Hallucinogens cause hallucinations—profound distortions in a person’s perception of reality. They do this by disrupting the interaction of nerve cells and the neurotransmitter serotonin. Distributed throughout the brain and spinal cord, the serotonin system is involved in the control of behavioral, perceptual, and regulatory systems, including mood, hunger, body temperature, sexual behavior, muscle control, and sensory perception.
Under the influence of hallucinogens, people see images, hear sounds, and feel sensations that seem real but do not exist. Some hallucinogens also produce rapid, intense emotional swings.
Hallucinogens include LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide acid), mescaline and psilocybin or “magic mushrooms.” They each cause altered states of perception and nausea, persisting perception disorders and/or disorienting flashbacks.
LSD, street names “acid”, “Blotter”, “boomers”, “cubes”, “micodot’, “yellow sunshine’ and whatever new name currently in use, are swallowed or ingested through mouth tissues. In short, lick a piece of paper or a stamp impregnated with LSD and you’ll be affected by the drug.
Mescaline, street names “buttons”, “cactus”, “mesc”, or “peyote” or the latest secret name for this mind altering drug can, like LSD, cause increased body temperature, increased heart rate and/or blood pressure, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, numbness, weakness, and tremors.
The most commonly used and most potent hallucinogenic in the United States today is LSD. All LSD, which looks like a white powder when dry, is illegal and has no approved medicinal use in this country.
The use of LSD and other hallucinogens by secondary school students has declined since 1998. However, LSD and Ketamine, a dissociative drug known to be used to facilitate sexual assaults, are becoming more widely used at dance clubs and all-night raves by older teens and young adults.
Youngsters who use LSD hope to have a sense enhancing experience without the harmful effects attached to its use. Drug pushers and peers who do not have the youngster’s best interest in mind wildly encourage this incredibly naïve, unthinking, and “Dumber Than Dumb” trust.
Physical and psychological risks to the user include:
Decreased awareness of touch and pain that can result in self-inflicted injuries
Convulsions
Coma
Heart and lung failure
Lack of muscular coordination
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Sleeplessness and tremors
Depression, anxiety, and paranoia
Violent behavior
Confusion, suspicion, and loss of control
Myths and Facts about LSD
Myth: Only first time users have “bad trips.”
Fact: The effects of LSD are unpredictable. Some LSD users experience severe, terrifying thoughts and feelings, fear of losing control, fear of insanity and death, and despair while using LSD. Some fatal accidents, personal harm and violent assaults have occurred during states of LSD intoxication.
Myth: LSD is not addictive.
Fact: LSD does not produce compulsive drug seeking behavior like cocaine, alcohol, or nicotine, but LSD produces tolerance, so that users who take the drug repeatedly must take progressively higher and higher doses in order to achieve the same state of intoxication. This is an extremely dangerous practice, given the unpredictability of the drug, and can result in increased risk of convulsions, coma, heart and lung failure, and even death.
Myth: It’s said that using LSD causes the user to have visions that are beautiful and inspiring. What’s the harm in that?
Fact: There is no way to predict how it will affect the user. Depending on the dose, the drug can produce delusions and visual hallucinations, which can be frightening and cause panic. Terrifying thoughts and feelings, fear of insanity and death, injuries, and fatal accidents have occurred during LSD use.
Myth: Flashbacks, where the experiences while under the influence of LSD are recalled without warning, only happen for another few hours.
Fact: A flashback may occur within a few days or more than a year after LSD use. Flashbacks usually occur in people who use hallucinogens chronically or have an underlying personality problem; however, otherwise healthy people who use LSD occasionally may also have flashbacks.
Myth: If flashbacks are the only risk that comes from using LSD, that doesn’t seem like much, right?
Fact: Other risks include relatively long-lasting psychoses, such as
schizophrenia or severe depression.
“Myths and Facts” compiled from information provided courtesy of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Monday, May 31, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
How Can Club or “Rape Facilitating” Drugs’ Harm Your Body?
There are numerous dangers associated with club or rape-facilitating drugs.
MDMA can cause a user's blood pressure and heart rate to increase to dangerous levels, and can lead to heart or kidney failure. It can cause severe hyperthermia from the combination of the drug's stimulant effect with the often hot, crowded atmosphere of a rave.
Some heavy MDMA users experience long lasting confusion, depression, and selective impairment of working memory and attention processes.
