Category: Education

Teenage Drug Use: No sign of Abatement

Articles, Education, International

Teenage Drug Use No sign of AbatementAccording to statistics, the US leads the world in illegal drug use, but the problem is pervasive throughout the globe. In the Punjab region of India, for example, drug use has ramped up among young people in the last decade, and the number of students graduating from post-secondary schools has diminished. A report published in 2011 showed that teenage drug use is endemic, with 1 ½  to 2 million young people caught in the cycle of addiction. Iran is experiencing an expansion of heroin use, with over 7o% of its addicts (estimated at between 2 million and 5 million) aged 18 to 25. In Russia, heroin kills 80 people every day, and most of its 2 ½ million addicts are between the ages of 18 and 39. Cheap heroin from neighboring Afghanistan has flooded the country since the early 90s.

Treatment is available in various forms throughout the world. Alcoholics Anonymous was established in Russia in the late 80’s, but it’s effect on drug use there is questionable, and treatment for drug addiction is hard to find. The Akal Academy of India represents an attempt to deal with the problem there and has shown success.

In the US, teenage drug use has shifted its trajectory. What once started with alcohol and marijuana experimentation and then might have taken years to progress into addiction now accelerates quickly to dependency via the abuse of pain medications. The era of cocaine as a party drug to augment drinking is over, and the use of pills such as Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, and Dilaudid is now prevalent among teens. Also popular is abuse of tranquilizers like Xanax. The arc to dependency is rapid, and the move to snorting or smoking heroin, which is less expensive, is a logical next step in the progression.

Worldwide, the problems attendant to teenage drug use are similarly tragic: overdoses, neglected health, HIV and hepatitis, criminal activity, incarceration, interrupted education, loss of productivity, and alienation from loved ones are consequences that know no boundaries.

Counterfeit Drugs a Danger in Scotland

Alternative Treatment, Education, United Kingdom

Counterfeit Drugs a Danger in ScotlandThe world of drugs—from an enforcement point of view as well as from a consumer’s—is complicated enough without the added wrinkle of fake drugs. Heroin and cocaine have always been adulterated; the profit motive that facilitates distribution guarantees that these drugs—in powder form—will be “stepped on” at every level between manufacture and consumption.

Fake ecstasy is now intruding on the Scots club scene, keeping authorities on their toes as they strive to keep up with the branding schemes that dealers come up with to persuade users that “this time it will be different” and that they will get the real deal. Ecstasy, rebranded (in the US) as Mollie after users finally soured on the possibility of acquiring a legitimate version of the product, is—or should  be—MDMA, a member of the amphetamine class of stimulants. In its pure version, it produces euphoria and a sense of intimacy with others (especially if they too are under its influence). It has been popular as a dance-club drug for several decades.

The fake ecstasy coming into Scotland is mainly manufactured in China, where criminal gangs have chemists in labs of varying levels of sophistication manufacture drugs—many of them legal—that they then blend in order to mimic the MDMA effect. One especially dangerous substitute is PMA, another drug in the amphetamine class.

There is some clinical indication that repeated use of even pure MDMA leads to increased rates of depression and anxiety. Chronic users may perform poorly in cognitive or memory tests. For chronic users, withdrawal symptoms include fatigue, concentration problems, and loss of appetite, as well as cravings for the drug.

There are no pharmaceutical treatments for ecstasy abuse, but treatment is available. As with any drug, the user has to come to a point, whether by self-realization or by intervention, at which he or she realizes that they can’t continue, can’t moderate, and can’t stop on their own. With this as a starting point, modern treatment methods can be successful.

Celebrity Recovery Coach David Charkham Visits DARA

Alternative Treatment, Articles, Education

David Charkham at DARA Rehab_1We were recently visited by David Charkham, as very well know therapist and recovery coach based in the UK.

He has been in practice since 1989 in both private and public health services. His Recovery Skills workshops, created in 1989 to support clients with substance misuse conditions, have been presented across the UK as well as internationally.

In his role as a recovery coach, he has accompanied many performers on their world and European tours. Most recently, he was the recovery coach to Ozzy Osborne on his Black Sabbath European Tour 2014.

David is also the guest lecturer at the Centre for Addiction Treatment Studies, University of Bath.

Please find his comments after visiting DARA below:
“After my recent visit to DARA, having spent several days visiting both centres I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending either of these excellent programmes. Having visited and worked in many treatment programmes on several continents, I have gained a good insight in to the mechanics of successful treatment. DARA ticks all the boxes.

It is a big bonus having two treatment methodology’s for clients. For those not comfortable with the twelve-step method, there is an excellent alternative using the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy based approach.

After presenting several workshops and meeting clients, I was able to receive unbiased feedback and observe the treatment process close up.

The experienced staff that I witnessed interacting with clients were supportive, boundaried and compassionate in their approach.

