the truth to the fact that crack, meth had me licked on May 25, 2006 and yet I had know the truth for many years before that. But until I could accept the fact that these substances was making a huge mess up in my life nothing seemed to happen very effectively in my recovery road. Although I had sometime being clean the the process wasn’t the same than as it is now. I actually believe that it was easier to stay off of the stuff while I was actually only acknowledging my problem rather than accepting that it was my problem. You see there that is what I am saying that while it was actually only acknowledge the fact rather than accepting that it was the fact of my problems and the word was is also a key thing here because it isn’t in fact a part of myself that is hurting my sound mind although it still does from the damage that I have caused to the brain cells all of these years.

The fact remains that those two substances I had to get out of my life, also with any other drug/alcohol to start the journey into the recovery field. Today I am still haunted by the addiction to Nicotine that sounds harmless but my story is still being told and this part of my addiction is still causing me insane and unsound mind decisions, although it would be a lot worse which we all would have to agree if I were still using those other substances PERIOD. So Now I have set up the problem as I had to search for within myself. Maybe you have the same problems or not, maybe it is Nicotine, Sex, Pot, Speed, Crack, Meth, Porno, whatever is causing this obsessive/compulsive behavior that is making the wrong choices than we identify that and move on to the next step in our recovery path toward freedom from our addiction to whatever addiction it is for you. As many of forms of addiction there are at least that many forms for recovery, I use multiple ways to recover and it works for me. Today

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Filed under: Addiction, Alcoholism, Treatment

A Comparison of Addiction to Cocaine and Methamphetamine

Posted on May 10th, 2008 by Victor

A Comparison of Addiction to Cocaine and Methamphetamine

Cocaine and methamphetamine are two drugs that are often linked together because they produce similar effects and because they belong to the same class of drugs called psychostimulants. In addition, they both have the potential for causing dependence and abuse which further strengthens the bond associate between them. Though there are many similarities, a fair number of differences do also exist, which will be discussed here.

Where Do They Come From?

Methamphetamine is man made, while cocaine is derived from the coca plant.

Is There A Difference in the Way They Are Used?

Both can be smoked, injected intravenously or snorted. The difference being that methamphetamine can be taken in pill form. In addition, cocaine can be used medically as an anesthetic and as an appetite stimulant while methamphetamine has no proven medical use.

Where and By Whom Are the Drugs Used?

Out of the two drugs, Methamphetamine has a much more defined area of use as well as stereotype of user. Statistics show that use of methamphetamine is highest in western areas of California, Honolulu, Hawaii, and western areas of the continental United States. Urban areas of California, Oregon, Arizona, Colorado and Washington, show increased use of methamphetamines. In recent years however, use of methamphetamine has increased in rural and urban areas of the South and Midwest.

Cocaine use varies so there is no geographic pattern that clearly delineates where the drugs are used. Cocaine use however, is usually significantly higher in large cities and metropolitan areas as opposed to non-metropolitan areas.

A possible reason for the difference between cocaine and methamphetamine addiction by area is that in rural areas, cocaine is not as easily accessible. Methamphetamine however, can be made in a garage or basement with household products, making it quite easy for individuals to make their own high.

Do They Produce The Same Effects?

* Perhaps the reason why cocaine and methamphetamines are confused is because both produce a very well received rush almost immediately. This is followed by feelings of extreme happiness or euphoria which is referred to as a rush.

* Methamphetamine’s high can last from eight to twenty four hours and fifty percent of the drug is removed from the body in twelve hours. Cocaine’s high on the other hand, lasts from twenty to thirty minutes and fifty percent of the drug is removed from the body in one hour.

* Both cocaine and methamphetamine, when injected intravenously or smoked, can cause an almost immediate rush which is followed by a high.

* When ingested nasally, which is referred to as snorting, neither methamphetamine nor cocaine cause a rush or a high. A similar effect is produced when methamphetamine is ingested orally.

Are the Physiological Effects Similar?

* Both methamphetamine and cocaine can cause immediate effects of irritability, anxiety, increased heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and possible death. Methamphetamine’s and cocaine’s short-term effects also can include increased activity, respiration, and wakefulness, and decreased appetite.

* Chronic use of cocaine or methamphetamine can cause dependence and possibly stroke.

* In either case, cocaine or methamphetamine can lead to psychotic behavior. These behaviors are characterized by hallucinations, paranoia, violence, and mood disturbance.

* Some data suggests that violence is more common among methamphetamine users than among cocaine users. Drug craving, paranoia, and depression can occur in addicted individuals who try to stop using either methamphetamine or cocaine.
Is there a difference in neurotoxicity?

* Neurotoxicity refers to the toxic damage these drugs can incur on the brain, specifically on neuron transmission. Neurons are responsible for the processing and transferring of information. Methamphetamine can be neurotoxic in animal species ranging from mice to monkeys. Methamphetamine specifically damages neurons that produce serotonin and dopamine. Since the usual doses taken by humans are comparable to the doses causing neurotoxicity in animals, it is reasonable to believe that this also causes the same effect in humans.

* On the other hand, cocaine does not cause neurotoxic damage to dopamine and serotonin neurons.

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Filed under: Acceptance, Cocaine Addiction, Meth Addiction

Having A Drink During Pregnancy Is Common For French Women

Posted on May 5th, 2008 by Victor

More than half of women in France continue to drink alcohol during their pregnancies, according to a new French study. However, the researchers also found that most of these women are uninformed about the risks to their babies’ health.

“Our results surprised us because we didn’t think that the women were so massively going to answer that they were so ignorant of the dangers of alcohol during pregnancy,” said Ingrid de Chazeron of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, who led the study.

The study, published in the May issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, compiled data from 837 pregnant women at public and private obstetric centers who participated in the study between July 2003 and June 2004.

The women responded to a survey that asked about their drinking patterns during pregnancy, and 52.2 percent said they had used alcohol having at least one drink during the time. The researchers noted this was a “huge difference” from the United States, where only 12 percent of pregnant women report any alcohol use. Moreover, 13.7 percent of the participants said they had at least one binge-drinking episode where they had five or more drinks on one occasion.

de Chazeron and her colleagues said that drinking wine and beer is part of the “regular eating habits” in France and there is a lot of controversy over the safety of occasional drinking during pregnancy.

“At the time of our study, I don’t think that women had been aware of the risks to their baby’s health about drinking,” de Chazeron said. “First, there was not enough campaigning about the dangers of alcohol during pregnancy … and [women] do not believe that small consumptions, even regularly, can influence the future of their child.”

Past evidence has proven that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), one of the main causes of mental retardation and birth defects. In the new study, two women gave birth to babies with FAS.

The question of how much alcohol is safe to consume during pregnancy is not as controversial in the United States, where the advice from ob/gyns is mostly consistent.

“The common advice given by ob/gyns is that abstinence is the safest way to eliminate the possibility of your child having FAS,” said Chemen Tate, M.D., chief resident of obstetrics and gynecology at Indiana University School of Medicine. “When pressed [by patients], with ‘c’mon, one drink won’t hurt,’ most ob/gyns would admit that one drink in nine months would not likely result in full-blown FAS, but we do not know the amount of alcohol it takes to cause any one of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. The potential outcome is definitely not worth the gamble.”

de Chazeron I, et al. Is pregnancy the time to change alcohol consumption habits in France? Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 32(5), 2008.

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Filed under: Addiction, Alcoholism

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