The signs of meth addiction take a toll on the user both physically and emotionally. It works directly on the brain and spinal cord by interfering with normal neurotransmission. Neurotransmitters are chemical substances naturally produced within nerve cells used to communicate with each other and send messages to influence and regulate our thinking and all other systems throughout the body.
The main neurotransmitter affected by methamphetamine is dopamine. Dopamine is involved with our natural reward system. For example, feeling good about a job well done, getting pleasure from our family or social interactions, feeling content and that our lives are meaningful and count for something, all rely on dopamine transmission.
The signs of meth addiction include more than the destruction of a person's ability to experience pleasure naturally. Chronic use can create a tolerance for the drug, leading a person to try to intensify the desired effects by taking increasingly higher doses, taking it more frequently or changing their method of getting high.
To support their habit, Meth users often participate in spur-of-the-moment crimes such as burglaries. Several signs of meth addiction include feelings of agitation and feeling wired. Addict’s behavior becomes unpredictable from moment to moment. They may start doing the same thing over and over, like taking apart and reassembling bits of machinery, or continuously picking at imaginary bugs under their skin.
Meth is referred to by many names including "meth," "speed .. crank," "chalk,"- "go-fast," "zip," and "cristy." Pure methamphetamine hydrochloride, the smokeable form of the drug, is called "L.A." or - because of its clear, chunky crystals which resemble frozen water - "ice," "crystal," 64glass," or "quartz."
Decreased appetite and possible weight loss
Rotting teeth
Picking at skin "Meth Bugs"
Dilated Pupils
Paranoia
Decreased interest in appearance
The signs of meth addiction include but are not limited to:
increased alertness
sense of well-being
paranoia
intense high
hallucinations
aggressive behavior
increased heart rate
convulsions
extreme rise in body temperature (as high as 108 degrees which can cause brain damage and death)
increased sweating/body odor
uncontrollable movements (twitching, jerking, etc...)
violent behavior
insomnia
impaired speech
dry, itchy skin
premature aging
rotting teeth
loss of appetite
acne, sores
numbness
disturbed sleep
excessive excitation
excessive talking
panic
anxiousness
nervousness
moodiness and irritability
false sense of confidence and power
delusions of grandeur leading to aggressive behavior
uninterested in friends, sex, or food
aggressive and violent behavior
severe depression
dilated pupils
Monday, April 6, 2009
Kids on Drugs...
It's hard to imagine your child using marijuana. But chances are, kids today will be faced with, "Should I or shouldn't I?" Young people have many stresses and the notion that "drugs will make you feel better" can have a lot of appeal. Also, youth might see drugs as something to experiment with or something that can help them fit in.
Research has shown that many parents today are ambivalent about drugs such as marijuana. Some consider it to be relatively risk-free and are more concerned about drugs such as cocaine or ecstasy. The wake-up call for parents, however, is that marijuana is not a harmless drug. It's time to teach your child that the answer to the marijuana question is, "I shouldn't, and I won't."
The drugging of America's schoolchildren for behavioral and emotional problems has been a scandal for at least two decades. Just when you thought things couldn't get worse, a new report shows that the prescribing of psychiatric drugs to children under the age of six has increased dramatically between 1991 and 1995. Here's one astounding statistic from the reports introduction: 3,000 prescriptions for the antidepressant, Prozac, were written in 1994 alone for infants younger than one year. This trend is alarming because there is no evidence of safety or efficacy for any of these drugs in children under age six.
The new report by Julie Magno Zito, PhD, University of Maryland, and colleagues, is based on the records of over 200,000 children between the ages of two and four who live in the Midwest and Eastern U.S. and were enrolled in an HMO or one of two Medicaid programs (JAMA, 2/23/00). The findings suggest that "1% to 1.5% of all children two to four years old enrolled in these programs are receiving stimulants, antidepressants, or antipsychotic medications," according to the editorial that accompanied the report. The largest increases in prescriptions were shown for stimulants, antidepressants, and the antihypertensive, clonidine (brand name: Catapres). Stimulants purportedly have the reverse effect in children. These drugs, most notably Ritalin, are primarily prescribed for a condition that some experts believe is nonexistent: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
To Peter R. Breggin, MD, the maverick psychiatrist and author of Talking Back to Ritalin: What doctors aren't telling you about stimulant drugs, "ADHD has one over-riding purpose--to put a medical veneer on the use of medication to control the behavior of children." According to the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a child has ADHD if he or she has six or more of the following symptoms for six months: "often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in a seat; often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected; often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate; often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly; often 'on the go' or often acts as if 'driven by a motor;' often talks excessively; often blurts out the answer before questions have been completed; often has difficulty awaiting turn; often interrupts or intrudes on others." By this diagnostic definition, virtually all preschoolers may be headed for long-term drug therapy. Not surprisingly, boys are given 80% of the prescriptions for stimulants.