Rohypnol and GHB are predominantly central nervous system depressants. Because drugs used by sexual predators are often colorless, tasteless, and odorless, they can be added to beverages and ingested unknowingly. On the other hand, GHB may be tasteless but usually has a subtle salty flavor. GHB is hard to detect when mixed into a drink. If there is a taste, the person who has drugged your drink will no doubt explain it away. Do not drink it and call your parents for help immediately.
Low-dose intoxication from ketamine results in impaired attention, learning ability, and memory. At higher doses, ketamine can cause delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function, high blood pressure, depression, and potentially fatal respiratory problems.
Methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive stimulant associated with serious health conditions, including memory loss, aggression, and potential heart and brain damage. Users can also display a number of psychotic features, including paranoia, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, and delusions.
Any of these drugs can cause death.
These facts are courtesy of the National Institute on Drug Abuse 2001 – 2006
Incidentally, alcohol, which is not officially considered a “date rape drug,” can also cause blackouts and memory loss, make it harder to resist sexual or physical assault, and cloud ones judgment and power to evaluate a potentially dangerous situation. In other words, it is wise to be alert to anyone who is trying to get you drunk. Alcohol is, after all, also a drug.
Before we move on to tips how a youngster, male or female, can protect themselves from drug facilitated rape, here’s what to do if it ever does happen to you. Don’t skip over these paragraphs. I realize it’s not terrific bedtime reading but knowledge is power and you may be able to help a friend – or yourself.
Male or female, please don't feel guilty and don't just try to forget about it if this happens to you. You didn't ask to be raped. Any rape is a violent attack that can have traumatic effects on the victim for months and years afterward. Get help!
If you have unaccounted for time, a lapse of memory, or wake up in a strange place, and feel you have been sexually assaulted, contact a local law enforcement agency immediately. Rapists are repeat offenders. By reporting this crime, you may save someone else from being attacked.
Collect your first urine sample in a clean container. Important: this may be the only evidence linking the drug to the crime.
Do not bathe, shower, douche, wash clothing, bedding, or disturb anything in the area where the assault occurred. You may destroy valuable evidence!
Please get mad! Get sad, yes, that’s normal but also please allow yourself to be really angry. You are the good guy or gal. The criminal is the bad guy.
Please never forget that.
Note: No method is sure-fire but a combination of all of these tips will help make it much harder for anyone to take advantage of you or your friends.
1. Always travel in groups of friends you can trust to “watch your back” and stay with them. A good rule is “I came with them; I leave with them.”
2. Make a pact to watch each other’s drinks at all times. Remember, though, that it is YOU who is responsible for your safety.
3. Never set down an open bottle or glass. If you have to go to the bathroom and your friends are busy or seem distracted, take your drink with you.
4. Never take an open bottle or glass from anyone. A friend takes a bottle opener with her and buys bottled water, asking the server to leave the cap on the bottle. Water, incidentally, does not disguise the slightly salty taste of GHB.
5. If you set your open bottle or glass down even for a few seconds, buy a new one. Don’t drink from that one again.
6. Never drink from a punch or any large open top bowl. With “roofies” and GHB easily attainable, better be safe than sorry.
7. Don't accept drinks that you didn't see made. You might reconsider ordering mixed drinks.
8. Be as careful with non-alcoholic beverages as alcoholic ones. These drugs dissolve in non-alcoholic beverages as well as alcoholic ones. They mostly have no taste, they have no color, and they have no odor. GHB has a slightly salty taste that is hidden by sweet drinks.
9. Don't share or exchange drinks.
10. If you are in a conversation where your attention may be averted, put your hand over your drink and keep it there while you chat.
11. If you feel like you are becoming severely intoxicated after only 1 or 2 drinks, alert your friends and get help.
12. Never agree to leave the premises if someone wants you to go outside to get some fresh air, especially if it is someone you have just met.
If you think you have been given a rape-facilitating drug, call the Sexual Harassment & Assault Resource & Education crisis number or Urgent Care.
It is important to be tested as soon as possible.
These tips are courtesy of www.4women.gov and the Men Against Sexual Assault, University of Rochester, NY http://sa.rochester.edu/masa/
MDMA can cause a user's blood pressure and heart rate to increase to dangerous levels, and can lead to heart or kidney failure. It can cause severe hyperthermia from the combination of the drug's stimulant effect with the often hot, crowded atmosphere of a rave.
Some heavy MDMA users experience long lasting confusion, depression, and selective impairment of working memory and attention processes.
