The Addiction Help .com

The grammar and spelling may be terrible (i apologize).
I have been thinking about this for some time now. I am now 27 and over the last 7 years have experienced way too much drug and alcohol incidents. I'm trying real hard to hit the key points of why I think the last 7 years of my life would interest anyone enough to read. From grade school until I graduated high school, I remained the most straight edge kid you ever met. I Even graduated high school being on National Honor's society and was near the top of the class. I was an athlete and came from a middle class family, but the whole time I was dealing with an alcoholic father on the weekends. He was a good father most of the time, but did not handle drinking so well. For that reason, I did not have a drink until I was almost 21, but did start doing drugs at age 20. I have been arrested 7 times for alcohol related incidents and yet I have held down a very respected professional job for three years now after graduating college with a 3.2. I have friends that are millionaires and friends that have literally lived on the street. I have a daughter that was born when I was 25. I have dwelt with addiction problems since I can remember. Starting early with being addicted to being perfect in everything I did, which then turned into playing basketball, and then right before drugs, I was addicted to sex. To try and quit one addiction I just start doing another more often. Every time I quit doing drugs, I start drinking more or becoming addicted to sex again. I discovered online poker which became my worst addiction of all. To this day I am paying back over 6000 in credit cards used to play online poker during college. I am in the process of going through my 2nd DUI which may result in the losing of my job. I have dwelt with being put in a psych ward twice and have been given the diagnosis of Manic Depressant (Bi Polar) and having generalized anxiety since I was 18. I fight off abusing drugs for months at a time only to end up going back or becoming a worst alcoholic again.
I am looking for a way to make everything bad and dumb I have done be helpful and meaningful some way.I think that maybe If I wrote a book telling my life story so far, that it might be able to help some people. I have experienced a lot of life in a few short years that people who are lucky only have to watch in movies. Also, because of my profession, it is ridiculous that I am the person that I am. I know its wrong and I feel bad, yet I still do dumb things. I was the youngest person to ever be voted "employee of the month " at my job. Yet, I've had to deal with all the guilt of the bad things I keep doing. My book would focus on having three goals: to entertain, to educate,and to help: either those people about the make the same mistakes I did, or to help their families to understand the mind set of someone with an addictive personality.

The book would include sex, drugs, over coming them, and how to deal with them, . I am not sure if there are many books out there like this. I know a lot of people have lived WAY worst lives, but most of the ones that I know, never finished college, are behind bars, are have passed away.

I have managed to get a good job, do it well, yet I still deal with the addiction issues and am still figuring out how to stop.

Thanks for your time and I am fine with criticisms, but the real question I am asking is if you think this is a book worth writing to be read. I am also going to be pursuing a career as a speaker to younger children and teens about my life and ideas to stay clean.

From what you say I think your book would help many people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. Follow your dreams and write the book. I wish you lots of luck.

2009-05-31 23:13:43 by A

Sober Nexus is the nation#39;s premier online targeted exposure engine for the MID to HIGH-END Addiction Treatment amp; Sober Living Housing ...

Or is it a baffling disease with complex behavioural, emotional & spiritual facets?

CENTRAL FALLS, Rhode Island (CNN) -- A no-frills bar called Goober's, just north of Providence, Rhode Island, is probably the last place you'd expect to find a debate over cutting-edge addiction therapy. But this is where Walter Kent, a retired mechanic, spends his Fridays. He helps in the kitchen and hangs out in the bar, catching up with old friends. Most addiction specialists would call this playing with fire, or worse. That's because for more than 30 years, Kent was a hard-core alcoholic. His drinks of choice were Heineken beer and Jacob Ginger brandy, but anything with alcohol would do.

"It's like a little kid wanting a piece of candy. You see it, you want the taste of it." He closes his eyes and sniffs the air, remembering the feeling. "You can be by yourself, and all of a sudden get even a hint of alcohol, just the smell of it, and say, 'Oh, I need a drink.' That sensation is not something you can get rid of."

But today, Kent isn't tempted in the least. He says the credit goes to a prescription medication -- a pill called naltrexone. It's part of a new generation of anti-addiction drugs that may turn the world of rehab on its head.

Dr. Mark Willenbring, who oversees scientific research at the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, says alcoholism has reached a point similar to one depression reached 30 years ago -- when the development of Prozac and other antidepressants took mental health care out of the asylum and put it in homes and doctors' offices."There will be a 'Prozac moment,' " Willenbring says, "when primary care doctors start handling functional alcoholics."