According to Dr. Breggin, there are no objective diagnostic criteria for ADHD, "no physical symptoms, no neurological signs, and no blood tests. Despite claims to the contrary, there are no brain scan findings and no biochemical imbalances. No physical tests can be done to verify that a child has 'ADHD.'" Ritalin has been on the market for over 30 years, he says, but no study has proved safety and efficacy beyond a few weeks.
The new report by Dr. Zito and colleagues notes that cardiovascular adverse effects have been reported in young children taking clonidine in combination with other medications. But the investigators did not explain why doctors would prescribe antihypertension drugs to children. Psychologist Dominick Riccio, PhD, of the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology, was asked for his opinion as someone who has followed the field for years. "One possible explanation could be that when Ritalin and other amphetamine-like drugs don't work and may even cause the very symptoms they're purported to reduce, doctors add clonidine or anti-anxiety drugs to treat the side effects of the Ritalin, such as insomnia and nervousness," answered Dr. Riccio, in a telephone interview. "Polypharmacy--that is, prescribing more than one drug--generally is bad psychiatry because it is not clear what's having the 'therapeutic' effect and you don't know what's causing the side effects when they occur."
Research has shown that many parents today are ambivalent about drugs such as marijuana. Some consider it to be relatively risk-free and are more concerned about drugs such as cocaine or ecstasy. The wake-up call for parents, however, is that marijuana is not a harmless drug. It's time to teach your child that the answer to the marijuana question is, "I shouldn't, and I won't."
The drugging of America's schoolchildren for behavioral and emotional problems has been a scandal for at least two decades. Just when you thought things couldn't get worse, a new report shows that the prescribing of psychiatric drugs to children under the age of six has increased dramatically between 1991 and 1995. Here's one astounding statistic from the reports introduction: 3,000 prescriptions for the antidepressant, Prozac, were written in 1994 alone for infants younger than one year. This trend is alarming because there is no evidence of safety or efficacy for any of these drugs in children under age six.
The new report by Julie Magno Zito, PhD, University of Maryland, and colleagues, is based on the records of over 200,000 children between the ages of two and four who live in the Midwest and Eastern U.S. and were enrolled in an HMO or one of two Medicaid programs (JAMA, 2/23/00). The findings suggest that "1% to 1.5% of all children two to four years old enrolled in these programs are receiving stimulants, antidepressants, or antipsychotic medications," according to the editorial that accompanied the report. The largest increases in prescriptions were shown for stimulants, antidepressants, and the antihypertensive, clonidine (brand name: Catapres). Stimulants purportedly have the reverse effect in children. These drugs, most notably Ritalin, are primarily prescribed for a condition that some experts believe is nonexistent: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
To Peter R. Breggin, MD, the maverick psychiatrist and author of Talking Back to Ritalin: What doctors aren't telling you about stimulant drugs, "ADHD has one over-riding purpose--to put a medical veneer on the use of medication to control the behavior of children." According to the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a child has ADHD if he or she has six or more of the following symptoms for six months: "often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in a seat; often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected; often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate; often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly; often 'on the go' or often acts as if 'driven by a motor;' often talks excessively; often blurts out the answer before questions have been completed; often has difficulty awaiting turn; often interrupts or intrudes on others." By this diagnostic definition, virtually all preschoolers may be headed for long-term drug therapy. Not surprisingly, boys are given 80% of the prescriptions for stimulants.
According to Dr. Breggin, there are no objective diagnostic criteria for ADHD, "no physical symptoms, no neurological signs, and no blood tests. Despite claims to the contrary, there are no brain scan findings and no biochemical imbalances. No physical tests can be done to verify that a child has 'ADHD.'" Ritalin has been on the market for over 30 years, he says, but no study has proved safety and efficacy beyond a few weeks.