Rohypnol and GHB are predominantly central nervous system depressants. Because drugs used by sexual predators are often colorless, tasteless, and odorless, they can be added to beverages and ingested unknowingly. On the other hand, GHB may be tasteless but usually has a subtle salty flavor. GHB is hard to detect when mixed into a drink. If there is a taste, the person who has drugged your drink will no doubt explain it away. Do not drink it and call your parents for help immediately.
Low-dose intoxication from ketamine results in impaired attention, learning ability, and memory. At higher doses, ketamine can cause delirium, amnesia, impaired motor function, high blood pressure, depression, and potentially fatal respiratory problems.
Methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive stimulant associated with serious health conditions, including memory loss, aggression, and potential heart and brain damage. Users can also display a number of psychotic features, including paranoia, auditory hallucinations, mood disturbances, and delusions.
Any of these drugs can cause death.
These facts are courtesy of the National Institute on Drug Abuse 2001 – 2006
Incidentally, alcohol, which is not officially considered a “date rape drug,” can also cause blackouts and memory loss, make it harder to resist sexual or physical assault, and cloud ones judgment and power to evaluate a potentially dangerous situation. In other words, it is wise to be alert to anyone who is trying to get you drunk. Alcohol is, after all, also a drug.
Before we move on to tips how a youngster, male or female, can protect themselves from drug facilitated rape, here’s what to do if it ever does happen to you. Don’t skip over these paragraphs. I realize it’s not terrific bedtime reading but knowledge is power and you may be able to help a friend – or yourself.
Male or female, please don't feel guilty and don't just try to forget about it if this happens to you. You didn't ask to be raped. Any rape is a violent attack that can have traumatic effects on the victim for months and years afterward. Get help!
If you have unaccounted for time, a lapse of memory, or wake up in a strange place, and feel you have been sexually assaulted, contact a local law enforcement agency immediately. Rapists are repeat offenders. By reporting this crime, you may save someone else from being attacked.
Collect your first urine sample in a clean container. Important: this may be the only evidence linking the drug to the crime.
Do not bathe, shower, douche, wash clothing, bedding, or disturb anything in the area where the assault occurred. You may destroy valuable evidence!
Please get mad! Get sad, yes, that’s normal but also please allow yourself to be really angry. You are the good guy or gal. The criminal is the bad guy.
Please never forget that.
Note: No method is sure-fire but a combination of all of these tips will help make it much harder for anyone to take advantage of you or your friends.
1. Always travel in groups of friends you can trust to “watch your back” and stay with them. A good rule is “I came with them; I leave with them.”
2. Make a pact to watch each other’s drinks at all times. Remember, though, that it is YOU who is responsible for your safety.
3. Never set down an open bottle or glass. If you have to go to the bathroom and your friends are busy or seem distracted, take your drink with you.
4. Never take an open bottle or glass from anyone. A friend takes a bottle opener with her and buys bottled water, asking the server to leave the cap on the bottle. Water, incidentally, does not disguise the slightly salty taste of GHB.
5. If you set your open bottle or glass down even for a few seconds, buy a new one. Don’t drink from that one again.
6. Never drink from a punch or any large open top bowl. With “roofies” and GHB easily attainable, better be safe than sorry.
7. Don't accept drinks that you didn't see made. You might reconsider ordering mixed drinks.
8. Be as careful with non-alcoholic beverages as alcoholic ones. These drugs dissolve in non-alcoholic beverages as well as alcoholic ones. They mostly have no taste, they have no color, and they have no odor. GHB has a slightly salty taste that is hidden by sweet drinks.
9. Don't share or exchange drinks.
10. If you are in a conversation where your attention may be averted, put your hand over your drink and keep it there while you chat.
11. If you feel like you are becoming severely intoxicated after only 1 or 2 drinks, alert your friends and get help.
12. Never agree to leave the premises if someone wants you to go outside to get some fresh air, especially if it is someone you have just met.
If you think you have been given a rape-facilitating drug, call the Sexual Harassment & Assault Resource & Education crisis number or Urgent Care.
It is important to be tested as soon as possible.
These tips are courtesy of www.4women.gov and the Men Against Sexual Assault, University of Rochester, NY http://sa.rochester.edu/masa/
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
CLUB AND “RAPE” DRUGS
MDMA (Ecstasy), GHB, Rohypnol, ketamine, methamphetamine, and LSD are considered club or party drugs. Club drugs are typically used by teens and young adults at all-night dance parties such as "raves" or "trances," clubs, and bars. Not only are these drugs dangerous to one’s own health, four of them have been known to be used as rape-facilitating drugs. Those four “rapists” drugs are MDMA, GHB, Rohypnol, and Ketamine.
