Addiction is a serious condition affecting more than twenty million Americans. Anyone who has been around a loved one with an addiction problem has seen how it can destroy their job, business, family, health and even their life. Seeking help for these loved ones can be overwhelming and leave you with questions of how to stop an addiction.
Some of today’s drugs are far more capable of rapidly causing addiction than drugs from ten or twenty years ago. Methamphetamine, crack cocaine and Ecstasy can be addictive after just one or a few uses. OxyContin can rapidly create addiction in a young person who just wanted to try it out a few times.
Is addiction a disease? What is the process in overcoming drug addiction? Finding answers to these questions is essential in starting on the road to recovery.
There are some scientists and government officials who describe addiction as an incurable disease like heart disease or diabetes. This description justifies and encourages the use of medications such as methadone or suboxone for treatment. But the success of drug-free addiction treatment programs disproves this theoretical definition of addiction.
Addiction is a condition characterized by repeated, compulsive seeking and use of drugs, alcohol or other similar substances despite adverse social, mental of physical consequences. It is usually accompanies by psychological and physical dependence on the abused substance and the appearance of withdrawal symptoms when the addictive substance is rapidly decreased or terminated.
When addiction exists, the drug use controls the individual rather than the individual controlling the usage.
There are very specific factors that hold an addiction in place. When these factors are thoroughly addressed, an addict can stop addiction and recover from the terrible hold addiction has on their soul and body. With the tools and knowledge of knowing how to stop drug addiction, they can once again enjoy a productive life.
The process of permanently stopping addiction is challenging and often requires the help of a rehab facility and professionals who can show you how to stop drug abuse. Narconon Arrowhead is an experienced drug rehab facility that specializes in helping addicts break the cycle and stop drug addiction once and for all. If you or a loved one is looking to stop drug addiction, call us today!
The latest national estimates have shown that drug abuse prevention has worked to some degree, with illicit drug use among kids 12-17 years old dropping by 9 percent over the last two years.
This good news does not mean that we can relax our drug abuse prevention efforts, as overall drug and alcohol abuse is still at an unbearable level.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of unemployed persons increased to 8.8 million in April, raising the national unemployment rate to 6% and drug abuse and addiction is a major factor. In addition to this, 4.8 million persons working part-time positions preferred a full-time schedule, which was an increase of more than half a million over the previous year.
Though the American economy is at a low point, there is at least one "business" that continues to make money off the citizens of this great country; that is the legal and illicit drug trade.
The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (www.cadca.org) just held it's 13th Annual Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C. More than 1500 conference attendees came from around the nation to show support for a group dedicated to fighting the biggest threat to national security in the United States, drug abuse.
John Hopkins conducted a study that pertained to substance abuse and welfare recipients that examined the prevalence of drug abuse in a nationally representative sample of 1989 recipients and 6840 nonrecipients of four welfare programs. Data from the 1995 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) were interviewed with matching of respondents on neighborhood of residence.
In 2002, an estimated 22 million Americans suffered from drug abuse, alcohol or both, according to the newest results of the Household Survey released today by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). There were 19.5 million Americans, 8.3 percent of the population ages 12 or older, who currently used illicit drugs, 54 million who participated in binge drinking in the previous 30 days, and 15.9 million who were heavy drinkers.
A study released earlier this week from the Kaiser Family Foundation regarding teen attitudes and behavior toward sex showed that drugs and alcohol contribute to unplanned and unsafe sexual practices. Specifically, the report stated one in five sexually active young people engage in unprotected sex while intoxicated. It is no secret that unprotected sex and the impaired state of mind brought about by drug and alcohol use cause unwanted teen pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Unfortunately for the future of our country, it's working. Reports from the "Monitoring the Future" study, self-reported youth alcohol consumption has increased since 1993. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse in the year 2000, "66% of youth that drink alcohol regularly report past month usage of one or more illicit drugs."
Additionally, alcohol kills more people in America than all illegal drugs being consumed combined. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University reported earlier this year that nearly a third of high school students say they binge drink at least once a month.
Particularly striking was a decline in current teen drug abuse, defined as used in the past month, of marijuana among boys ages 12-17, from 9.1 percent in 2002 down to 8.1 percent in 2004.
In 2004, 60.3 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 reported that they had talked at least once in the past year with at least one of their parents about the dangers of drug, tobacco, or alcohol use.
Recent data from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America indicates that prescriptions have been a new drug of choice for teen drug abuse. The survey said that between 9 and 18 percent of teens report abusing drugs such as prescription painkillers and stimulants as well as over the counter medications. Teen drug abuse of legal drugs is equal to or higher than the rate of teen drug abuse of more common illicit drugs.
