Karen’s Free Health and Fitness Tips

Monitoring the drug abuse statistics in our youth is a great indicator of the future of the next generations. Organizations such as Monitoring The Future (MTF) have been conducting research since the mid 1970s on the use of drugs amongst 12th grade students and their perception of drugs and its use. The University of Michigan’s Institute of Social Research conducts the studies.

The study is longitudinal and follows the patterns and changes in attitudes of the students over time. In 1991, the studies included 8th and 10th graders too.

The latest drug abuse statistics conducted by MTF were taken in 2008. The key findings showed a decrease in the abuse pattern for a majority of the drugs compared to the previous year.

There were a few positive results that were highlighted. In 2008, the number of 10th graders that have used any illicit drugs in their lifetime had significantly declined in comparison to 2007.

The percentage of youngsters in this age group that smoke cigarettes have continued to decline over the years, and has fallen to the lowest rate in the history of the survey. This is a promising finding, as the use of tobacco is one of the major concerns in health problems.

Life can be quite crazy sometimes and many people seek to hide themselves away from the lunacy of society by taking drugs and alcohol. Unfortunately there is only one conclusion to the downward spiral of drug and alcohol abuse… more alcohol and drug abuse. Eventually the substance abuser must get real with themselves and try to figure out how to stop drug abuse in themselves. The longer the person has been taking drugs or abusing alcohol, a hard it will be to quit and get control of themselves once again.

First thing that you must do is make a commitment to quit. You can only stop drug abuse if you have first made the first move towards quitting, admitting that you have a problem and that you need to stop taking drugs or abusing alcohol. The next step is when you finally quit using. You will go through a period of drug or alcohol detoxification, during which time you will suffer from the withdrawal effects that are caused by the elimination of the poisons that you have allowed into your body during your time of substance abuse. Once the drug detox has finished, you will now have to start facing the reasons why you have abused drugs.

There are several different reasons why a drug abuse intervention will save someone’s life, and there should be no hesitation when it comes to whether or not to use an intervention to help someone.

Saves a Life With Drug Abuse Intervention

It is possible for an addict to be physically injured or even killed while trying to purchase their drugs, depending on where that is. The same danger exists for the people around the addict as well. The addict may think that the dealer is their friend, but the criminals that deal drugs are, in no way, a friend to anyone. In that situation, the addict is playing Russian Roulette with their life, even though they may not realize or acknowledge it. The user thinks the drug dealer is a friend. When trouble comes, that “friend” can turn ugly very fast.

Stop The Possibility of Legal Distress or a Police Record

If the addict is ever caught using or carrying anything that suggests use, severe legal trouble and a record will happen. The legal issues will cost money many addicts and their families do not have. On top of the fact the addict may serve prison time, the charges will follow them for the rest of their lives, making it difficult to get a job or even rent a place to live. If prison time has to be served, it can be a traumatic experience and difficult to readjust to society afterward.

Drug detox and rehab treatments have been criticized for poor results or failing to disabuse someone of their drug abuse. But what if 95% of the programs use methods prone to failure? The entire rehab industry might be getting a bad reputation because the methods most centers are using are failing, not because recovery isn’t occurring often enough.

Addiction may not be the biggest barrier to recovery.

The addiction is a disease belief makes no sense as it doesn’t even claim to end addiction.

Belief That Drug Abuse Is A Disease Creates Failure

“The disease concept has proven to be far more damaging to the substance abuser then anyone could have predicted. Therapists claim the disease concept helps the patient to understand the seriousness of [his/her] problems. But in reality, this idea has backfired. The disease concept strips the substance abuser of responsibility. A disease cannot be cured by force of will.” (Alcoholism: A Disease of Speculation, 2003)

Fact: The Addiction = Disease belief is failing as a rehab philosophy. More people end addiction on their own (80%) than are cured using the Disease Model (22%). The people who stopped on their own were abusing drugs, and got better results than those trying the Disease Model of Treatment.

