Synthetic Marijuana, K2 or Spice

Synthetic cannabis is a psychoactive herbal and chemical product which, when consumed mimics the effects of cannabis. It is best known by the brand names K2 and Spice, both of which have largely become genericized trademarks used to refer to any synthetic cannabis product. (It is also for this reason that synthetic cannabis is often referred to as spice product, due to the latter.)

Spice or K2 has a strand that mimics THC the active ingredient of marijuana. However spice is a more dangerous drug than marijuana. K2 is the brand name and can be bought online or in smoke shops.

The legal pot was really created by a medical scientist and it was supposed to help a medical condition, however it was deemed too dangerous. The mimic THC, is a hundred times more potent than weed. The higher potency is cause for concern.

 On November 24, 2010, Drug Enforcement Administration Officials finally imposed a nationwide ban to the "legal weed", K2, due to the alarming rise in reported abuse. On March 1, the Drug Enforcement Agency used its emergency enforcement authority to add five chemicals commonly used in Spice or K-2 to the list of Schedule I drugs in the Controlled Substances Act.

It is important to stay educated on not only the existence of the drug, but also the terms and language used by drug users. Education and awareness are two of our best weapons in the fight against illicit drugs.

Street Names: Bliss, Black Mamba, Bombay Blue, Fake Weed, Genie, Spice, Zohai

Methods of Use: K2 products are usually smoked in joints or pipes, but some users make it into a tea.

Effect on the Mind: Psychological effects are similar to those of marijuana and include paranoia, panic attacks, and giddiness.

Effect on the Body: Physiological effects of K2 include increased heart rate and increase of blood pressure. It appears to be stored in the body for long periods of time, and therefore the long-term effects on humans are not fully known.

For any further questions on Spice/K2 addiction or any drug abuse related issue and how to get treatment contact us at: 

Young Adult and Adult Addiction Treatment

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http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/

Adolescent Addiction Treatment

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Bath Salts a Highly Addictive Substance

“Bath salts”, mephedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone, or MDPV has been responsible for sending scores of people to the emergency rooms across the country. The number of emergency related incident calls related to this widely available drug skyrocketed from 235 calls last year to 246 calls in January alone.

MDPV has been sold under the street names of Cloud 9, Ivory Wave, Ocean, Charge Plus, White Lightning, Scarface, Hurricane Charlie, Red Dove and White Dove.

The drugs come in powder and tablet form and are ingested by snorting, injection, smoking and, less often, by use of an atomizer. “Bath salts” is a psychoactive drug with stimulant properties which acts as a norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI).

Also called synthetic cocaine, fake coke, “charge” or the new Miaow Miaow the usage of this product has become a fast-growing, highly addictive trend. Individuals who have used and survived to tell the story, say they can’t get enough of the fake coke.

Unlike cocaine or meth, the white powder is still legal in most of the U.S. and it is sold at gas stations and specialty shops around the country. Family members are reporting that their loved ones are staying awake for as long as 72 hours in complete pandemonium.

“Bath salts” give the user such strength that it takes several people to take control of the individual under its influence. “Bath salts” is a powerful synthetic stimulant that has been responsible for many deaths. Users are either overdosing, committing violent drug-induced suicide or having accidents caused by their paranoia.

Producing effects worst than cocaine and meth “bath salts” have already been banned in Scotland following related deaths. Last December the DEA listed (MDPV) as a drug of concern but has no current plans to ban it nationwide.Florida has become the second state to ban "bath salts" following Louisiana. Officials in Mississippi, Kentucky and other states have begun to take similar steps.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is calling for a federal ban on the drug. “The so-called ‘bath salts’ are nothing more than deadly narcotics and they are being sold cheaply to all comers no questions asked, at store counters around the country…we want to nip this in the bud before it becomes an epidemic,” Schumer said.

If you or someone you know has gotten involved with this highly addictive substance or any other drug, please seek help before it’s too late. For immediate attention seek your nearest emergency room as this drug has shown to be deadly.

Cove Center for Recovery has introduced the treatment for Bath Salt Addiction in November 2010, when cases of Bath Salts started to surface.

Bath Salts Rehab for young adults and adults: 1-888-387-6237

http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com

Bath Salts Rehab for adolescents: 1-888-757-6237

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Scientific Knowledge Will Transform the Way we Treat Addiction

The scientific knowledge we have accumulated will be used to transform the way we treat addiction and how we prevent drug abuse in the first place, or its escalation to addiction.

Genes account for about 50 percent of a person’s risk of becoming addicted, and environmental factors influence the effect of these genes—an area of research called epigenetics. Progress in genetics/ epigenetics research will lead to more refined prevention and treatment interventions targeted to individual risk or to modifiable environmental influences.