Some signs and symptoms of teen drug abuse include changes in behavior such as sudden shift of eating and sleeping patterns, changes in mood and friends or declining grades and attendance at school. Some other signs include bloodshot eyes and unusually dilated or constricted pupils. Parents should also be aware of other medications, alcohol and inhalants that can lead to or contribute to teen drug abuse.
Physical or sexual abuse typically victimizes a child in the trusted atmosphere of the home, unexpectedly and often repeatedly. Case histories show that the child abuser is often a family member or family friend, sometimes a parent, according to a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) analysis of scientific literature. The intimate, devastating, and clandestine nature of abuse destroys a child's natural trust, typically leaving instead feelings of low self-esteem, foreboding, and helplessness.
Studies have shown that drug abusers who were victims of childhood abuse have more significant problems in day-to-day living than those who are not victims of child abuse. Among teen drug abusers studied, those who are child abuse victims are more likely to have coexisting psychological problems such as low self-esteem; an inability to display trust and develop intimate relationships or even friendships with others; high-risk behavior that increases chances of infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS; and self-destructive behavior, such as suicide.
However, not all cases of child abuse produce subsequent dysfunction, such as teen drug abuse, the studies show. Some variables related to child abuse victims help increase their resiliency against drug abuse, such as the ability to cope well with adversity. Child abuse factors that tend to increase dysfunction, such as teen drug abuse, include:
severity and nature of the abusive contact and severity of injury;
a younger victim;
lack of appropriate coping skills, or tendency to "avoid" trauma-induced stress through flawed coping strategies such as drinking or taking drugs;
prior distress
family dysfunction; and
lack of social support following the abuse.
Research has shown few gender differences in how trauma affects victims, except in child abuse victims, which can lead to teen drug abuse.
By using interventions designed specifically to address the personal and social factors that place some high school students at risk of drug abuse, schools can reduce these young people\s drug use and other unhealthy behaviors, these researchers say.
One such teen drug abuse prevention program under way in the Seattle area has improved academic performance and reduced drug involvement among high school students whose poor academic records and behavioral problems indicate they are at high risk of dropping out of school and abusing drugs. Another teen drug abuse prevention program in California is showing promising early results in reducing and preventing serious drug use among students in continuation schools. Continuation schools are alternative public schools where students with behavioral and other problems can complete their high school education.
"Our ethnographic studies show that kids who are at high risk of dropping out of school and abusing drugs are more isolated and depressed and have more problems with anger," says Dr. Leona Eggert of the University of Washington in Seattle. "They are disconnected from school and family and are loosely connected with negative peers," she says. Additional information indicate that many of these youths also have suicidal behaviors or thoughts, Dr. Eggert says. Universal teen drug abuse prevention programs that are aimed at all youths in a school are usually inadequate to meet the special needs and problems of these youths, she states.
Dr. Eggert and her colleagues have developed a high school-based teen drug abuse prevention intervention that is designed for students in the 9th through 12th grades who are skipping classes, doing poorly academically, and in danger of dropping out of school and abusing drugs. The program, called Reconnecting Youth, works to reattach at-risk youths to their schools, their families, and positive peer groups. The program also teaches them social and personal skills they can use to better manage their emotions and deal with their problems without resorting to drug abuse.
Reconnecting Youth's core element is a one-semester daily Personal Growth Class that is incorporated into the youths' regular class schedule. The class is led by a teacher who fosters the development of a mutually supportive peer group that encourages positive behaviors. The group encourages acceptance, respect, understanding for others, and a willingness to help other classmates solve their problems constructively. The class also focuses on enhancing the youths' self-esteem; improving their decision-making and communications skills; and improving their ability to manage stress, anger, and depression. The ultimate goals of the program are decreased drug use and increased school performance and emotional well-being.
Studies conducted among multiethnic populations of at-risk boys and girls in Seattle area high schools show that, compared to at-risk youths who did not receive the intervention, youths in the Reconnecting Youth program have increased academic performance and decreased drug involvement. The program also improves at-risk youths' ties to their schools and teachers and increases their self-esteem and social support. The program is equally effective with boys and girls but appears to have more of an effect on reducing girls' attachment to friends who skip school and use drugs.
The latest version of the Reconnecting Youth program includes additional classroom and school components that address the needs of the substantial portion of these youths who also are at risk for suicide. The program has been shown to decrease depression, anger and aggression, stress, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among these youths, which aides in teen drug abuse prevention.
To find out how you can make a difference in your community, contact Narconon Arrowhead by calling 1-800-468-6933 or via email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Communities and families working together can help aid in teen drug abuse prevention.
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