Youth
Kids And Prescriptions
Jul 29th
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.
Not Seeing Clearly
Jun 30th
Warped Perception
What are the contributing factors of an eating disorder? Even the slimmest women have, on occasion, stood in front of the mirror and asked: “Does this dress make me look fat?” No matter who you are at some point you have been your own worst critic. Why do we do this to ourselves and what drives body dysmorphia? Scientists have discovered that the body image a person projects in their own brain is “massively distorted” and can be up to two thirds wider than it is in reality. The brain’s own “body model” is also around a third shorter than the body actually is, according to the study at University College London. Researchers believe the findings could explain why slim women look in the mirror and see themselves as fat. They may also help explain the cause of some eating disorders.
Dr Michael Longo, a neuroscientist is a leader in brain research, said: “These findings may well be relevant to psychiatric conditions involving body image such as anorexia, as there may be a general bias towards perceiving the body to be wider than it is.” He also says,“Some people look in the mirror and receive information which tells them they are not fat, but they still can’t use that to over-ride their distorted body model and make themselves believe it.”
The scientists had subjects place their hands under a board and relay where specific landmarks such as knuckles and fingertips were. In doing so people were warped in their sense of size. Scientists believe the distortion stems from the number of sensory signals being sent to the brain from different parts of the skin. The brain’s warped “model” of the hand could be conveyed to the rest of the body, therefore adding to the beginnings or bolstering feelings of negative body image. For instance, if I am walking around feeling shorter and fatter than I really am these findings are saying that I am way off in my judgement. Surprisingly, researchers found that subjects could pick their accurate hand size from other templates. Therefore, researchers believe this shows that people have an accurate visual image of their own body but are still unable to use that information to over-ride the “brain model” which tells them they are larger.
It’s Harder If You Start Young
Jun 11th
Young and Loaded
A NIDA-funded study has demonstrated that the relapse rate for heroin addicts increases with time and that the probability of long-term abstinence depends on the age of first drug use. Those who start daily heroin use at a younger age are more likely to relapse than those who start later. Heroin is not the only type of drug that has ill effects if consumed at a young age.
Long-term studies of high school students and their patterns of drug use show that very few young people use other illegal drugs without first trying marijuana. For example, the risk of using cocaine is much greater for those who have tried marijuana than for those who have never tried it. Using marijuana puts children and teens in contact with people who are users and sellers of other drugs. So there is more of a risk that a marijuana user will be exposed to and urged to try more drugs. To better determine this risk, scientists are examining the possibility that long-term marijuana use may create changes in the brain that make a person more at risk of becoming addicted to other drugs, such as alcohol or cocaine. Therefore, if during the crucial developmental stages there are chemicals added to the brain chemistry evoking feelings of happiness, belonging, and/or excitement; the brain will be more likely to consistently resort to those methods (drugs) in order to experience those emotions due to the lack of practice in experiencing those feelings organically.
Addiction Is A Chronic Disease
Apr 20th
“Persons with addictive disorders suffer from many of the same medical conditions as nonaddicted persons, but addiction can interfere with the disease or its management.” – Dr. Richard Saitz
Associate Director and Lead Investigator, Youth Alcohol Prevention Center, Boston University School of Public Health
For example:
Addiction is in accord with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition for chronic disorders:
They are prolonged, lasting for at least three months, do not resolve spontaneously, and are rarely cured completely.
That said, addiction treatment is less available than remedy for other diseases. Most researchers say addiction may require lifelong management. One way to analyze addiction to alcohol and drugs is to measure it up against the attributes of other “real” chronic diseases. Scientific research that addiction many shared characteristics with other major chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and asthma. [as stated in “Drug Dependence, a Chronic Medical Illness,” A. Thomas McLellan] he concluded, “Treatments for these illnesses are effective but heavily dependent on adherence to the medical regimen for that effectiveness.”
The Adolescent Brain and Addiction
Apr 14th
Drug user brain activity
The adolescent brain is different from an adult brain because it is not yet fully matured. According to NIDA’s Dr. Volkow, adolescent brains are more susceptible to drug abuse and addiction than fully developed adult brains. However, because it is still growing, the adolescent brain also under the right conditions have a better opportunity for greater resilience. Even though treatment can yield positive results, sadly families are unwilling to look outside the home for help due to concerns about the “shame” associated with treatment. The adolescent that uses drugs/alcohol in a regular and frequent manner is quickly affected more so than the adult who uses in the same manner and duration. The social and emotional skills ideally acquired during this period of rapid change often are not learned when the youth is abusing drugs/alcohol, which results in psychosocial stunting of development. Drugs and alcohol have been the cause of many teenage traffic accidents, school drop out rates, teen pregnancy, crime, and suicide. Understanding adolescent drug use and potential addiction is attainable once good grasp of reality and examination techniques are acquired. It is important to identify the signs of addiction in youth and be able to arrest the decent into drug and alcohol addiction.