According to a feature on FoxNews.com, a study that was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology dealt with the use of Ecstasy in treating patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Funding for the study was provided by the Multidisciplinary Association for Pyschedelic Studies in Santa Cruz, California.

The study used 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), more commonly known as Ecstasy, in a trial that involved a small group of 20 patients who had no history of psychosis or addiction. The patients involved underwent psychotherapy sessions that lasted for eight hours and were scheduled a few weeks apart. Eight of the patients in the trial were given placebo, while twelve were given a dose of Ecstasy.

The researchers observed that after two months, 10 of the 12 patients who were given Ecstasy responded to the treatment. Their observations indicated that Ecstasy seemed to lessen the fear of long-term patients, which in turn helped the patients get the most out of their therapy sessions.

Among the patients who were only given placebo, only two out of the eight showed improvement. There was no adverse side effects observed that could be attributed to the use of the drug, although the researchers will be following up with patients to verify the treatment’s long-term effects.

The use of Ecstasy as an aid in therapy is not new; on the contrary, psychiatrist Dr. Michael Mithoefer shared that psychiatrists and psychotherapists made use of MDMA to improve therapy long before it became popular as a party drug.

Join Together is an institution that aids community leaders in understanding up-to-date and scientifically proven drug and alcohol prevention and treatment approaches. It aims to enhance the community strategies on drug prevention and treatment and reaches out to community leaders, public officials, prevention and treatment professionals, parents, families, and teachers. The group provides several useful programs, policies and information through their online campaigns, partnerships and connections with existing organizations.

They also provide information for lay leaders and professionals, such as valuable news reports and research information in the fields of tobacco, alcohol and drugs. Join Together also supplies technical assistance for creating and dveloping prevention and reduction strategies on alcohol and drug abuse.

In cooperation with Partnership for a Drug Free America, Join Together was able to publish an online resource guide to aid families in dealing with serious alcohol and drug related problems. It also funded the development of a smoking cessation campaign called QuitNet that aims to help individuals kick the habit.

Should the board approve the proposal, it will become the sixth in Lancaster Country to perform random drug testing on students.

The proposal was brought forward last year after high-profile arrests were made at the high school, as well as the release of the results of a survey conducted in 2007 that showed that Township students were using drugs and drinking alcohol at a rate that was higher than their peers who are studying in other schools.

The policy that was proposed was based on drug testing programs that are already in place in Lampeter-Strasburg and Penn Manor high schools. It calls for the participation in random drug testing of students who would like to participate in extra-curricular activities or drive to school. Students and their parents will have to agree in writing to participate in the drug testing.

The program will come at an estimated cost of $15,000 per year, and will test for such substances as marijuana, cocaine and heroin as well as for prescription medication and alcohol. A positive result will lead to a meeting with the student involved and his or her parents in order to discuss possible legal medications that may have triggered the positive result. Barring that, the student may face up to 60 days of suspension from activities as well as driving privileges.

Signs of Alcoholism

Alcoholism is related to a person’s tolerance for alcohol; this is the first and strongest sign for alcoholism. If you can drink more alcohol over time in order to experience the effects you used to with lesser amounts, then it is a sign that your tolerance for alcohol is growing. The second sign to watch out for are the withdrawal signs of alcoholism, which is a result of abstinence from alcohol for a period of time. These symptoms usually include anxiety, sweating, shakiness, insomnia, depression or headaches as a result of not drinking. Experiencing these may indicate that your body is already dependent on alcohol.

Alcohol Testing

Among the fastest and more accurate tests are the breath alcohol testers, which analyze the presence of alcohol in a person’s breath. This method of testing is usually used by mobile police officers to detect drivers who have been drinking since these breathalyzers are accurate and convenient. Other testing methods, such as urine testing, saliva testing, hair testing and blood testing, are also available.

Treatment for Alcoholism

You would probably get the best of help from alcohol rehabilitation centers, but there are independent programs available that cater to recovering alcoholics that encourage moderation and eventual cessation of alcohol intake. Recovery is a lifelong process. That is why it is important that, even after rehabilitation, further post-rehabilitation measures are taken.

Advantages

Home drug kits provide private, convenient and fast results. Instead of having to go to a hospital or a testing facility, home drug testing can save you the time, money and effort of traveling to and waiting outside a laboratory. Sample collections can be administered by anybody and almost anywhere. The kits come with simple guides on sample collection and a hotline to call just in case you get confused. The instructions that come with these drug testing kits are generally easy to understand. Testing at home is often used by the parents to protect their child’s privacy.

Disadvantages

Although home drug kits are private and confidential, studies have shown that coerced drug testing of children by their parents often causes damages in the parent-child relationship, especially in instances of false-positive results. Substances like poppy seeds, antibiotics and even simple cough or colds medicine can create a false-positive result that may lead to unnecessary accusations when the child is actually innocent. Many are concerned of the risk of damaging their teen’s trust toward their parents, especially when the teen is innocent of taking drugs. This may be counteracted with drug tests that require you to only collect samples at home and send the sample to qualified laboratories, where trained professionals do the analysis.

The problems that prescription drugs can bring are real. The most commonly abused of these are painkillers, cough syrup, sleeping pills and other sedatives. While the drugs each serve a corresponding purpose, using them for the wrong reasons can lead to an early end. Famous people all over the world have paid with their lives for what they thought as a great way to escape the sadness and pain of their lives, but despite taking these, there still remains a certain level of emptiness within, which is why they continue drug use until their last breath.

So, how does one avoid addiction to prescription drugs? The first thing is to strive to be happy. Keep in mind that most abusers of this drug type are often depressed and seek out anything to relieve them of their sadness. Looking at bigger picture of life helps, and often at a much larger level than you originally anticipated.

