Adult Drug Abuse is on the Rise

New research sheds new light on the increasing rate of drug abuse in America. As adults increasingly participate in the rise of drug abuse, so do the overdoses and the deaths of these adults. The study reported that the rate of overdoses today is ten times higher than the rate in the late 1960s.

This rate increase is not just from the baby boomers and hippies as some would be led to believe, but the rate is higher amongst all age groups. The rate is especially high for white Americans, with this trend on the rise and no appearance of the rate of the drug abuse leveling off any time soon.

This increase or rise of drug abuse among all age groups is said to be accredited to the trend of abusing prescription drugs. These figures and analyzed trends come from the U.S. Census. Compiling these numbers which showed that white men and women are nine times more likely to die from an overdose due to drug abuse in 2005 to 2007 than in the years of 1968 to 1969. Black men and women are three times more likely to die.

Before in the 1960s, the rate of deaths due to drug abuse was 1 in every 100,000 people. In 2007, 15 white women out of every 100,000 died from drug abuse. For black women the rate was 17 out of every 100,000. The rates for black and white men were even larger jumps.

The increasing deaths among these various age groups do not have one cause, however, the abuse of prescription drugs is evident in playing a major role in the rise of these deaths. Abusing prescription medications include painkillers and Vicodin. Which are the most commonly abused prescription drugs. With almost half of Americans taking prescription drugs, the opportunities for these drugs to be abused is increased, which leads to the increase of addiction, all scenarios that come with serious, if not deadly, consequences.

If you are looking for a treatment facility for you or someone you love, Cove Center for Recovery offers residential treatment for patients addicted to prescription drugs.
Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237 http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

What is Salvia and is It Legal?

After former Disney star Miley Cyrus emerged on a video, on the celebrity gossip website TMZ.com, allegedly smoking a bong filled with salvia, a lot of people are curious to know, what is salvia? And is it legal?

Native to the lush tropics of Mexico, one of the latest recreational hallucinogens on the drug scene “Salvia” has become yet another dangerous fad amongst teens across the country. Derived from an addition of Salvinorum A, to plants, this recreational drug also known as "diviner's sage" and "magic mint." has been used by the shamans of Mexico for centuries due to its healing and medicinal properties. With user descriptions reminiscent of “as strong as imaginable”, and quick side effects that allow an individual to experience its effects in a matter of minutes, there is no doubt this drug has succeeded in lurking its way in a drug world that for decades has been fighting with the pervasiveness of illegal substances.

The prevalence of Salvia in the drug world has raised many concerns due to its legality. Currently not regulated by U.S federal drug laws, this hot commodity has dangerously become an affordable and surprisingly legal way to currently experience the hallucinogenic effects of other banned drugs. It is currently legal to use Salvia in over 38 states and it is widely available in forms varying from dried leaves and extracts to live plants!

Many researchers have denied the public health risk factors of Salvia and have even reported that it “does not affect the heart rate” nor does it cause “blood pressure changes”. And animal study indicates that the drug is “not addictive”. But the result of several Canadian surveys indicated a large number of Salvia users feared for their safety after experimenting with this hallucinogenic drug. Some individuals even found themselves in life threatening situations after using the drug.

With its long term effects unknown to researchers, we have yet to determine the detrimental results of using this recreational drug and It seems that it is only a matter of time before the use of this newly admired narcotic, available to be purchased online by all its susceptible users, will become more and more prevalent.

Concerned about a loved one using illegal drugs. Have questions?

If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention contact us:

Addiction Treatment for Adults and Young Adults: 1-888-387-6237 http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Are There Treatments for Opioid Addiction?

Individuals who abuse or are addicted to prescription opioid medications can be treated. Initially, they may need to undergo medically supervised detoxification to help reduce withdrawal symptoms; however, that is just the first step. Options for effectively treating addiction to prescription opioids are drawn from research on treating heroin addiction. Behavioral treatments, usually combined with medications, have also been proven effective. Currently used medications are:

• Methadone, a synthetic opioid that eliminates withdrawal symptoms and relieves craving, has been used successfully for more than 30 years to treat people addicted to heroin as well as opiates. 
 
