Drug Facts

4 Common Myths on Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation on March 4th, 2010

There’s a lot that most people don’t understand about the struggles of drug addiction. In fact, there are numerous misconceptions that most people have with drug use and treatment. Here are some of them:

drug addiction Myth 1: There should be no drug relapses after completing a drug rehabilitation program.

Drug addiction is a persistent disease and getting out of rehab is only the first step to recovery. There are many factors that contribute to a relapse for a recovering addict. The best that thing that can be done is to not to give up because recovery usually takes a long time to achieve. Sometimes it even requires multiple treatment measures before absolute sobriety is attained.

Myth 2: One can quit drugs on his own if he truly wants it.

Withdrawal is a dangerous process that often leaves the patient extremely vulnerable. Some people think that they do not need to be treated and that they can stop using when they really want to. The truth is it is extremely unlikely for a person to be able to successfully detoxify by sheer willpower alone. Research has shown us that long-term drug abuse alters a person’s brain to a level that makes it almost impossible for him to abstain from the drugs.

Myth 3: Illegal drugs are more dangerous than those that can be bought in pharmacies.

Not all dangerous and addictive drugs are illegal. There are some over-the-counter drugs and prescription drugs which are used by some to get high, like cough syrup, painkillers, weight loss pills, etc. The fact is this — it does not matter if they are obtained over-the-counter or bought under the table; if drugs are abused, then they are dangerous.

Myth 4: One should be at “rock bottom” to need drug rehabilitation.

People tend to think that addicts need to hit rock bottom first before they can start absolute recovery. This is a dangerous way of thought. Drug users are better off if they start fighting the addiction during the early stages.

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Common Signs of Cocaine Abuse

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Addiction, Drug Facts on February 15th, 2010

Cocaine is a powerful and addictive central nervous system stimulant. With its intense and potent euphoric effects, the drug user can easily become addicted to cocaine after a short period of time. Upon taking it, it intensifies alertness, restrains appetite and sleep while giving off pleasurable sensations. Users often take it for performing physical and intellectual tasks more efficiently.

Here are some slang terms or names for cocaine: big C, blanco, blow, blast, Bolivian, Charlie, coke, Columbian, girl, heaven, happy powder, Mama Coca, mojo, nose candy, Peruvian, pimp, she, sniff, snort, snow, toot, trails, white lady and stardust.

However put, cocaine is very dangerous and can be lethal to its users. It is known to cause heart complications including irregular heartbeats, strokes, heart attacks and respiratory failure. Other effects include depression, violent tendencies and a loss of sexual function.

Here is a list of known signs that someone may be abusing cocaine:

cocaine • Sudden weight loss
• Bloodshot eyes and dilated pupils
• Periods of depression
• Runny nose
• Decline in personal appearance or hygiene
• Respiratory infections
• Distorted sleep patterns
• Loss of interest in social engagements and relationships with friends and family
• Loss of interest in food, sex and other productive and pleasurable activities
• Paranoia, hallucinations and delusions
• Impatience and irritability
• Relentless or sometimes destructive need for money
• Euphoria
• Hyper-alertness
• Panic
• Use of small spoons, mirrors, razor blades, rolled paper money
• Use of small bottles with screw-top lids, plastic packets for storing

You may also use home drug tests to be certain about cocaine abuse. They can be very convenient to use, highly effective and totally confidential.

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7 Ways to Protect Yourself from Date Rape Drugs

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Prevention, Drug Facts on January 29th, 2010

Date rape drugs render the victim weak or unconscious, without the ability to defend one’s self from attempts of assault. It is why it is extremely crucial that you are able to identify the dangers of date rape drugs and to avoid the intake of any spiked food or drinks.

As parents, you need to educate your teens on how to protect themselves from date rape even before they are put into the position when they can no longer defend themselves. Here are some important things to remember:

date rape 1. Before going to the party or the club, agree with a trusted friend to watch each other’s drinks.

2. Don’t accept drinks from other people. More importantly, NEVER accept drinks offered by strangers.

3. Always get your drinks from the bartender. If someone offers to buy you a drink, watch it being prepared at the bar and carry it to your table yourself. Remember that many date rape cases involve someone the victim knows.

4. NEVER leave your drinks unattended. If you realized you left your drinks unattended for some time, discard it and get another one.

5. Open bottles or containers yourself. Do not drink from punch bowls or other open containers. These may be easily spiked.

6. If a drink smells or tastes strange, do not continue drinking. While many date rape drugs are colorless, odorless and tasteless, some common drugs do give out a strange color, odor or taste.

7. If you feel dizzy or drunk, and you have not consumed alcohol or have consumed only very little, seek help immediately.