Often, the raves where these drugs are used are promoted as alcohol-free events, which give parents a false sense of security that their children will be safe attending such parties. These parents are not aware that raves may actually be havens for the illicit sale and abuse of club drugs
Attendance at raves can range from 30 people in a small club to thousands in a stadium or open field. Because MDMA can cause users to involuntarily grind their teeth, ravers often chew on baby pacifiers or lollipops to offset this effect.
Additionally, ravers may use glowsticks and flashing lights to heighten the hallucinogenic properties of MDMA and visual distortions brought on by its use.
GHB, Rohypnol, Ketamine and Ecstasy (MDMA) remove memory, act as powerful muscle relaxants, and/or anesthetize the victims until they can not resist their assailants. The victim is then incapable of saying no – or anything else, for that matter.
Law enforcement agencies have cutting edge ways to trap and prosecute rapists who use drugs to facilitate their sexual assaults. They are putting these cowards and predators in prison for a lot of years. Further, our government is taking rape-facilitating drugs seriously. In Congress, lawmakers are creating sterner laws to help police and other law enforcement agencies to investigate, arrest, and prosecute rapists and other criminals using drugs to overpower victims.
One of the most visible “drug-facilitated rape” cases in our country recently put Max Factor heir and multimillionaire, Andrew Luster, behind bars for 124 years for drugging and raping three women. He was indicted on 87 charges, including poisoning and rape, and found guilty of 86 of them. Out on $1 Million bond, Luster ran to Mexico where he was apprehended by US Bounty Hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman. Luster lost his right to appeal by running so he will now live in a far less elegant address than he was accustomed to -- for 124 years.
Unscrupulous drug dealers – an oxymoron if I ever heard one – are now selling club and date rape drugs on the Internet. Naturally, they don’t send up a balloon offering “roofies” or “Ecstacy” or anything Mommies and Daddies might recognize. How about “computer cleaners guaranteed to be harmless if swallowed accidentally?”
Another good reason to have the family computer in full view of the entire family.
Some Myths and Facts about Club/“Rape Drugs”
MYTH: The victim will not remember what happened if they are raped.
FACT: The victim will sometimes wake up intermittently during the assault and have partial memories of it.
MYTH: The victim will never know they were raped.
FACT: The victim will realize they had sexual intercourse.
MYTH: They will just assume they had too much to drink and blacked out so the assault was their own fault.
FACT: Thanks to the wide spread educational news and crime reporting on the issue and prosecution of rapists using these drugs, many women will suspect being drugged and raped -- and know they are not at fault.
MYTH: The effects of the drugs can last for a few days after the assault so the victim will not be able to think clearly. All of the evidence will be gone by then.
FACT: Not always true. Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are all capable of investigative techniques that now make evidence-gathering, prosecution and conviction of rape drug predators more possible than ever.
In 1996 the Drug Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act was passed which makes it a felony to give a controlled substance to anyone with the intent of committing sexual assault or any other crime. People convicted of rape using a rape-facilitating drug may be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison – or much longer, as Mr. Luster can tell you.
Often, the raves where these drugs are used are promoted as alcohol-free events, which give parents a false sense of security that their children will be safe attending such parties. These parents are not aware that raves may actually be havens for the illicit sale and abuse of club drugs
Attendance at raves can range from 30 people in a small club to thousands in a stadium or open field. Because MDMA can cause users to involuntarily grind their teeth, ravers often chew on baby pacifiers or lollipops to offset this effect.
Additionally, ravers may use glowsticks and flashing lights to heighten the hallucinogenic properties of MDMA and visual distortions brought on by its use.
GHB, Rohypnol, Ketamine and Ecstasy (MDMA) remove memory, act as powerful muscle relaxants, and/or anesthetize the victims until they can not resist their assailants. The victim is then incapable of saying no – or anything else, for that matter.
Law enforcement agencies have cutting edge ways to trap and prosecute rapists who use drugs to facilitate their sexual assaults. They are putting these cowards and predators in prison for a lot of years. Further, our government is taking rape-facilitating drugs seriously. In Congress, lawmakers are creating sterner laws to help police and other law enforcement agencies to investigate, arrest, and prosecute rapists and other criminals using drugs to overpower victims.