Of course, this is something that is easier said than done. But the important thing is that you do not give in to life’s problems. It may take a great amount of willpower to do so, but it’s better than being a slave to something as small as a pill or a syrup bottle.

With life becoming increasingly harder by the day, you can’t really blame some people for turning to drugs. The rate of unemployment has become depressing over the past few years, where people experience being out of job for a period longer than they initially expected. In despair, some people choose to do drugs. The sad reality about this situation is that it may even be harder to get out of this trap.

It would be easy to preach that people should work harder instead of wasting their lives away on drugs, but actually doing this may not be as easy. The best way to fight against this trap is to give them hope for life, to give them another reason to live their lives more meaningfully again.

While poverty does not necessarily lead to drug abuse, the sense of hopelessness that the former brings is a powerful and compelling force to deal with, and this is not something that everyone can readily face. Understanding this fact is key to overcoming this challenge.

Substance abusers who fail to abstain from chemicals despite several treatment efforts, generally think of switching over to some other forms of chemicals for harm minimization. Often we come across confused parents who try to make a deal with their children that, “if you stop using all other drugs you will be allowed to smoke only pot.” This is not really surprising since throughout the world marijuana is the most popular drugs because of its euphoric effects. The myths associated with marijuana are also responsible for its widespread acceptance. A good number of users and their family members believe that they are smoking herb – a natural product. Isn’t that a consolation!

But parents must be aware about the three common myths about marijuana use and then decide on their course of action.

#  Marijuana is not addictive. It does not create physical dependence. This is absolutely an incorrect notion since continued use of pot leads to physical dependence which is evident from the symptoms that are noticeable once the substance is withdrawn. Lack of appetite, poor sleep, fatigue, aggression are some of the withdrawal symptoms associated with the substance. 

# Marijuana is natural and thus good for health. All natural products are not safe for health. Mother nature also produces certain things which are detrimental for health. Marijuana affects the Central Nervous System specially the cognitive aspect of the brain. The effects, though subtle, are often irreversible. Short term memory is impaired, a slower processing speed leads to slowing down of the brains ability to solve problems. Prolonged usage in adolescence might lead to neuroplasticity.

# Marijuana is a natural healer for diseases that cause pain. Studies have shown that THC, the primary chemical in marijuana helps AIDS patients to gain weight and prevents cancer patients from experiencing nausea. Thus THC is filtered and extracted and used in different pills. But actual marijuana has at least 400 cancer causing chemicals apart from THC which might cause devastating effects when they react with THC in the body.

The use of substances has been a very common practice amongst people in all cultures since the earliest times. But today the pattern of abuse as well as the nature of substances has changed considerably thereby affecting the consequences.

Newer substances are being found. The present day youth can also design drugs! But citizens like us, who have taken up the challenge to combat against this hydra headed monster, are also finding out better ways of reaching out to people and sensitizing them against the issue and the results have been quite rewarding. 

Globally primary preventive activities are being adopted and implemented to control substance abuse. The approaches basically aim at reducing risk factors and strengthening protective factors at the individual and environmental levels. In order to make primary prevention effective the involvement of the government, communities and others is an absolute necessity.

The Individual Approach of primary prevention aims at imparting necessary knowledge and developing skills and resources which helps in bringing about a change in the attitude, beliefs and values of the individual. Peer Education has proved to be very effective since it involves young people both as receivers and providers of information.

Building social and personal/cognitive skills improves young people’s abilities to interact socially, clarifies values and enhances self awareness. Participation in group projects providing leadership opportunities, discussion of feelings, values and perception through role play motivate young people to resist social pressure and teach them skills like decision making, problem solving and goal setting. Developing vocational and livelihood skills can increase work opportunities and increase independence.

The Environmental Approach aims at developing positive social norms by providing a safe and supportive environment. Providing interesting recreational activities, participation in community service projects, etc. helps in social bonding which acts as a protective factor. Availability of adequate resources and referral system, involvement of key persons in the local community are prime factors in primary prevention.

Let us explore today some blogsites that I found to be informative and interesting. Hope our readers will like them too.

The first I found is Drug Addiction Support (http://www.drug-addiction-support.org/drug-addiction-blog.html). The site discusses common issues related to drug addiction, drug addiction syndromes, most common causes behind drug addiction, effects of drug addiction, and treatment modalities.

You will find nice, information rich articles that are easy to read and understand. It has a section on various drugs like cocaine, crystal meth, heroin, suboxone, marijuana, etc.

Next I found Narconon of Georgia (http://narcononofga.wordpress.com/alcohol-awareness/) quite interesting. Nice topics and good, authoritative content may help you if you are seeking information on drug and alcohol addiction. The site has added some videos which you may find to be very appealing.

You may also see Recovery Connection (http://www.recoveryconnection.org/) website that focuses on drug, alcohol, and substance abuse recovery and treatment plans. It has published a state-wise database of addiction treatment centers and information on the types of treatments offered in specific centers. You will find lots of information on Addiction Treatment Programs and Drug and alcohol Rehab Programs, Drug/alcohol Detox Programs, Dual Diagnosis Treatment Programs, Eating Disorder Programs, GLBT Addiction/rehab/detox Treatment and Detox Programs, etc.

Drug Rehabs.Org (http://www.drug-rehabs.org/) is dedicated toward rehab programs. You can have specific information if you are searching rehab programs for yourself, friend, family, spouse, children and you can search their database depending on the age of the person. The site has option of searching on the basis of the type of drug as well.

See Alcohol/Drug Help Line (http://www.adhl.org/) is an exclusive help line–based service provider. They run their service during Sunday through Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (previously it was 24-hrs helpline). The site presents some useful links if you wish to be a part of the rehab services or volunteer for some counseling.

We request our readers to write to us if you find some interesting sites/resources. This would help us in fighting the menace more comprehensively.