• Buprenorphine, another synthetic opioid, is a more recently approved medication for treating addiction to heroin and other opiates. It can be prescribed in a physician’s office. 

• Naltrexone is a long-acting opioid receptor blocker that can be employed to help prevent relapse. It is not widely used, however, because of poor compliance, except by highly motivated individuals (e.g., physicians at risk of losing their medical license). It should be noted that this medication can only be used for someone who has already been detoxified, since it can produce severe withdrawal symptoms in a person continuing to abuse opioids.

• Naloxone is a short-acting opioid receptor blocker that counteracts the effects of opioids and can be used to treat overdoses.
If you are looking for a treatment facility for you or someone you love, Cove Center for Recovery offers residential treatment for patients addicted to prescription drugs.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for Adults and Young Adults: 1-888-387-6237 http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Opioids Adverse Effects

Opioids are analgesic, or pain-relieving, medications. Studies have shown that properly managed medical use (taken exactly as prescribed) of opioid analgesics is safe, can manage pain effectively, and rarely causes addiction.

Among the compounds that fall within this class are hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin), oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin—an oral, controlled-release form of the drug), morphine, fentanyl, codeine, and related medications. Morphine and fentanyl are often used to alleviate severe pain, while codeine is used for milder pain. Other examples of opioids prescribed to relieve pain include propoxyphene (Darvon); hydromorphone (Dilaudid); and meperidine (Demerol), which is used less often because of its side effects. In addition to their effective pain-relieving properties, some of these medications can be used to relieve severe diarrhea (for example, Lomotil, also known as diphenoxylate) or severe coughs (codeine).

These medications are only safe to use with other substances under a physician’s supervision. Typically, they should not be used with alcohol, antihistamines, barbiturates, or benzodiazepines. Because these other substances slow breathing, their effects in combination with opioids could lead to life-threatening respiratory depression.

Patients who are prescribed opioids for a period of time may develop a physical dependence on them, which is not the same as addiction. Repeated exposure to opioids causes the body to adapt, sometimes resulting in tolerance (that is, more of the drug is needed to achieve the desired effect compared with when it was first prescribed) and in withdrawal symptoms upon abrupt cessation of drug use. Thus, individuals taking prescribed opioid medications should not only be given these medications under appropriate medical supervision, but they should also be medically supervised when stopping use in order to reduce or avoid withdrawal symptoms. Symptoms of withdrawal can include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (“cold turkey”), and involuntary leg movements.

If you are looking for a treatment facility for you or someone you love, Cove Center for Recovery offers residential treatment for patients addicted to prescription drugs.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for Adults and Young Adults: 1-888-387-6237 http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Dual diagnosis occurs when an individual has both a mental disorder and an alcohol or drug problem. These conditions occur together frequently. In particular, alcohol and drug problems tend to occur with:
• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Schizophrenia
• Personality disorders

Sometimes the mental problem occurs first. This can lead individuals to use alcohol or drugs that make them feel better temporarily. Sometimes the substance abuse occurs first. Over time, that can lead to emotional and mental problems.

To get better, an individual with a dual diagnosis must treat both conditions. First, the individual must go for a period of time without using alcohol or drugs. This is called detoxification. The next step is rehabilitation for the substance problem and treatment for the mental disorder. This step might include medicines, support groups and therapy.

There is a growing number of model programs. Support groups are an important component of these programs. Individuals support each other as they learn about the negative role that alcohol and drugs has had on their lives. They learn social skills and how to replace substance use with new thoughts and behaviors. They get help with concrete situations that arise because of their brain disorder (mental illness).

If you are looking for a treatment facility for you or someone you love, Cove Center for Recovery offers residential treatment for dual diagnosed patients.
Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for Adults and Young Adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Alcoholism Treatment

There are many types of alcohol addiction treatment. Treatment types are determined by the individual's level of use and other mental health and medical issues.

