Posts Tagged depression

Addiction-Prone Women More Susceptible to Depression

Posted by Drug Free in Alcohol Abuse on February 28th, 2011

Results of a research released just last week in the online journal Development and Psychopathology reveal that depression symptoms for women in the 30’s and 40’s increase over time especially for those who are prone to addiction problems and antisocial behavior.

The study indicates how personal history, family life, and neighborhood instability affects the alcoholism tendencies of 273 women in a 12-year period, all at the early years of their married life and motherhood. Most women who participated in the study were from the Midwest.

depressionDepression symptoms also increased among the women even while alcohol addictions and antisocial behaviors declined over the given period.

Other factors that affect these women also include their partner’s behavior. For instance, if the husband struggles with his own addictions and comes into trouble with the law, symptoms of depression in women worsen. Their children’s problems also had the same impact on their behavior. Women become more addicted to alcohol and trigger antisocial behavior when their children get into difficult situations. Depression also increased whenever they see their children sad or in isolation.

Another factor which affected them is the unstable neighborhood that they belong to. Alcoholism and depression escalate whenever residents in their area frequently move in and out.

Robert Zucker, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Michigan Medical School and the director of the U-M Addiction Research Center, said that “our findings demonstrate the complexity of the factors affecting changes in alcohol problems, antisocial behavior and depression for these women.”

This latest findings are out to disprove that these disorders are just inherited or caused solely by environmental factors. “It’s really the network of these relationships — at the biological, social and at the community level — that influences these disorders over time,” Zucker said.

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Separating Depression Truths from Myths

Posted by Drug Free in Drug Abuse Prevention, Drug Addiction, Raising Healthy Kids on May 1st, 2010

Depression can be the cause or the effect of drug abuse. Many people suffering from depression try to escape from the negative feelings by drowning themselves with alcohol or numbing their senses with drugs. On the other hand, depression can also be a result of drug addiction. Many drug abusers have reportedly suffer from depression after long-term abuse of drugs. Thus, it is important to understand depression to help our loved ones, especially our kids, manage their feelings and avoid the possibility of drug abuse.

depressionMyth: Depression is a passing feeling and will just go away after some time.
Fact: Depression is a major medical condition. It does not simply go away after days of shopping or nights of partying. It is a serious condition involving brain patterns that can affect one’s life and functioning. It can even cause harm to the person suffering from it or to his loved ones.

Myth: Depression affects the mind and rarely affects the body.
Fact: Depression can cause serious pains to the physical body. Common manifestations of depression are irritability, anxiety and despair. However, it can also cause chest pain, headache, back pain, digestive problems, sleeping problems, nausea and vomiting, muscle ache, and change in appetite.

Myth: Positive thinking can cure depression.
Fact: As depression is a serious medical condition affecting the brain, most people suffering from it cannot bounce back by mere optimism. Depressed people need to seek professional help to achieve a balance in brain chemicals.

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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

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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.

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Risks of Marijuana Use

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation, Drug Testing on July 31st, 2009

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In my earlier posting I spoke about the legalization of marijuana. But as a counselor it is my responsibility to sensitize people on the risks associated with its use. It is high time that people understand that smoking pot is not as harmless as it is thought to be.

This is specially for kids and their parents since contrary to the popular belief that marijuana is not popular among kids, the fact is the number of teens in treatment for marijuana dependency is more than that for all other illegal drugs. Teenage is the age of experimentation which might lead to addiction. Research shows that the potency of today’s marijuana is very high and is thus highly addictive. It also serves as a gateway drugs for teenagers who might gradually switch over to other extremely harmful substances like heroine, cocaine, etc.

Smoking pot has hazardous effects on the health of the smoker. Marijuana smoke destroys and leads to abnormal functioning of the lung tissue. The amount of carbon monoxide absorbed and tar inhaled is 3-5 times greater than cigarette use. Loss of motor co-ordination, increased heart rate, heightened anxiety and panic attacks are short term effects of the drug.

Marijuana also affects the brain activities. It impairs the attention, memory and learning capacities leading to poor academic performance. Pot smoking creates a trance like state which impairs judgment leading to risky decision making and involvement in unsafe behavior.

Longitudinal studies show that chronic use of the weed leads to deviant behavior patterns like aggression, delinquency, rebellious, poor relationship with parents.

Often we have found teens resorting to marijuana as a way to overcome depression. But pot can worsen the situation by increasing the level of depression and paving a path for other serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and even suicide.

Will you still believe that marijuana is not harmful?

Be on the guard. Spread the message, save children from using marijuana.

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Why do people take drugs?

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Addiction, Drug Facts, Drug Rehabilitation on July 29th, 2009

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I  have been dealing with substance abusers for more than fifteen years. I have seen bright young potentials getting lost and wasted under the influence of drugs.

The society has lost some of its human resources that it would have otherwise loved to treasure – doctors, engineers, academicians. Many a time I hear people saying that drug addiction is on the decline.

But I beg to differ from them. It is true that the trend has changed, but the menace of drug addiction still continues to maintain its overpowering nature grasping the young generation under its venomous claws.

“Why did you start taking drugs” – is one of the basic questions that are asked to people having problems with the substance. Interesting enough, a large majority say “Just for fun”. It is true that none of the drug users start using drugs to get hooked to it. Some can manage to stop after having the fun while others fail. They become drug dependents.

Some of the most common factors that lead to drug use are

Curiosity and the urge to experiment – teenagers are always trying to experiment with new things. They are curious to experience the feeling of “high” associated with the use of a drug. This could be the starting point of addiction.

Peer pressure – teenagers always strive to conform to their peer group. Drug abuse in the peer group is a risk factor.

Stress – resulting from problems at school / college, work pressure, strained relationship, financial difficulties.

Frustration and depression resulting from several factors like failed romance, bereavement, marital problems, academic failure.

Mental illness – to overcome depression, anxiety.

Physical conditions like severe pain, insomnia, etc. might lead to abusing prescription drugs.

Loneliness and boredom.

Childhood trauma.

Family history of addiction.

A knowledge of these causative factors will help you in assessing the vulnerability of your child and helping him to stay away from drugs.

Looking forward to your suggestions, tips, and experience!

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