The Facts About Heroin Addiction

In the 1950s and 60s, familiar drugs that were bought for decades beforehand began to lose over the counter status due to widespread abuse and experimentation with such dangerous substances. Heroin was one such drug that would become a controlled substance, previously able to be purchased from a pharmacy.

Derived from the poppy plant, heroin is a derivative of opium, a substance occurring naturally in the seeds of poppies. As one of the most addictive drugs, it is estimated that over a quarter of all people who try it become addicted, and it is one of the hardest to come off of, with withdrawal symptoms that could be described as horrifying. Users' aging processes accelerate dramatically; adding to this, hair loss and tooth decay are also common side effects of heroin use.

Regular use of heroin attacks the respiratory system, and overdose can lead to suffocation. The lungs become so relaxed, that they cease to work. The body becomes oxygen deprive, cells die, and subsequently the user expires. Even where fatal overdose is not the cause of death, prolonged use of heroin can cause death too. The drug goes after the liver, heart, and lungs, leading to hepatitis (a liver condition), and myocarditis (a heart condition). Heroin use can also lead to contraction of AIDS, not because the drug itself causes it, but because users often share needles.

Heroin is defined as a quick high, and the effects of the drug are nearly instantaneous. However, with the passing of time, the body will build a resistance to the drug, and the dosage will have to be increased to achieve that warm high. In this way, the door to overdose is opened wider and wider the more the user takes the drug.

Parents should talk to their children about the harsh consequences of using this drug, both legal and medical. Friends and family of individuals who are suffering from heroin addiction should seek professional help. It is not an easy subject to address, even when your children do not use drugs. But talking about it today is preferable to your children or friends winding up in rehab tomorrow. Users of drugs often turn to them because there is something else wrong, so probing your child's problems in a gentle way with a view to fixing them may be done in conjunction with telling them not to take drugs, just because.

Prescription Drugs and Addictive Personalities?

Addicts are normally described as someone who is hooked on a dangerous drug such as heroine, marijuana or cocaine. But, there are people in this world, who are addicted to various things other than the aforesaid. It could be a simple thing as a game on a mobile phone or a more serious type of addiction to alcohol and tobacco. There are people who are also addicted to prescribed drugs: mostly psychiatric drugs and painkillers. People who get addicted to these prescribed drugs will usually have a hard time controlling or getting over their addiction.

Psychiatric drugs are usually said to cause addiction in patients more than any other drug category. These drugs will usually lead to a tolerance level in the body, where addiction would be the next eventual step. When it comes to the tolerance level, the patient will have to take more quantities of the drug, in order to get relief from the illness or disorder. That means the effects of the drug are weakened and the dosage would have to be increased to gain the initial effect. Unless the dosage level is increased, withdrawal symptoms are bound to develop in patients. Most common withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, agitation and muscle aches.

Opioid pain pills are prescribed more frequently for pain related issues and it has helped teenagers to easily get addicted to this drug. Opioid addiction in teenagers, is only second to Marijuana and this was revealed recently by a medical team, who conducted a research on the subject. 

Experts are not aware of the figures around prescribed drug addiction, but surely they confirm that it is on the rise. It is partly due to the availability of these drugs more freely. Most of the drugs could be obtained over the counter. It was not so, about 10-20 years ago. All this helps in prescriptions drugs causing addictive personalities.

Why Robotripping and Cough Syrup Abuse Demand Attention

Most readily available over-the-counter cough medications feature DMX as their active ingredient. These medicines also typically include acetaminophen as a pain relieving agent. Though the manufacturers of these products warn against using them in a manner contrary to their intended applications, cough and cold treatments have rapidly become a favored recreational drug among teenagers across the country. "Robotripping," as it is called, has gained an alarming popularity among this most vulnerable demographic group.

The ease with which cough medications can be obtained is what makes this trend especially hazardous. It is not uncommon for teens engaged in the abuse of these medications to consume somewhere between 25-50 times the dosage recommended on the product label. They combine this type of excessive dose with alcohol or other sorts of mind-altering agents to formulate a very potent drug. Because there is little risk and few hurdles involved in purchasing cough medicine, this particular brand of drug abuse often serves as a pathway to more serious substance abuse issues down the road.