The new report by Dr. Zito and colleagues notes that cardiovascular adverse effects have been reported in young children taking clonidine in combination with other medications. But the investigators did not explain why doctors would prescribe antihypertension drugs to children. Psychologist Dominick Riccio, PhD, of the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology, was asked for his opinion as someone who has followed the field for years. "One possible explanation could be that when Ritalin and other amphetamine-like drugs don't work and may even cause the very symptoms they're purported to reduce, doctors add clonidine or anti-anxiety drugs to treat the side effects of the Ritalin, such as insomnia and nervousness," answered Dr. Riccio, in a telephone interview. "Polypharmacy--that is, prescribing more than one drug--generally is bad psychiatry because it is not clear what's having the 'therapeutic' effect and you don't know what's causing the side effects when they occur."
Heroin Information...
A) One of the most detrimental long-term effects of heroin is heroin addiction itself. Addiction is a chronic problem characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, and by neurochemical and molecular changes in the brain. Heroin also produces a profound degree of tolerance and physical dependence, which are powerful motivating factors for compulsive use and abuse. As with abusers of any addictive drug, heroin addicts gradually spend more and more time and energy obtaining and using the drug. Once they are addicted, the heroin abusers' primary purpose in life becomes seeking and using drugs. The drugs literally change their brains.
Physical dependence develops with higher doses of the drug. With physical dependence, the body adapts to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced abruptly. Withdrawal may occur within a few hours after the last time the drug is taken. Symptoms of withdrawal include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps ("cold turkey"), and leg movements. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 24 and 48 hours after the last dose of heroin and subside after about a week. However, some people have shown persistent withdrawal signs for many months. Heroin withdrawal is never fatal to otherwise healthy adults, but it can cause death to the fetus of a pregnant addict.
At some point during continuous heroin use, a person can become addicted to the drug. Sometimes addicted individuals will endure many of the withdrawal symptoms to reduce their tolerance for the drug so that they can again experience the rush.
Physical dependence and the emergence of withdrawal symptoms were once believed to be the key features of heroin addiction. We now know this may not be the case entirely, since craving and relapse can occur weeks and months after withdrawal symptoms are long gone. We also know that patients with chronic pain who need opiates to function (sometimes over extended periods) have few if any problems leaving opiates after their pain is resolved by other means. This may be because the patient in pain is simply seeking relief of pain and not the rush sought by the addict.
A) Because many heroin addicts often share needles and other injection equipment, they are at special risk of contracting HIV and other infectious diseases. Infection of injection drug users with HIV is spread primarily through reuse of contaminated syringes and needles or other paraphernalia by more than one person, as well as through unprotected sexual intercourse with HIV-infected individuals. For nearly one-third of Americans infected with HIV, injection drug use is a risk factor. In fact, drug abuse is the fastest growing vector for the spread of HIV in the Nation.
Research has found that drug abusers can change the behaviors that put them at risk for contracting HIV, through drug abuse treatment, prevention, and community-based outreach programs. They can eliminate drug use, drug-related risk behaviors such as needle sharing, unsafe sexual practices, and in turn the risk of exposure to HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. Drug abuse prevention and treatment are highly effective in preventing the spread of HIV.
) Heroin Withdrawal symptoms are some of the nastiest an addict can experience compared to withdrawal from any other drug. The individual who has become physically as well as psychologically dependent on heroin will experience heroin withdrawal with an abrupt discontinuation of use or even a decrease in their daily amount of heroin intake. The onset of heroin withdrawal symptoms begins six to eight hours after the last dose is administrated. Major heroin withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose of heroin and subdue after about one week. The symptoms of heroin withdrawal produced are similar to a bad case of the flu.
Symptoms of heroin withdrawal include but are not limited to:
* dilated pupils
* piloerection (goose bumps)
* watery eyes
* runny nose
* yawning
* loss of appetite
* tremors
* panic
* chills
* nausea
* muscle cramps
* insomnia
* stomach cramps
* diarrhea
* vomiting
* shaking
* chills or profuse sweating
* irritability
* jitterness
Physical dependence develops with higher doses of the drug. With physical dependence, the body adapts to the presence of the drug and withdrawal symptoms occur if use is reduced abruptly. Withdrawal may occur within a few hours after the last time the drug is taken. Symptoms of withdrawal include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps ("cold turkey"), and leg movements. Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 24 and 48 hours after the last dose of heroin and subside after about a week. However, some people have shown persistent withdrawal signs for many months. Heroin withdrawal is never fatal to otherwise healthy adults, but it can cause death to the fetus of a pregnant addict.