David Charkham at DARA Rehab_2Managed by ex-senior NHS trained staff with multiple years of experience, the completion rates at both centres remain impressive.

With extremely favourable all-inclusive costs, excellent accommodation and catering, clients are able to start their recovery process in a peaceful, tropical setting.

Upon completion, clients are also invited to return five days every year for a renewal free of charge.”

Heroin Epidemic in the US

Education, United States

heroin epidemic in the usAccording to data compiled by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in the US, heroin use in that country doubled between 2007 and 2012. The governor of the state of Vermont proclaimed a “full-blown heroin crisis” in a speech earlier this year. Deaths by overdose in his state doubled last year.

Unlike the traditional demographic for addiction—disproportionately the urban poor—today’s heroin epidemic is no respecter of boundaries: young or old, rich or poor, black or white, urban or rural, all can be affected as individuals and communities. This is because the path to addiction has undergone a fundamental change over the last twenty years.

Traditionally, heroin addiction was the last stop in a cycle of abuse that usually started with alcohol and marijuana. Users would escalate the abuse cycle with sleeping pill abuse (mixing them with alcohol), speed (often starting with prescription diet pills), and perhaps hallucinogens. Most young people weren’t exposed to heroin until they were fairly entrenched in the culture of drug use.

According to a US news broadcast—an NBC multi-part special on America’s heroin epidemic—the path to heroin is now shorter and quicker, and it begins with prescription pain pills. In the late 90s and the first decade of this century, medications like Vicodin and Oxycodone became abundantly available, and young people quickly embraced the powerful and—at the time—cheap high that they afforded. Meanwhile, the threshold for determining the level of pain needing these treatments was lowered and more of the medications were prescribed. “Pill mills” sprang up all over the country, from rural areas in Virginia and Kentucky—where the drugs were nicknamed “hillbilly heroin”—to middleclass neighborhoods in the suburbs. High school and college students, stay-at-home moms, white-collar workers, and high-profile professionals and entertainers found themselves trapped in dependency, whether they started out getting high or medicating real pain.

From one perspective, it was clear that more pills were being manufactured than were needed for legitimate medical purposes, and that the surplus was being diverted to an illegal market. Profit was available at all levels, from the street all the way up to bulk theft at the wholesale level. Ultimately, law enforcement cracked down on the pain pill phenomenon, and the natural consequence was that prices went up, creating—ironically—a demand for something cheaper.

Enter heroin, with all its attendant dangers and complications. For the user, needles, HIV, hepatitis, potentially lethal adulterants, and a new brand of criminal to deal with for access; for law enforcement, following the trail of street dealers up the food chain to international smuggling rings that are often also involved with guns and dangerous cartels.

Public awareness and treatment are being emphasized, along with law enforcement, to try to stem the flow of narcotics, especially to young people. Policies are being examined, and the trend is toward drug diversion programs, wherein addicts are referred to treatment rather than incarcerated.

Drug and Alcohol Problems among the Elderly

Education, Understanding Addiction

drug and alcohol problems among the elderlyA largely unnoticed but increasing trend is that of drug and alcohol abuse and misuse among older people. Between 2002 and 2010, hospital admissions related to alcohol more than doubled for men and women over 65, and alcohol-related deaths for those over 75 are steadily rising.

Part of this can be explained by the fact that the “Boomer” generation is aging, and long-term substance-abusers—those who survived—are now filling the ranks of senior citizenry. However, there is also the phenomenon of the late starter. Some may simply have, now that they’re retired, free time to experiment, and experimentation can often lead to problematic use. Others find themselves self-medicating or attempting to augment drugs that they need for pain, anxiety, depression, or other ailments that have developed over time. (The elderly constitute the largest group of prescription and over-the-counter drug users.)

Above and beyond the usual problems associated with substance abuse—for all demographics—there are numerous issues that affect older people more dramatically:

  • Alcohol and drugs may have dangerous interactions with prescription medications
  • Alcohol and drugs affect nutrition and sleep, both of which have increased importance for the elderly in terms of general health and quality of life
  • Alcohol- and drug-related accidents, such as falls, can have more severe consequences (broken hip, etc) for the elderly. This in turn has social costs, as medical care becomes more expensive
  • Alcohol and drugs can increase the likelihood of stroke, cardiovascular issues, balance problems, and liver failure

Furthermore, substance abuse can increase isolation for the elderly—a problem that becomes self-reinforcing as the isolation prompts further substance abuse. Anxiety, depression, cognitive impairment, and addiction are all potential consequences.

It is often difficult for older people to distinguish between the consequences of substance abuse and the symptoms of various physical issues as well as the side effects of legitimate medications. They also may feel embarrassment about discussing the issue, mistaking secrecy for privacy.

As with any age group, if the consequences of drug and/or alcohol use are considerable—or if they outweigh the perceived pleasure they provide—then an attempt should be made to moderate or quit altogether. If this proves difficult, treatment should be sought.