Sadly, far too many parents are unaware of the real threats to their teenagers posed by alcohol and drug abuse and miss the warning signs along the way. There are many parents who simply prefer to sweep the issue under the rug and hope it goes away as the kids grow older. Unfortunately, indifference or denial on the part of parents often results in a dangerous escalation of the underlying problem.

Estimates suggest that ten percent of all American teenagers have had a robotripping experience. Unfortunately, kids are often under the false impression that because cough medicine is an everyday household product that is easily obtainable, they are not doing anything particularly dangerous by using it. However, tussin (also known by the name DMX) can be extremely addictive when used to excess. Furthermore, it can prove deadly when combined with pills, alcohol or other drugs.

Ingesting large quantities of DMX can produce hallucinogenic episodes akin to those that result from the use of ecstasy and LSD. Some of the more frightening potential effects of DMX abuse include brain bleeds, seizures, irregular heartbeat and death.

It is essential that teenagers are made aware of the true danger posed by robotripping. A thorough understanding of the risks involved may be enough to dissuade a large number of kids from participating in this highly damaging pastime. Teenagers need to realize that they are not simply dabbling with a harmless household product. They are putting their health and safety in dire jeopardy.

What are Natural Hallucinogens?

Psilocybin is a chemical found in certain types of mushrooms that when consumed cause and hallucinogenic effect. This chemical belongs to the same family as LSD due to the similar effects.

These hallucinogens are used by people in various ways, depending on what form they come in. The mushrooms are either boiled or dried, and then smoked or eaten. Some people will even swallow or smoke the mushrooms.

The effects caused on a short term basis include:

• Hallucinations

• Distorted sense in place and time

• Poor co-ordination

• Increase in the temperature of the body that causes the person to either sweat or experience chills

• The user will experience loss of control in concentration and thinking processes

The effects caused on a long term basis may cause the user to experience prolonged depression, anxiety and impaired memory. Another long term effect is something known as a flashback that can occur even years after taking the drug.

Natural hallucinogens usually cause a person to have a psychological dependence to the drug, rather than a physical dependence. A regular user of the drug can start to experience feelings of craving or need when they stop taking it.

The danger of using these mushrooms is that some contain a highly toxic poison, this can cause the person to become violently ill due to the poisoning effect and can even lead to hospitalizing or even death.

The poison in the mushroom is known as Datura and is very similar in appearance to the ones used for their hallucinogenic effects. It is therefore easy to confuse the two and the outcome could be fatal to the user.

Even though mushrooms are a natural drug .It is advisable for any person that abuses a drug to seek the help of a treatment center, to aid them in leading a normal life again.

How Teens Get Alcohol Is Very Simple

There are a number of ways that teens get alcohol. It is actually not that hard for them and there are plenty of options for them to try. Just remember how you got it back in your day. Well the same options are available to them as they were available to you. Kid's these days are just as inclined to party. You need to remember that your teenager can get a hold of anything that you used to be able to get a hold of. They are just as crafty as the teens back in your day.

The number one way of teens getting alcohol is by steeling yours. This is why it is always important to keep your liquor cabinet locked and hide the beer in the back of the fridge. They will steel small amounts of alcohol at a time thinking that you wont notice. Make sure to count your beers!

Another way that teams get alcohol is through fake Identification cards. These are more common them a lot of parents realize and are fairly cheap. There is actually a wide market for these and they are easy to find. But the government is cracking down on it! Now there is a bar code to swipe on these cards to make sure that it is real.

Kids will also get other kids to buy alcohol for them. Older kids that are still defiant will do this and there is not much you can do about it. Make sure to talk to your kids about why this is wrong. They will understand...

Alcohol is very damaging to young body. You need to prevent our youth from getting it! Make sure that you take every measure to prevent its consumption! It might even save your child's life!

Habits and Common Practices of an Alcoholic

 

Confessions of the Lifestyles of an Alcoholic
From a Confessed Alcoholic

My name is Jaimie and I am an alcoholic in recovery. The reason I am writing this, is that many out there still do not understand what it is like to be an alcoholic, as the word "alcoholic" has come to present a specific and stereotypical image lumping all that suffer from this disease together. Alcoholism and its effects are wide and varied. I can only speak from my own experiences, but hope this will shed some light on a misunderstood subject.

Bars

A common misconception is that alcoholics will go into a bar in the morning, drink all day, and leave late at night. This is not necessarily true, especially if that alcoholic is not a millionaire. A true alcoholic needs to retain certain levels of alcohol in their system to be able to feel normal and balanced. an 8 dollar drink with two shots of liquor in it is not an effective way to keep the "needed" or craved for amounts of alcohol.