At some point during continuous heroin use, a person can become addicted to the drug. Sometimes addicted individuals will endure many of the withdrawal symptoms to reduce their tolerance for the drug so that they can again experience the rush.
Physical dependence and the emergence of withdrawal symptoms were once believed to be the key features of heroin addiction. We now know this may not be the case entirely, since craving and relapse can occur weeks and months after withdrawal symptoms are long gone. We also know that patients with chronic pain who need opiates to function (sometimes over extended periods) have few if any problems leaving opiates after their pain is resolved by other means. This may be because the patient in pain is simply seeking relief of pain and not the rush sought by the addict.
A) Because many heroin addicts often share needles and other injection equipment, they are at special risk of contracting HIV and other infectious diseases. Infection of injection drug users with HIV is spread primarily through reuse of contaminated syringes and needles or other paraphernalia by more than one person, as well as through unprotected sexual intercourse with HIV-infected individuals. For nearly one-third of Americans infected with HIV, injection drug use is a risk factor. In fact, drug abuse is the fastest growing vector for the spread of HIV in the Nation.
Research has found that drug abusers can change the behaviors that put them at risk for contracting HIV, through drug abuse treatment, prevention, and community-based outreach programs. They can eliminate drug use, drug-related risk behaviors such as needle sharing, unsafe sexual practices, and in turn the risk of exposure to HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. Drug abuse prevention and treatment are highly effective in preventing the spread of HIV.
) Heroin Withdrawal symptoms are some of the nastiest an addict can experience compared to withdrawal from any other drug. The individual who has become physically as well as psychologically dependent on heroin will experience heroin withdrawal with an abrupt discontinuation of use or even a decrease in their daily amount of heroin intake. The onset of heroin withdrawal symptoms begins six to eight hours after the last dose is administrated. Major heroin withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose of heroin and subdue after about one week. The symptoms of heroin withdrawal produced are similar to a bad case of the flu.
Symptoms of heroin withdrawal include but are not limited to:
* dilated pupils
* piloerection (goose bumps)
* watery eyes
* runny nose
* yawning
* loss of appetite
* tremors
* panic
* chills
* nausea
* muscle cramps
* insomnia
* stomach cramps
* diarrhea
* vomiting
* shaking
* chills or profuse sweating
* irritability
* jitterness
Crack Information
A.) Crack is inhaled and rapidly absorbed through the lungs, into the blood, and carried swiftly to the brain. The chances of overdosing and poisoning leading to coma, convulsions, and death are greatly increased. Crack's rapid rush -5 to 7 minutes of intense pleasure- quickly subsides, leading to depression that needs to be relieved by more crack. This cycle enhances the chances of addiction and dependency. Because of the brief high, users are constantly thinking about, and devising ways to get more crack. Psychologically, the drug reduces concentration, ambition, drive, and increases confusion and irritability, wreaking havoc on users' professional and personal lives. Habitual use may lead to cocaine psychosis causing, paranoia, hallucinations, and a condition known as formication, in which insects or snakes are perceived to be crawling under the skin. The paranoia and depression can instigate violent and suicidal behavior. The side effects of adulterants increase cocaine's risks. The drug is often cut with one or more of any number of other substances, such as the cheaper drugs procaine, lidocaine, and benzocaine, and substances that pose no serious risks, such as sugars (mannitol and sucrose), or starches. However, when quinine or amphetamines are added, the potential for serious side effects increases dramatically.
A) Once an individual has tried crack, they may be unable to predict or control the extent to which they will continue to use. Crack is probably the most addictive substance that has been devised so far. Crack addicts must have more and more crack to sustain their high and avoid the intense "crash" or depression that follows their binges. They become physically and psychologically dependent on crack, which is often a result of only few doses of the drug taken within a few days. This dependence can lead to addiction.
All to often, the process of crack addiction goes something like this: The "soon to be addict" takes their first hit. Upon inhalation of this powerful drug, the users body instantly begins the addiction process. The individual's mental and emotional being is soon to follow, but for now just their body suffers from the initial stages of crack addiction. After the first few times using the drug, their mind slowly starts the addiction process. This grows stronger and stronger until, mentally, the addict believes that they cannot live without the drug. They now are entangled in a full fledged crack addiction. Shortly after this occurs, crack takes complete control over their emotions.