Teenage drug abuse is at an all-time high. No pun intended. Youth between the ages of 12-17 are being reported using illegal drugs If you are a parent, you know that teenage drug abuse is not an imaginary problem in our society, but instead is a very real, dangerous and quite far spread activity amongst teens. Unfortunately, to their child’s detriment, parents sometimes like to delude themselves with the fantasies that a good private school, active participation in the church or synagogue’s youth group program, strict curfews, and parental generosity will somehow deter their growing child from the dangers that lurk amongst peer groups, pushers, and the darkness of the dance clubs. Teenage drug abuse is a commonplace occurrence, and parents as well as caregivers need to be alert to the signs thereof, even in the most innocent of settings.

Frequently, you can hear teens making statements to their parents, “it’s not like I am smoking crack” or “it’s just a little pot, it can’t hurt me”. If you’re suspicious about your teen’s drug abuse or illegal drug usage, the best way to find out is by administering a teenage drug test from home.

A very important factor for addiction recovery is being able to have tools for dealing with difficult situations, rather than going into an escape route such as taking drugs. Initially it is hard to use new tools rather than old habits but as time goes on, the old habits appear to offer no solution and the new tools give one a sense of accomplishment and enrichment. It is similar to the feeling one might have where someone might have chosen to jog for 20 minutes for relief instead of running out to buy chocolate and ice cream to deal with an argument they just had with someone.

How do you get the energy to combat an old pattern in your addiction recovery? It is helpful to write out or sit meditatively and ask yourself where the former pattern takes you and how you feel afterward. How do you feel after having a few chocolate bars or calling someone back to scream at them? Compare that to how you feel after taking a run, doing some journal writing or something that increases your energy and awareness.

The use of illegal drugs has become a reality throughout modern America. The state of Oklahoma is no exception to this rule. Emotional insecurity, poverty and plain curiosity have caused many Americans to experiment and use substances in hopes of alleviating the pain of everyday life and to achieve a pleasurable ‘high’. Many people choose to view these types of individuals as outcasts, but at the law firm of Atkins & Markoff, we view these unfortunate individuals not as criminals, but as victims caught up in the uncaring impartial justice system. This outlook greatly influences the manner in which we treat our clients and gives us the opportunity to provide them with the best legal protection they deserve.

Drug use in Oklahoma consists of many types of drugs. Cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, extacy, GHB, and prescription drug use. These are among some of the most common problems on the streets today. The clients who turn to the law firm of Atkins & Markoff will be nothing less than satisfied. We pride ourselves on a proven track record of defending victims charged with drug crimes and will use every aspect of the law to make sure your rights and freedom are protected.

Drug abuse rages rampant in our world today! Drug addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior. The brain’s structure and function are altered due to drug abuse and can result in changes that persist even after ceasing its use. This is one possible explanation of why drug abusers are at risk for relapse despite the potentially devastating consequences.

Principles Of Drug Abuse Treatment

The treatment of drug misuse is based on certain effective principles:

- Addiction is a complex but treatable disease
- Single treatment can not be give to everyone
- Drug misuse treatment should be readily available
- Effective treatment covers the multiple needs of the individual
- Taking the treatment and staying the course for the entire duration
- Individual and group counseling
- An important element in treatment is right medications
- Continuous monitoring and assessment of the individuals treatment is vital for progress
- Awareness that many drug-addicts also have mental disorders
- Medically assisted detox is only the first step to treating the addiction
- Voluntary drug treatment is effective but not necessary
- Constant monitoring to avoid drug use lapses during treatment
- Treatment programs should assess patients for infectious diseases

“Just Say No” as the popular anti drug campaign goes is one of the most difficult things to do for a person looking for some respite. The drugs don’t talk back, they don’t leave you, they don’t use you are some of the popular disbeliefs that drug users harbor, making it a dangerous addiction. This article deals with understanding the causes of drug abuse, symptoms and signs and some treatments that could be of use.

Causes of Drug Abuse:

• History of mental illness: drugs are sometimes used by people with mental disorders and in some cases even worsen already existing mental illness. They can even create new illnesses.
• Family History: it has not been completely ascertained that genetics and environment play an important role in drug abuse, but if you have a family history of addiction then you are at a higher risk of abusing drugs.
• Physical Pain: illegal drugs and pain medication, like heroin taken without any medical supervision can become addictive.
• Peer Pressure: one of the largest reasons is peer pressure, as if you are with people who are doing drugs then you are tempted to and many times pressured to try these drugs.