The Rise in Prescription Drug Addictions

June 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Prescription drug abuse and addiction has drastically increased over the past decade. Whether children are getting into their parent’s supply and taking them without their knowledge, or elderly individuals are becoming too dependent on painkillers; this seemingly growing epidemic is becoming more prevalent. There are a number of different reasons that prescription drug abuse is on the rise, below is a list of some of the more obvious and important factors pertaining to this problem.

Doctors Over Prescribing Medication

One of the largest issues regarding the rise in prescription drug abuse is the fact that doctors are seemingly over prescribing these medications, particularly painkillers. Individuals go in complaining about pain, and due to the fact it is a subjective feeling that the doctor cannot deny that the patient is feeling, they are prescribed something to help neutralize the pain; whether it exists or not.

Easy to Obtain

Another factor pertaining to the heavy use and abuse of prescription drugs is the fact they are so easy to come by. An addict can easily log online to locate an overseas resource that sells specific prescription drugs they might be looking for. Additionally, more times than not, elderly individuals have a prescription for painkillers in one form or another, and can easily provide them to family members who appear to need them but are really feeding an addiction.

Bad Economic Factors

Last but not least, economic factors play a heavy role in the increase of prescription drug abuse. This concept revolves more so around individuals with prescription drug access, actually dealing their supply to make a little money on the side.

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Alcohol Continues To Be Most Dangerous Drug

May 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

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The number one drug related public health concern continues to be alcohol. It’s hard to watch TV these days without seeing a vodka bottle where the cap can pour you a shot or a beautiful girl promotes a certain brand of beer. The advertising is only the beginning. Parents who unwind on a daily basis by drinking alcohol send the message to kids that alcohol is necessary in order to relax and be at ease. Unfortunately, advertising and learned behavior can lead to the following problems.

 

1.) DUI and arrest- The fallout from a DUI is enormous but few people consider the ramifications and get behind the wheel drunk. On top of lawyer fees and other fines, you will need to take a substance abuse course in order to reinstate your driver’s license. Believe it or not, it can be a lot worse than a DUI. Drunk driver’s kill dozens of people annually with impaired driving. Once the driver sobers up, they have a lifetime of guilt to deal with over the taking of someone’s life.

2.) Health problems- You may have heard how a glass of wine a day can actually be good for you. While the merits of that are debatable, what is not debatable are the long term ramifications of serious alcohol abuse. Heavy drinking often leads to organ failure, such as the liver and the kidneys, and can lead to various forms of cancer.

Alcohol is an addiction and many need help to stop drinking. Learn to recognize the warning signs of a drinking problem and intervene when necessary in order to help a friend or loved one.

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Prescription Pill Abuse Prevelant Nationwide

May 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

 

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Certain areas of the country, Maine for instance, have seen a rise in prescription pill abuse and it has become a significant public concern. Medications prescribed to treat ADHD are very popular among the pill abusers. Likewise, pain pills like Codeine and Oxycontin, have a high street value for their ability to mask pain and make the pill taker feel high. Not only are these addictions dangerous for the pill abuser, there is also cause for concern in the resulting rise in crime. Below are three forms of crime that rise with prescription drug abuse.

1.) Pharmacy Robbery- First, there are the pharmacies which are seeing levels of all-time high in robberies. Strung out drug addicts will simply not be deterred and they often avoid cameras and approach the pharmacy armed and demanding pain pills.

2.) Street Crime- Drug addicts simply do not fear repercussions for their actions. All they want is their drugs and they are willing to snatch purses from old women in wheelchairs to get them. It’s a community health problem when people no longer feel safe walking the streets with children. A population with wandering drug addicts is dangerous for any city and needs law enforcement monitoring.

3.) Fraud- Those addicted to prescription pills will often go doctor to doctor looking for someone to write them a prescription. Furthermore, drug dealers will canvas the landscape to try and find multiple doctors to write them prescriptions so that they can sell the pills for a high mark-up. Both of these are clear cut cases of fraud and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

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The Physical Effects of Alcohol Addiction

January 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Drinking alcohol occasionally isn’t something that most people see as a problem. The majority of people have at least tried alcohol, and a lot of them have a drink or two on the weekends, or after work some days in order to relax a little bit. If you’re a social drinker who goes out with friends and has a beer or two, you’re probably not in any danger. The serious problem comes into play for people who drink to excessive. When people are drinking all the time, and they can’t stop or stay sober, they can do serious damage to their bodies. If they stop drinking they’ll stop doing more damage, but they might not be able to reverse all of the physical damage that they’ve already done.

People who are alcoholics are poisoning themselves, over time. They’re setting themselves up for a loss of brain and cognitive functioning, liver problems, and heart disease. Knowing that those problems are often permanent makes it even more urgent to get help if you find yourself drinking too much. You may not see how anyone will help you, but there are plenty of rehab centers out there that will help you to get better. Even if you don’t have insurance or a lot of money, you can still get help, so don’t give up.

Your first step should be to go to rehab-international.org and take a look at your options. Even if you’re in a rural area or a small town, there will still be places near you where you can go for rehab. Some people choose to go to an inpatient facility, and others choose outpatient options. It’s best to talk openly and honestly with family and friends, and with people at the rehab center, so you can make an informed choice about which option is better for you.

