Rehab

Kids And Prescriptions

colorful picture of pills

The New Fix-Its

U.S. teens are abusing illegal drugs such as marijuana less, but abuse of legal prescription drugs is rising, according to a new study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.  However, an increase in abuse of prescription and over-the-counter medications has left anti-drug campaigners confused as to how to combat the problem of legal drugs. Nearly one in 10 high school seniors reported using the prescription painkiller Vicodin without a prescription, while roughly one in 20 said they had used Oxycontin without a prescription.  Overdoses of prescription and over-the-counter drugs accounted for about one-quarter of the 1.3 million drug-related emergency room admissions in 2004.  Some kids are self-medicating undiagnosed depression or anxiety, while others are using stimulants to try to get an edge on tests and studying.  Sadly, prescription drugs are familiar mood-altering substances for a generation that grew up as prescriptions soared for Ritalin and other stimulants to treat maladies such as attention-deficit disorder.  A staggering five million kids take prescription drugs every day for behavior disorders.  Pharmaceutical companies’ production of two often-abused prescription drugs — hydrocodone and oxycodone, the active ingredients in drugs such as Vicodin and OxyContin — has risen dramatically as the drugs’ popularity for legitimate uses has increased.  To try to reduce the supply of prescription drugs on the black market, authorities have shut down several “pill mills” — where doctors prescribe inordinate amounts of narcotics — as well as Internet pharmacies that ship drugs with little medical consultation, says Catherine Harnett, chief of demand reduction for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).  Essentially what is most important is not locking up the narcotics it is better parenting and more involvement.

More Drinking…Less Maleness.

the boy with beer

Too much drinking? Not performing?

Chronic heavy drinking is bad for you, we all know this, but if you’re a man, have you heard that heavy regular drinking might also make you less able to perform???!!! Studies have shown that when consumed in binge amounts, some men may react by showing a temporary surge in testosterone levels; a hormonal jump that may well in part explain drunken aggression.  In general though, heavy, lengthy and regular use of alcohol has a diminishing effect on testosterone levels. Heavy regular alcohol use robs men of normal testosterone levels, which causes a number of negative health effects.

The Consequences of Lowered Testosterone Levels Include:

  • Fatigue
  • A decrease in sex drive
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Weight gain (fat gain, especially around the mid section)
  • A loss of lean muscle
  • Irritability
  • Body hair loss
  • A decrease in bone mass and a resultant increase in the risks of breaks and fractures
  • Depression
  • Male breasts
  • Shrinking testes
  • An increase in certain cardiovascular disease risks (men with very low testosterone levels are at a very high risk of heart attack)

Lab tests examining the impact of chronic drinking on testosterone levels have found that as little as 5 days of consecutive binge drinking will cause a lingering fall in testosterone in the body.  So while social norms may seem to demand heavy drinking in certain male focused environments, heavy drinking actually reduces the maleness of those selfsame participants!

If, after a diagnosis of low testosterone levels, you find yourself still drinking alcohol at anything above a very minimal amount and infrequently, you may need to reevaluate your relationship with alcohol – after all, continuing to drink even knowing the harms that alcohol does to your body, is a hallmark sign of an alcohol problem.