Despite studies showing effectiveness, established rehab programs have been slow to adopt the use of medication. At Hazelden in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a small as part of treatment, although a handful of long-time addicts may be referred to a prescribing physician once their stay is over. "Where we battle with [the proportion of patients receive anti-addiction drugs, but medical director Dr. Kevin Clark says the traditional model -- based on intensive therapy and the 12 steps popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous -- is still best. "It is a disease of the brain, but it's a multifaceted disease. It has a spiritual component, a behavioral component to it," says Clark. "Our experience tells us that having the network of support and recovery is what really makes the difference."

Still, medication is slowly creeping into mainstream addiction therapy. One big advocate is Percy Menzies, a pharmacist and former sales representative for DuPont, which developed naltrexone. His St. Louis, Missouri-based Recovery Centers for America treats patients in an on-site hospital, then refers them to outside physicians for follow-up treatment. Along with therapy, virtually every patient is given Vivitrol, a long-lasting form of naltrexone that's given monthly by injection.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/15/addiction.cold.turkey.pill/index.html

I had to offer an answer here because there are just too many misconceptions floating around Yahoo Answers and the public in general about addiction. It really amazes me how very little people understand about this. Even the people who are calling themselves professionals are misleading others with their "answers."

1. From a clinical perspective, a person is not "addicted" to something unless physiological withdrawal symptoms occur upon removal of the source.

2. There are many things being labelled "addictions" that should fall under the category of "compulsive behavior." A compulsive behavior is something repeatedly done, but if the activity is stopped there's no physiological withdrawal symptoms. Many things that are called "addictions" (gambling, internet, eating, etc.) are much better understood as compulsive behavior because the source of these behaviors is NOT exclusively biological. For a better example, alcohol and drug addictions are true addictions when they get to the point that upon removal of the drug a person gets uncontrollably ill (unlike the AA model that says once an "addict" always an "addict," which is not really accurate). When a person has a compulsive eating disorder the person does not really get physically ill when not given the chance to openly consume all the food the person desires.

3. By definition, a "psychological addiction" is NOT caused by a physiological source. That means when someone claims to be psychologically addicted to something like using the internet, it is purely a behavioral habit that probably comes with some reward for the individual. However, because of the medical model of mental illness it is still generally assumed that some physiological source (e.g., brain chemistry) is the source of someone's psychological addiction, which is why a psychiatrist will try to treat these individuals with drugs (e.g., anti-depressants). They will assume some underlying disorder has gone undiagnosed (e.g., depression) even if the person doesn't fully qualify for the diagnosis according to the DSM. This is misleading because so-called "psychological addictions" (again, somewhat of a misnomer) can occur without there being an underlying disorder.

4. Drugs like Naltrexone are one of several opiate antagonists, which lessen the brain's dopaminergic activity. They create a chemical IMBALANCE in the brain because the target neurotransmitters don't normally get subdued by drugs. On top of this, if the levels of one neurotransmitter are altered it can affect the levels of other neurotransmitters, furthering a chemical disruption of normal brain functioning. What happens is not quite what research studies suggest, and usually these studies are only short term. The patient is getting subdued by these drugs. Cognitive functioning can become impaired. Side effects are common and can be quite serious in some cases (see below). To further illustrate what I mean, they give Naltrexone to people who qualify for the diagnosis Kleptomania (see here: http://in.reuters.com/article/health/idINTRE53D4WR20090414 ). At the same time, they've made the case that Naltrexone can cure people's drug addictions. That makes little sense from a behavioral point of view as well as physiology. The same chemical components that cause physiological addiction to a drug are what also causes Kleptomania? Not likely.

5. Given what I've said above, there are biological components to what are true physiological addictions, but if you think a drug like Naltrexone is going to permanently cure this you are really just swapping one drug for another. In fact, you may be creating new problems for yourself. The trend toward biodeterminism (i.e., that physiology is the primary cause of all behavior) has misled people to ignore environmental, social, cultural, existential, spiritual, and experiential factors for so long that psychiatrists can now actually harm patients with presciption drugs and get away with it. So, to answer your question: No, a pill definately does not cure a person from a true drug addiction. If anything, research will show it is more effective than a placebo because the person's brain functioning is being altered in a negative way. A chemical imbalance is being created. In short, the patient is subdued.

Here. In case you think I'm making this stuff up:

Most common side effects of Naltrexone:

ANXIETY; appetite loss; chills; constipation; delayed ejaculation; diarrhea; dizziness; DROWSINESS; FEELING DOWN; headache; INCREASED ENERGY; increased thirst; IRRITABILITY; joint and muscle pain; LOW ENERGY; nausea; NERVOUSNESS; SLEEPLESSNESS; stomach pain/cramps; vomiting.

--notice how the side effects in caps can all be symptoms of a psychological disorder other than addiction?