Emerging medication targets and treatment approaches will capitalize on our expanded knowledge of underlying neurobiology and brain circuitry involved in addiction. For example, research has revealed new candidate systems (e.g., cannabinoid) that may be promising targets for the development of medications to treat addiction and other disease (e.g., pain). Medications will also be developed to affect systems common to multiple addictions, such as stress-induced relapse, or cognitive remediation. Of critical importance to the development of future addiction therapies is the notion of brain plasticity as a two- edged sword: the same malleability that can bring about deleterious brain changes also holds promise for effective and enduring treatments.

Immunotherapy (e.g., “vaccines”), will be available to sustain abstinence, even prevent addiction. Studies are underway to develop or improve vaccines that use antibodies to bind the drug while it is still in the bloodstream, preventing it from entering the brain. A vaccine for nicotine addiction is already in advanced efficacy trials, having garnered significant improvement in smoking cessation rates and continuous long-term smoking abstinence.

Pharmacogenomics—or understanding how variations in an individual’s genome affect his or her response to a medication—will advance sufficiently to allow physicians to individualize patient treatment for maximum efficacy and minimal adverse effects.

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, along with increased accessibility to insurance coverage provided by the Affordable Care Act, will expand access to substance abuse treatment and improve delivery of integrated healthcare for addiction and its health consequences. This will require well-trained substance abuse treatment providers and seamless integration with the mainstream healthcare system.

Primary care physicians and other healthcare professionals will routinely screen their patients for substance abuse and help prevent its escalation to addiction. By Identifying substance abusers—already over represented in the patient population—physicians can provide better and more comprehensive patient care that will improve outcomes for many medical conditions where substance abuse is already present.

Early and appropriate substance use intervention will also alleviate the significant societal costs of drug abuse and addiction, currently estimated at about $600 billion a year.

Material Posted above is Courtesy of National Institute of Drug Abuse

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The Dangerous Business of Detoxing from Alcohol Alone

Amy Winehouse death  on July 23rd, brings to surface the eye opening fact of the dangers of alcohol detox. It also discloses to those who still don’t think alcoholism is a disease, that getting off of alcohol is a dangerous business.

Alcohol detox is a common recommendation for severe alcohol addiction. It saves and has saved many lives. However, one thing that many people don’t realize is that, the detox process itself is a painful and potentially a dangerous process. Alcohol detox can in fact kill the addict, if not closely supervised. 

According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health an estimated 15.2 million Americans battle alcohol abuse and addiction each year. About 5 percent of untreated patients going through acute alcohol withdrawal have seizures, according to a report published in Alcohol Health & Research World. Between 5 and 25 percent of patients who are going through the severest stage of alcohol withdrawal die from delirium tremens (DT's), the report said. Alcohol withdrawal requires careful monitoring and taking a drug such as Librium to help.

Dr. Philip Gilly, medical director of the Maplegrove Center at Henry Ford Health System in West Bloomfield, Mich., says a seizure can be caused after 24 hours of alcohol withdrawal or withdrawal from long-term use of the medication, part of a class of benzodiazepines which includes other prescription drugs such as Ativan, Klonopin, Xanax and Valium.

Librium can become addictive and can cause medical issues such as dependence, agitation, disorientation, hypertension, anxiety and anorexia if it’s taken much longer than a week. In severe cases, seizures can occur during sudden Librium withdrawal.

“If someone were going to have a benzo withdrawal seizure because of the Librium, it means they were taking it improperly,” Dr. Gilly says. “They were taking it longer and more than they would need for alcohol withdrawal. They would have to be taking it every day for more than a month or two.”

“Your blood pressure gets really high. You’ll get agitated, hyperactive, anxiety-filled and you will actually get depressed because of all that’s going on," she said. "You can get jaundice and turn yellow from hepatitis inflammation in your liver, and have hallucinations and seizures.”

Drugs and alcohol affect the brain, says Dr. Gilly, and seizures are a short circuit in the brain’s electrical circuits. The brain goes through changes when a person starts taking drugs, or comes off them, causing overactive or irritated nerves that can lead to seizures.

As it is suspected that Amy Winehouse died from alcohol detox seizure related complications, one need to understand that medical attention is necessary to go through this process, otherwise the person going through the process is running a grave risk. Dr. Gilly's advice is, don't stop drinking until you get medical attention, which is needed immediately because between 48 and 72 hours is when you have seizures from an acute withdrawal.” 