Once the individual's emotions have been overridden by cocaine, they no longer feel normal without being intoxicated. When this occurs they feel the need to use more crack just to feel normal. In order to get high they have to take an immense amount of the drug. Their crack addiction has infiltrated all areas of their life. They can no longer function physically, emotionally, or mentally without crack. This cycle of addiction continues until the individual either quits using or dies.
The above process of crack addiction demonstrates the potential power of this insidious drug. Even though death lurks around the corner, individuals with an addiction to crack continue to use with no regard for their life or anyone elses.
A) The use of crack alters the processes of the brain by causing a change in the way neurons in the brain communicate. Nerve cells, called neurons, communicate with each other by supplying the brain with chemicals called neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters allow information in the form of electrical impulses to be passed through the body. This process works by neurotransmitters attaching themselves to certain areas in the brain. One of the neurotransmitters affected by crack is called dopamine. Dopamine is released by neurons in the part of the brain that controls feelings of pleasure and well-being. This area is in the limbic system of the brain. Normally, once dopamine has transferred to a nerve cell's receptors and caused a reaction in a cell, it is transferred back to the neuron that released it.
Crack cocaine causes damage to this system and blocks the process of transfer. Dopamine then builds up in the gap synapse between neurons. As a result, for crack cocaine users, dopamine keeps affecting a nerve cell after it should have stopped. That's why someone who uses crack cocaine feels an extra sense of euphoria and pleasure. Although crack cocaine may bring on intense feelings of pleasure while it is being used, crack cocaine can damage the ability to feel pleasure in the long run. Research suggests that long-term crack cocaine use may reduce the amount of dopamine or the number of dopamine receptors in the brain. When this happens, nerve cells must have crack cocaine to communicate properly. Without crack cocaine, the brain can't send enough dopamine to the receptors to create a feeling of pleasure.
A) Once an individual has tried crack, they may be unable to predict or control the extent to which they will continue to use. Crack is probably the most addictive substance that has been devised so far. Crack addicts must have more and more crack to sustain their high and avoid the intense "crash" or depression that follows their binges. They become physically and psychologically dependent on crack, which is often a result of only few doses of the drug taken within a few days. This dependence can lead to addiction.
All to often, the process of crack addiction goes something like this: The "soon to be addict" takes their first hit. Upon inhalation of this powerful drug, the users body instantly begins the addiction process. The individual's mental and emotional being is soon to follow, but for now just their body suffers from the initial stages of crack addiction. After the first few times using the drug, their mind slowly starts the addiction process. This grows stronger and stronger until, mentally, the addict believes that they cannot live without the drug. They now are entangled in a full fledged crack addiction. Shortly after this occurs, crack takes complete control over their emotions.
Once the individual's emotions have been overridden by cocaine, they no longer feel normal without being intoxicated. When this occurs they feel the need to use more crack just to feel normal. In order to get high they have to take an immense amount of the drug. Their crack addiction has infiltrated all areas of their life. They can no longer function physically, emotionally, or mentally without crack. This cycle of addiction continues until the individual either quits using or dies.
The above process of crack addiction demonstrates the potential power of this insidious drug. Even though death lurks around the corner, individuals with an addiction to crack continue to use with no regard for their life or anyone elses.
A) The use of crack alters the processes of the brain by causing a change in the way neurons in the brain communicate. Nerve cells, called neurons, communicate with each other by supplying the brain with chemicals called neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters allow information in the form of electrical impulses to be passed through the body. This process works by neurotransmitters attaching themselves to certain areas in the brain. One of the neurotransmitters affected by crack is called dopamine. Dopamine is released by neurons in the part of the brain that controls feelings of pleasure and well-being. This area is in the limbic system of the brain. Normally, once dopamine has transferred to a nerve cell's receptors and caused a reaction in a cell, it is transferred back to the neuron that released it.
Crack cocaine causes damage to this system and blocks the process of transfer. Dopamine then builds up in the gap synapse between neurons. As a result, for crack cocaine users, dopamine keeps affecting a nerve cell after it should have stopped. That's why someone who uses crack cocaine feels an extra sense of euphoria and pleasure. Although crack cocaine may bring on intense feelings of pleasure while it is being used, crack cocaine can damage the ability to feel pleasure in the long run. Research suggests that long-term crack cocaine use may reduce the amount of dopamine or the number of dopamine receptors in the brain. When this happens, nerve cells must have crack cocaine to communicate properly. Without crack cocaine, the brain can't send enough dopamine to the receptors to create a feeling of pleasure.
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