Most serious side effects of Naltrexone:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); abdominal or stomach pain; cramping; dark urine; depression; SUICIDAL THOUGHTS OR BEHAVIORS; unusual tiredness or weakness; vomiting; white bowel movements; yellowing of the skin or eyes (that means LIVER DISEASE. What does alcohol addiction eventually cause? That's right. The same thing: LIVER DISEASE).

The pharmaceutical industry knows that the public is longing for magic bullets. All they have to do is construct research in such a way that they can show their product works better than a placebo, and they've become just as skilled at this as they have with their expertly produced TV commercials.

2009-04-16 07:54:35 by Faith

Price: $19.97

Addiction is an illness. Narcotics abuse is an illness. Logically, the purchasing, possession and abuse of a drug by an addict is as much of a health concern as it is a legal one.

Narcotics abuse is undoubtedly a more emotionally complicated crime than other nonviolent offenses such as theft and vandalism, but early attempts to curb abuse lacked the necessary breadth to get addicts clean. Incarceration is not an effective method of freeing drug users from the substances on which they depend.

You cannot always beat a beast into submission, and the national "war on drugs," as it is currently framed, attempts to do just that. It aims to prevent drug abuse and crimes through the enforcement of strict, blanketed penalties for citizens who violate.

Although national policies on drug prohibition state the goal is to promote public health, more funding, both on a national and local level, is allocated toward criminal investigations and prosecution of drug users than toward education and rehabilitation.

The fruitless brute-force methods established at a federal level are also standard at the local level. The Los Angeles Police Department made 26,131 arrests for violent and property-related crimes in 2003, according to a statistical report released by the chief of police.

The same year, the LAPD made 27,486 narcotics arrests. In short, police officers arrested 1,300 more citizens for narcotics violations than for murders, rapes, thefts, aggravated assaults and larcenies combined.

Despite the widespread arrests for narcotics-defined crimes in 2003, the effects the arrests had on usage was negligible. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the number of adult users and abusers remained at a flat line.

Crime statistics show that harsh sentencing for nonviolent drug possession convictions is ineffective in deterring repeat offenses, but further analysis reveals that incarceration for those first offenses could increase the probably of a second offense. Relapse rates are more than 70 percent from all forms of criminal justice interventions and corrections-oriented approaches alone, according to the U.N. Office on Drug and Crime.

California took a step in the right direction in November of 2000 when it passed Proposition 36 - the initiative that allows people with first- and second-time drug possession convictions to receive drug treatment instead of incarceration - but implementation and funding issues have prevented the proposition from being wholly successful.

Officials at the district attorney's office told the L.A. Weekly that they had expected the primary patients enrolling in the rehabilitation programs to be recreational users - not full-blown addicts. The money allocated to fund rehabilitation programs and medical treatment is insufficient for the more typical, heavily addicted individuals who frequently require longer, more expensive treatments in residential facilities instead of 12-step outpatient program.

Recent state and county cutbacks have been devastating to already strained programs made possible by Prop. 36. To further complicate matters, the sheer size of the county coupled with the lack of money makes proper regulation of the program near impossible to assess.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, effective drug treatment programs combine the necessary medical aid and social services required to get the addicted individual back on track. Prop. 36 has made headway in providing Californians in need with a chance at restored chemical freedom, but without additional well-funded social welfare programs such as job placement services, access to medical and mental health treatment facilities, and counseling services, the success of the legislation is extremely limited.

A more compassionate solution to the drug problem is not only more humane, it's more cost effective. Every dollar spent on drug and alcohol abuse treatment saves the public $7, according study findings released by the state in 1994.

To successfully combat drug abuse and drug-related crime in California, the state needs to ensure that allocating funding for rehabilitation programs is a priority.

In addition to the court-mandated programs created by Prop. 36, the city needs to make comprehensive voluntary rehabilitation programs accessible to drug addicts who want to change before they're picked up by the police. The earlier people are given a hand to make the change, the sooner they will.

It's easy to demonize drug addicts and dismiss jail sentences that still too frequently follow possession convictions, but blame doesn't create change.

An addict with hopeless prospects has a hard time finding motivation to get clean, but if the society around that addict is willing to offer guidance, support and the promise of brighter future for the willing, the incentive to get sober suddenly becomes tangible .

Compassion must become a fundamental element in the rehabilitation system, and compassion starts with understanding. Prop. 36 was a great start, but there's still a long road ahead.

This isn't a question, it's a diatribe. Rehab only works if the person wants to go.

2007-07-30 12:41:29 by Bush is not conservative

Price: $14.95

In a country as rich as Australia, having so many homeless young people is a national disgrace.