Detoxification, short-term and long-term rehabilitation, intensive outpatient programs, 12-step programs and individual, family and group therapy are all forms of alcohol addiction treatment. Some types of treatment such as detoxification may last one week whereas other such as long-term, residential alcoholism treatment can last 30 days or longer.

Each type of alcohol addiction treatment has its own advantages. Including family and friends in the individual’s alcoholism treatment is critical to success, so a good alcohol rehab includes family  and friends in their addiction therapy programs . Detoxification might be needed if the individual  is heavily dependent on alcohol.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Treatment for Prescription Drug Abuse

Prescription medications such as pain relievers, central nervous system (CNS) depressants (tranquilizers and sedatives), and stimulants are highly beneficial treatments for a variety of health conditions. Pain relievers enable individuals with chronic pain to lead productive lives; tranquilizers can reduce anxiety and help patients with sleep disorders; and stimulants help people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) focus their attention. Most people who take prescription medications use them responsibly. But when abused—that is, taken by someone other than the patient for whom the medication was prescribed, or taken in a manner or dosage other than what was prescribed—prescription medications can produce serious adverse health effects, including addiction.

Available options for effectively treating addiction to prescription drugs depend on the medication being abused.

Approaches to treating teen pain reliever addiction are drawn from research on treating heroin addiction, and include medications combined with behavioral counseling. Promising new approaches include depot or long-acting formulations of medications with effects that last for weeks instead of hours or days. This approach with the opioid blocker naltrexone is showing remarkable promise in clinical trials for heroin addiction-increasing abstinence, treatment retention, and decreasing craving.

Although no medications yet exist to treat addiction to CNS depressants or to prescription stimulants, behavioral therapies proven effective in treating prescription drug addiction.

If you have come across this article is because you or someone you love is in need of help for an prescription drug abuse. Cove Center for Recovery is an Addiction Treatment Center offering a premier prescription drug abuse treatment program that can help you or your loved one. Our aim is to treat the whole person, and not just an isolated symptom. During the treatment process we will work with the client to identify the factors that may have contributed to their prescription drug abuse – home, work, relationships and medical history. We also believe that families have a vital role to play in the recovery process, and each program has a place for family participation, to educate them in the treatment process and to equip them for their role as supporters.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Risks of Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs

Opioids (used to treat pain):• Addiction. Prescription opioids act on the same receptors as heroin and therefore can be highly addictive. People who abuse them sometimes alter the route of administration (e.g., snorting or injecting vs. taking orally) to intensify the effect; some even report moving from prescription opioids to heroin.

• Overdose. Abuse of opioids, alone or in combination with alcohol or other drugs, can depress respiration and lead to death. Overdose is a major concern: the number of fatal poisonings involving prescription pain relievers has more than tripled since 1999.

• Heightened HIV risk. Injecting opioids increases the risk of HIV and other infectious diseases through use of unsterile or shared equipment.

CNS Depressants (used to treat anxiety and sleep problems): • Addiction and dangerous withdrawal symptoms. These drugs are addictive and, in chronic users or abusers, discontinuing them absent a physician's guidance can bring about severe withdrawal symptoms, including seizures that can be life-threatening.

• Overdose. High doses can cause severe respiratory depression. This risk increases when CNS depressants are combined with other medications or alcohol.

Stimulants (used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy): • Addiction and other health consequences. These include psychosis, seizures, and cardiovascular complications.

If you have come across this article is because you or someone you love is in need of help for an prescription drug abuse. Cove Center for Recovery is an Addiction Treatment Center offering a premier prescription drug abuse treatment program that can help you or your loved one. Our aim is to treat the whole person, and not just an isolated symptom. During the treatment process we will work with the client to identify the factors that may have contributed to their prescription drug abuse – home, work, relationships and medical history. We also believe that families have a vital role to play in the recovery process, and each program has a place for family participation, to educate them in the treatment process and to equip them for their role as supporters.

Reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Comorbidity Discussions in the Addiction and Mental Health Circles

An important topic of discussions among Patients, families and healthcare professionals has been comorbidity of ADHD and drug abuse and the causes of each and their effects on each other. Comorbidity is described as when two disorders or illnesses occur in the same person, simultaneously or sequentially. Also, interactions between the illnesses that affect the course and prognosis of two simultaneous or sequential disorders also are described as comorbidity.