Binge Drinking

This is often thought of as a pounding thirty beers in a few hours, but a binge usually lasts days not hours. When an alcoholic binges, it is usually on a steadily high amount of alcohol over 3-4 days. These 3-4 days is usually spent at home simply sitting and drinking. Sleep is hard to  come by during these binges unless you pass out, even then you will only be out for a couple of hours and will wake up wide awake and craving the continuance of the binge.

Quitting

Alcoholics may try numerous times to quit drinking, especially after a long binge that has left you weak, sick, and desperate. This sick feeling sticks around for about two days, and usually alcoholics can go for 2 days without drinking and sticking to their sobriety pledge. However, the 3rd or 4th day, you are starting to feel better. Much better, your thinking is starting to get much clearer, but far too clear. This is when panic sets in, and you are not sure what to do with yourself... In my case, I would get this feeling and think that I needed to dumb-down my racing mind and extra energy, so would have a drink to take the edge off a little. It works... I would already begin to feel calm again, and think that the  one drink worked. Within an hour, you are craving another rink, and another, an soon you are right back where you started.

Becoming Sober

My alcoholism was more of a mental addiction than a physical addiction. I did not have the pain, hallucinations, or possibly-lethal withdrawals that physical dependent alcoholics get, so I felt comfortable with attending an intensive outpatient program. This was done through substance abuse counseling programs that I could attend around my work schedule, and still live at home while getting sober. This option is not for everyone, but worked for me. I can't say exactly how or when I noticed I no-longer had a problem with alcohol, it just sort of happened unexpectedly, and has changed my life for the better.

Northridge Counseling offeres intensive outpatient programs and substance abuse counseling for addictions to alcohol and to drugs. Our wonderful counselers and staff will try and help you transform your life for the better, just as Jaimie was able to. Contact us today:

Thinking About Quitting Smoking? Try These Tips!

If you are thinking about quitting smoking, then you do not need to be told why you should do it. You already know that being tobacco free means saving money and protecting the health of yourself and those that share the air with you. What you don't know is how to quit smoking, but that's where this article comes in, so read on.

Sometimes when you're trying to quit smoking, scare tactics can help. Scan a few pictures of cancer patients, individuals who have aged significantly due to cigarettes, or damaged lungs. Keep these in view at all times and they just might scare you into staying away from those dangerous cigarettes.

When aiming to kick the smoking habit for good, you should always believe that you can do it. Think about all the incredible things you have accomplished in your life so far. This will help you realize you have the strength to overcome this addiction. Having faith in yourself is not only important for quitting smoking, but it's also important for overall success in your life.

If you want to stop smoking forever, stop thinking about forever. Instead of focusing on quitting forever, just focus on quitting for today. A shorter timeline can make your journey more manageable, both physically and mentally. Once you start becoming comfortable with your commitment to stop smoking, you can start to make longer term goals.

Don't Go Cold Turkey
Do not quit cold turkey. It can be tempting to throw out your cigarettes and say, "I quit!" But cold turkey is not the way you want to go. Studies show that over ninety percent of people who try to quit smoking with no medication or therapy end up relapsing. The reason for this is because nicotine is addictive and your brain craves it. Without it, nicotine withdrawal symptoms set in.

If you want to quit smoking, you need to identify factors that will motivate you to stop. Preventing lung cancer, tooth decay, gum disease and emphysema, or protecting your family are strong motivators. Showing respect for your body and for the gift of life is also a powerful motivating force. Whatever reason you choose, it needs to be enough to prevent you from lighting up again in the future.

Looking at a picture of smoker's lungs may be all you need to quit smoking. When a person smokes, their lungs turn black after a while and they could end up with lung cancer. As harsh as it may seem, viewing the picture may set off a signal in your brain to quit.

Don't give up if you slip up. Anytime someone tries to give something up that they have been doing for years, there will likely be a struggle. When that struggle exists, slip ups often happen. If you do slip up, get right back on track and try again. The worst thing you can do is turn a slip up into an excuse to keep smoking, so don't do it.

When you started reading this article, you had the desire to quit smoking and knew the reasons why you should. Now, you also know some tips on how to go about it. Apply the ideas presented here, either individually or in combinations, for a chance at becoming an exsmoker yourself.