I received a massive response on the phones and email earlier this week when we spoke about the 36,000 homeless people under 25 forced to live on our streets every night of the year.

Of them, 22,000 are between 12 and 18 years old.

In a country as rich as ours, with an alleged social conscience and the much-lauded concept of looking after your 'mates' well entrenched in our psyches, this is nothing less than a national disgrace.

According to the most recent report from the National Youth Commission the main reason is family breakdown, a finding supported by your many calls and emails.

Most of the former homeless people I spoke to this week say that mum or dad lost it about something and just threw them out of the house.
Or they became the ammo in a divorce war and bailed. Or they were sexually or physically abused. Or mum and dad were affected by drug and/or alcohol addictions.

Many assume drugs are the major cause of youth homelessness, but in reality they are usually a symptom of the problem, not the cause.

The shrinking number of young people who do find a place in a shelter or refuge come into contact with drug and alcohol abuse, usually harder stuff than they might have used before. And the streets are awash with drugs.

So pretty clearly, while the Federal Government's pledge of $150 million to buy homes and build shelters is very welcome, it offers no solution to these thousands of kids sleeping on the street tonight, and the nights are getting colder.

On that note I received an email from a Melbourne guy called Tony Clark from Swags For Homeless - a charity he founded to supply homeless people with some portable shelter and warmth in the form of a 2kg backpack.

He gets no government funding and is struggling to make the Labor governments get the idea that their policies are long term, but the homeless live a day to day crisis.

He has had interest from other charities and various Liberal politicians, but once again, an important issue is being politicised.

The States and the new Federal Government reckon punters would see the government handing out Swags as THE solution, and it would reflect poorly on them politically.

What a crock - even the young people who sleep-out annually to help the homeless take a sleeping bag and pillow.

And Australians are smarter than that - we get it - it's not hard.

So can someone in the Labor movement reading this now who gives a toss - GET ON WITH IT - and spend a paltry few million to get Swags For Homeless, preferably by tomorrow night.

Then build the shelters. Then see what more help can be offered to families in crisis to stem the increasing flow of kids sleeping on the streets in the first place.

Over to you......

Have you seen this on you tube, it is right in line with what you are saying
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIDUqi2LVE8

2008-11-09 22:36:53 by Smile

Janice Haskins, the creator of Stepping Stone – Substance Abuse Recovery cards,
Has been writing for over thirty years. She attended Indiana University Northwest and in the spring of 1989, she placed third in the George N. Thomas Essay writing Contest. She is the author of several poems that, for the past ten years, have been published by the National Library of Poetry. Her poetry has been published into the following Anthologies “Into the Unknown, Days Gone By, In Dappled Sunlight, and Recollections of Yesterday.” She was awarded the “Editor’s Choice” award for Outstanding Achievement in Poetry in 1996.

The Sparrowgrass Poetry Society published several of her poems in their 1997 summer edition of “Poetic Voices of America.” The Famous Poet’s Society honored her as a “Famous Poet” for 1998. In August of 1999, her poem “Self Love”, was chosen by the Executive Committee of the Famous Poets Society, Board of Directors, to be presented at
their Fifth Annual Poetry Convention. This same Poet’s Society honored her a “Famous Poet” in 2002. They honored her Famous Poet again for her poem “Undetected” and several of her poems have been published in their anthology, “Famous Poems of The Twentieth Century.” She received both the “Shakespeare Trophy of Excellence and the 2003 Poet of The Year medallion.” The International Society of Poets nominated her “Poet of the Year” in 2004. The International Library of Poetry named her one of the best Poet’s of the year for the years 2004, 2005, and 2006. She is currently a member of (Eugene B. Redmond’s) EBR’S Writer’s Group in East Saint Louis, Illinois.

Janice is also a recovering substance abuser, who has been substance free for the past twelve years. She abused drugs and alcohol for twenty-four years of her life. It is only by the Grace of GOD, that she has overcome her addictions. She knows that this is a day-by-day, step-by-step process. She also knows that it is by her faith and by the favor of the Lord that she is alive today. She was led to create these cards for any and every single person who has been affected in any way, by any kind of abusive substance. She knows first hand how great it feels to receive encouragement and hope in the form of a card given by someone who truly cares. As these cards have helped her, she knows that they will be of help to others. Today she spends her time writing, speaking and sharing with others, the dangers of substance abuse.

You should have some samples printed up go to a local good printing shop lazer quick where I live is inexpensive and does a nice job. Then you would need to marke them to small or med or large private gift type shops take in samples and show them to the buyer get yourself orders and then deliver but make sure you keep your products coming if they are not kept up you will not susceed... best of luck

2006-06-26 15:28:21 by Tina Marie