For more information on Alcohol Abuse, Use and Alcohol Addiction Treatment visit Cove Center for Recovery

Four Things to Know About Addiction

In the past few decades, limited research and resources influenced people into believing addiction could easily be overcome if an addict simply “said no” to drugs and alcohol. In today’s society, we know that addiction is classified as a “disease of the brain” rather than a recreational hobby. In order to better understand addiction, one must consider four key components: 

Genetics:

The National Association for Children of Alcoholics warns that not only are children of alcoholics 8 times likelier to develop alcoholism , but they are more likely to choose a partner who is also an alcoholic, which ultimately leads to alcoholic offspring. Furthermore, males are 4 times likelier to develop alcoholism than females are.

Biology:
Just as genetics plays an important role in alcoholism, so does brain chemistry. There are many addicts, who will give priority to alcohol and other substances and eventually neglect their spouses and children, all because their bodies were intensely “craving” the substance. These substances ultimately change the chemistry of the brain once they enter the body and researchers across the world believe they will soon be able to identify why the changes occur and how reverse them. 

Self-Motivation:

A peer reviewed journal known as “Health Psychology” will soon publish an article on how brain scans can predict just how motivated addicts are to overcome their addiction.

Learning to Take Personal Responsibility:

Many addicts blame their social status, living conditions, souses and families for their addiction and often feel “victimized” by society. Addicts must learn how to change their outlook on life by choosing better friends, healthier lifestyles and by mending broken relationship with loved-ones.
 
Because drug addiction as well as alcohol addiction, have so many dimensions and disrupt so many aspects of an individual's life, addiction treatment is not simple. Effective addiction treatment programs incorporate many components, each directed to a particular aspect of the illness and its consequences. Addiction treatment must help the individual stop using drugs (interventions), maintain a drug-free lifestyle, and achieve productive functioning in the family, at work, and in society. Because addiction is typically a chronic disease, people cannot simply stop using drugs or alcohol for a few days and be cured. Most patients addicted to drugs and alcohol require long-term or repeated episodes of care to achieve the ultimate goal of sustained abstinence of drug and alcohol, and recovery of their lives.

For more information on effective addiction treatment, behavioral addiction treatments and the different types of addiction treatment programs, visit us @ http://www.covecenterforrecovery.com/Addiction-Treatment.asp

Addiction Treatment Helpline for Young Adults and Adults:
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Addiction Treatment Helpline for Adolescents:
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Drug Overdose Now a Leading Cause of Death in the U.S

For the first time in U.S history, the number of drug overdose fatalities has surpassed the number of automobile accident deaths.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2009 alone, 37,485 people died from a drug overdose, which exceeds the 36,284 people who lost their lives in car accidents. The majority of drug fatalities were caused by overdosing OxyContin, fentanyl and morphine; all of which classify as legal medication prescribed by physicians.

Furthermore, “The FDA Opioid Stategy” hopes to significantly decrease drug overdoses by requiring better physician education on proper pain management and patient selection, in addition to educating the public on proper drug dosage and appropriate disposal methods of superfluous drugs stored in medicine cabinets.

If you have come across our Addiction Treatment blog, is because you or someone you love is in need of help for prescription drug addiction. Cove Center for Recovery is an Addiction Treatment Center offering a premier drug addiction 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 addiction treatment process we will work with the client to identify the factors that may have contributed to their addiction– 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 addiction 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


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Treating Addiction to CNS Depressants

Patients addicted to barbiturates and benzodiazepines should not attempt to stop taking them on their own. Withdrawal symptoms from these drugs can be problematic, and in the case of certain CNS depressants - potentially life-threatening. Although no research regarding the treatment of barbiturate and benzodiazepine addiction exists, addicted patients must undergo medically supervised detoxification because the treatment dose must be gradually tapered. Often barbiturate and benzodiazepine abuse occurs in conjunction with the abuse of another substance or drug, such as alcohol or cocaine. In these cases of poly drug abuse, Cove’s addiction treatment approach addresses the multiple addictions.

Cove offers Inpatient/Residential and Outpatient counseling services to help the individual during this process. Cove offers cognitive behavioral therapy, which focuses on modifying the patient's thinking, expectations, and behaviors, while at the same time increasing skills for coping with various life stressors. All of our addiction treatment programs provides recreational and sports activities which has also been used successfully to help individuals adapt to the discontinuation of benzodiazepines and its discomforts. Our addiction treatment approach helps people to leave their destructive life style and immerse themselves in a new and different healing environment. Cove is nationally known and respected for its unique successful approach to real life recovery. 

Interventions are necessary for individuals who are unable or unwilling to recognize the need for help.

Get help for prescription drug addiction at:
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