It has been known for years that there is co-occurring illnesses with drug addiction. In many cases drug and alcohol addicts suffer from HIV, hepatitis C, cardiovascular disease and even cancer. It is not to say that drug addiction or alcoholism brings about, for example, HIV. But the fact that HIV is present in many hardcore drug addicts and abusers compels the health care professional to look for the other when one of these illnesses is present.

NIDA has put disease comorbidity on its top research priority, hoping to provide the needed information to states and the science community in general. In one report, NIDA has specifically focused on comorbidity of drug use disorders (abuse or dependence) and other mental illnesses.

One such area that the presence of comorbidity has been documented is in the sequential occurrence of childhood ADHD and the presence of drug abuse later in life. Even though studies have pointed to comorbidity of childhood ADHD and drug abuse, many suggest that only a subset of children with ADHD will develop drug addiction in later life.

In order to highlight the importance of understanding comorbidity, one can point to the fact that, for example, once comorbidity between ADHD and drug use disorders is established, then the next step could be determining if  effective treatment of ADHD at childhood will result in prevention of subsequent drug abuse and its associated behavioral problems later in life.

Another benefit in understanding illnesses comorbidity is answering the question of whether high prevalence of comorbidity between two disorders means that one caused the other, even if one appeared first. In case of drug abuse and ADHD, it was proven that neither is the cause of the other.

Another example is comorbid drug use disorder and mental illness. Once this relation was established, the drug and alcohol treatment centers included both disorders in their treatment plans.

In conclusion, understanding the comorbidity of diseases such as addiction and mental health issues provide us with important clues to understand those diseases and to make advances in treating them.

If you or someone you know need addiction treatment, reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for adults and young adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/

Are We Winning the Fight Against Drug Addiction?

In the fight against drug abuse and drug addiction, there have been several medications, such as methadone and Suboxone that have been proven effective.

However, unfortunately with the skyrocketing number of addiction cases, the clinics which offer these medications do not have enough available slots to help all in the area who need them. Combining this fact with another statistics that only 10% of addicts seek help, you can get the picture how urgently we need a substantially revised drug addiction prevention and treatment plan. This new plan needs to include all available resources, from the government and the private sector, all the way to the family unit in order to be successful.

By now we know that government money alone cannot solve the ills of the nation. Any urgent national problem should be considered and understood as urgent by the citizens of a society as well as the government of that society. We have poured billions of government dollars in drug addiction treatment and can show very little for it. Time has come to ask for value in return for the money we are spending. We need to identify the best resources for the solution to drug addiction problem and we need to have a way to measure our success. There should be some form of partnership between the government and the private sector to bring this out of control epidemic, at least under control in the short run, and perhaps reduce it to the status of "annoying issue" in the long run. It would be naïve to think there would be a day that drug addiction is completely eliminated. Like any other human vice, addictions have been part of human nature and will stay with us. Our best hope is to make it into a seldom occurring treatable disease.

In this scenario we may be able to eliminate the incidents of neonatal intensive care units treating drug-affected babies who are sick from the drug use of their mothers. We can decrease crimes related to drug use, the number of violent crimes and drug-related traffic accidents. We can reduce the incidents of 14 or 15 year olds invading their parent’s medicine cabinets to get their hands on prescription drugs. These are measurable results which if achieved can save us, as a nation, more than dollars. Achieving these results enhances the quality of life for a whole society.We need to address the American drug addiction problem with American drug addiction solutions that takes into account our specific national issues affecting this problem.

If you or someone you know need addiction treatment, reach out to us. Recovery from addiction is just a click or a phone call away. If the information you are looking for is not found here and you need immediate attention you may contact us:

Addiction Treatment for Adults and Young Adults: 1-888-387-6237
http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Addiction Treatment for Teens: 1-888-757-6237
http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/
http://www.inspirationsteenrehab.com/