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Common Date Rape Drugs and Their Effects

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Facts on January 28th, 2010

Date Rape Drugs are drugs that are used to assist in sexual assaults, as well as in robberies. These drugs affect your ability to protect and defend yourself from attempts of assault. They can make you weak or unconscious, or slightly awake yet with distorted sense of judgment.

Most date rape drugs take effect quickly, and they are usually added to alcohol to increase its strength and prolong its effects. Date rape drugs leave the victim without any recollection of what happened; the victim may not remember the assault nor the attacker.

They often come odorless, colorless and tasteless. This ability to conceal itself from the victim makes the drug even more powerful and effective.

Alcohol, sleeping pills, and generic cold medicines can be used to render the victim weak and confused. However, the three main date rape drugs are GHD (Gama Hydroxybutyric Acid), Rohypnol (Flunitrazepam), and Ketamine (Ketamine Hydrochloride).

GHB is also known as easy lay (for obvious reasons), bedtime scoop, cherry meth, liquid E, liquid ecstasy, G-juice, among other names. It can cause intense relaxation, dizziness, impaired vision, unconsciousness, loss of memory, or death.

Rohypnol is the trade name for flunitrazepam. Similar drugs that are also abused are clonazepam (traded as Klonopin in the U.S. and Rivotril in Mexico) and alprazolam (traded as Xanax). It can cause relaxation, drowsiness, impaired motor functions impaired, confusion, and loss of consciousness.

Ketamine is also known as black hole, bump, cat valium, super acid, and K or K-hole. It can cause hallucinations, impaired motor functions, numbness, and aggression.

Date rape drugs are also called ‘club drugs’ as they are often used in club, parties, concerts and raves.

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Steroids in Sports: The Pressures, The Risks

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Facts, Steroid Abuse on January 11th, 2010

Sportsmen are always subjected to enormous pressure not only to be on top of their game but also to keep a good public image. They are expected to do everything right and be the best at their sport. However, there is a limit to the pressure that a person can take, and some athletes succumb to the pressure and resort to abusing steroids to improve their performance.

steroids in sports International sports organizations are very strict in maintaining the code of honor in sports. They conduct several drug tests to ensure that athletes do not use performance enhancing drugs to boost their game. Athletes found to be abusing steroids are banned from entering any event in the future or are fined large amounts of money, and a promising sports career can be cut short.

Anabolic steroid abuse may result to liver cyst or even cancer, kidney tumors, blood clotting, hypertension, heart attack and behavioral complications like aggression, and mood swings. Male athletes on drug abuse are found to become impotent, have difficulty or experience pain while urinating, have enlarged breasts, experience acne and baldness, to name a few. On the other hand, women experience hair loss, enlargement of the clitoris, lowering of voice, acne, receding hair line and baldness similar to men, increased facial hair growth, and breast degeneration. For pregnant women, anabolic drug is found to causes retardation in fetal growth or death.

With the consequences being laid out, it seems that nothing is as important as healthy lifestyle and sound mind and body.

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Factors That Complicate Drug Addiction Recovery

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Prevention, Drug Abuse Treatment, Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing, Prescription Drug Abuse, Steroid Abuse on December 10th, 2009

Recovering from drug addiction is never an easy task. The process of preventing relapse becomes even more difficult due to the presence of certain factors which complicate the recovery process. Awareness regarding the presence of such factors will help the service providers to understand the difficulties and adopt measures to avoid the associated problems.

Chemical dependency is often accompanied by certain psychiatric disturbances the most common ones being major depression, paranoid disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia and psychopathic personality disorders. This co-occurrence of drug abuse with psychiatric problems is referred to as dual disorder and the situation demands an integrated treatment approach. Both the problems should be treated simultaneously failing which the untreated disorder will increase the chances of relapsing to the other disorder. Apart from continued counseling and group therapy, such clients should be given medicines as prescribed by the psychiatrist.

Certain problems are more common within dual diagnosed clients compared to those with single disorder. Such people may suffer due to psycho-social chaos which may be caused by certain inter-related factors such as loss of job, legal problems, family conflict, homelessness, indebtedness, and others. It is beneficial to prioritize the treatment goals in such situations. Involving the family members and strengthening the support and networking with other agencies to mobilize resources are extremely essential.

Many substances like Methamphetamines, when abused overtime, may lead to brain damage which in many cases could be irreversible. This damage may limit the addict’s ability to understand issues, comprehend, remember and apply them in his journey of recovery. The counselor should be extremely patient in dealing such cases. The messages should be given in clear and simple language using concrete examples.

Traumatic past experiences of the recovering addict also complicate his recovery. Specialized help may be sought to deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorders.

Lack of family support also cause complications and delay the recovery process.