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Asking For Help Is Hard

December 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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It is often very difficult to ask for help. It does not matter who you are or what your background is. There is often a sense of pride that must be considered and that is often why so many people do not reach out for the help they need. However, there are many situations in which it becomes necessary to do this. If you need help for any type of emergency, get it. When you are dealing with circumstances that could change the rest of your life, such as your addiction, you need help then, too.

I was recently dealing with this exact situation. A friend of mine has had problems with a variety of addictions. I never understood why it was so hard to get help. After all, this person had numerous people in her life that cared about her and that would bend over backward to offer this person the help she needed.

Still, she did not ask for help. She didn’t know how, or understand that she could ask for help without deflating her confidence. Unfortunately, this person did not receive the help sge needed until something dramatically life changing occurred: a car accident.

The good news is that there are ways to get this help even if you cannot ask your family and friends for it. One example of this is turning to a professional treatment organization such as LaPalomaTreatment.com.

When you go to a facility like this, you know you are going to get the type of treatment you need to improve your health and your well being. Not only do organizations like this help to stop addictions, but they can also help people to find the reassurance they need to stop fighting this battle on their own. If you need help, do not be afraid to ask for it.

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Overcoming Addiction

December 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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If you have realized you have an alcohol problem, you are taking your first step in the right direction. Overcoming an addiction can be a very difficult and traumatic experience and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Once you realize you have a problem, you can then start to heal yourself and become healthy and well again.

When seeking treatment options, you may want to first do some research on the Internet with sites like Rehab-International.org that can point you in the right direction on where to start. Once you decide that you have a problem, the best thing to do is get help quickly before you fall on the wrong path again.

If you have been placed in rehab due to an intervention, then you are probably well on your way to recovery. However, if you have never been to rehab, you need to familiarize yourself with what happens in rehab so that there are no surprises.

In rehab, you will go through a withdrawal period, which means that your body will be deprived of alcohol so that the harmful toxins can be removed from your system. It may take a few days, or even a week, for you to get through the symptoms. You will most likely feel like you have the flu or some other type of cold, but that is just your body trying to reject the bad chemicals resulting from an alcohol addictionn.

Once you are through withdrawal, you will then work with counselors and group therapy sessions in order to heal mentally. You will talk with others that are going through the same thing you are.

Just remember, even though you may feel like it, you are not alone. There are many that seek help just like you are.

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Overcoming an Addiction

December 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Addiction can seem like such a scary word. When you are addicted to something, especially a substance, the addiction has a tendency to rule your life. You no longer have control and the drug begins to rule your every move. The good news is there is help. Follow these steps to help you overcome your addiction.

1. Recognize you have a problem. The first step to solving any kind of problem, addiction related or not, is recognizing the problem. If you are addicted to drugs or you find yourself needing alcohol to function in life, then you need to admit the addiction. This is the first step, but often one of the most difficult.

2. Seek help. There is a lot of help out there. One place to start is MichaelsHouse.com. You can find the information you need to know about rehab centers and other treatments. You could also find a local AA meeting or seek a medical professional. The important thing here is to get help – no matter where you find that help.

3. Want to change. You also need to want to change. You could go to the best and most expensive rehab center in the world for help, but if you don’t want to change, then you will never get better. You have to be the change you want to make. You have to crave the change as much as you crave the drug.

4. Know your limits. You also need to know your own personal limits. If you know you aren’t strong enough to handle AA alone, admit it. Then, find someone to hit up the meeting with you or ask for support from your family. The fact of the matter is that nobody can kick an addiction alone.

There is help and hope for you. When it’s time to stop your bad habits, recognize all the help available.

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Let the Healing Begin at an Alcohol Treatment Center

June 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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On some level alcohol abuse is the most insidious of addictions because it’s so easy to hide. Drinking is a social activity. You could be having a few beers with a friend watching a game and never know that they might be struggling with a genuine problem. How many times have you found out that a friend or loved one has gone into recovery for alcohol and you simply had no idea? That’s why seeking help from a qualified alcohol treatment center is so essential for the recovery process. If an alcoholic has spent a life time keeping secrets, shouldn’t they start with telling the truth?

At an alcohol treatment center, patients can begin their sobriety but getting clean. Then the real work can begin. The work of recovery is a two-prong approach: individual and group therapy. Someone suffering from an addiction to alcohol needs to get at the reasons as to why they drink. Some drink to forget. Some drink to erase whatever pain they might have. The goal should be to develop coping mechanisms which allows the sufferer to deal with life head-on instead of finding false solace at the bottom of a liquor bottle. One-on-one sessions with an experienced therapist or counselor can help that individual develop a proactive plan that they can take back out into the world.

On the group side of an alcohol treatment center the philosophy of “strength in numbers” comes into play. There can be great comfort found for addicts when they can share their pain with other sufferers who are going through the same withdraw and upheaval. The goal of the alcohol treatment center is get you ready to take on the challenges that life has to offer without resorting to your choice of addiction. The alcoholic is there for a reason: to simply get better.

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