One of the most visible “drug-facilitated rape” cases in our country recently put Max Factor heir and multimillionaire, Andrew Luster, behind bars for 124 years for drugging and raping three women. He was indicted on 87 charges, including poisoning and rape, and found guilty of 86 of them. Out on $1 Million bond, Luster ran to Mexico where he was apprehended by US Bounty Hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman. Luster lost his right to appeal by running so he will now live in a far less elegant address than he was accustomed to -- for 124 years.
Unscrupulous drug dealers – an oxymoron if I ever heard one – are now selling club and date rape drugs on the Internet. Naturally, they don’t send up a balloon offering “roofies” or “Ecstacy” or anything Mommies and Daddies might recognize. How about “computer cleaners guaranteed to be harmless if swallowed accidentally?”
Another good reason to have the family computer in full view of the entire family.
Some Myths and Facts about Club/“Rape Drugs”
MYTH: The victim will not remember what happened if they are raped.
FACT: The victim will sometimes wake up intermittently during the assault and have partial memories of it.
MYTH: The victim will never know they were raped.
FACT: The victim will realize they had sexual intercourse.
MYTH: They will just assume they had too much to drink and blacked out so the assault was their own fault.
FACT: Thanks to the wide spread educational news and crime reporting on the issue and prosecution of rapists using these drugs, many women will suspect being drugged and raped -- and know they are not at fault.
MYTH: The effects of the drugs can last for a few days after the assault so the victim will not be able to think clearly. All of the evidence will be gone by then.
FACT: Not always true. Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are all capable of investigative techniques that now make evidence-gathering, prosecution and conviction of rape drug predators more possible than ever.
In 1996 the Drug Induced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act was passed which makes it a felony to give a controlled substance to anyone with the intent of committing sexual assault or any other crime. People convicted of rape using a rape-facilitating drug may be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison – or much longer, as Mr. Luster can tell you.
Monday, May 24, 2010
STEROIDS – No Pain, No Gain?
In America, sports stars found to be using steroids are facing tough times. Fat billion bucks endorsement contracts some expected from successful sports careers are being tossed in the nearest dumpsters as ad agencies and sponsors are taking a second look at not so squeaky clean athletes and Just Saying No.
The scientific name for this class of drugs is anabolic-androgenic steroids. Anabolic refers to muscle-building. Androgenic refers to increased male characteristics. But even scientists shorten it to anabolic steroids.
Steroids are synthetic substances similar to the male sex hormone testosterone. The primary medical use of anabolic steroids is to treat delayed puberty, some types of impotence, and wasting of the body caused by HIV infection or other diseases. But doctors never prescribe anabolic steroids to young, healthy people to help build muscles. Without a prescription from a doctor, steroids are illegal.
Street slang terms for steroids include “arnolds”, “gym candy”, “juice’, “pumpers”, “stackers”, and “weight trainers”. Some steroid users pop pills. Others use hypodermic needles to inject steroids directly into muscles. Abusers have been known to take doses 10 to 100 times higher than the amount prescribed for medical reasons by a doctor.
The Good News is most teens are smart and stay away from steroids.
The Bad News according to the most comprehensive survey of students in eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades, 17.1 percent of eighth graders, 30.2 percent of tenth graders, and 41.1 percent of twelfth graders said that steroids were "fairly easy" or "very easy" to obtain. Furthermore, 60.2 percent of twelfth graders surveyed reported that using steroids had a great risk [of happening] during 2006. I don’t know about you but these percentages get translated to kids in danger pretty fast for me.
Three reasons youngsters use steroids is because they want to build muscles, reduce body fat or become a more powerful athlete. They either take it orally or inject it into their stomachs (yes, it hurts just thinking of that torturous act) or rub a cream form of steroids on themselves.
Ironically, they might be suffering from muscle dysmorphia, a condition in which a person has a distorted image of his or her body. Men with this condition think that they look small and weak, even if they are large and muscular. It’s the equivalent of anorexic young girls who literally starve themselves when they are already painfully and dangerously undernourished.
Health consequences associated with anabolic steroid abuse include:
Hormonal system disruptions. Reduced sperm production, shrinking of the testicles, impotence, and irreversible breast enlargement in boys and men. Decreased body fat and breast size, voice deepening, excessive body hair, loss of scalp hair, and genital changes in girls and women
Musculoskeletal system effects
Premature and permanent growth termination among adolescents
Cardiovascular diseases
Heart attacks and strokes
Liver diseases
Potentially fatal cysts and cancer
Skin diseases
Acne and cysts
Infections including HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, and infective endocarditis, a potentially fatal inflammation of the heart’s lining.
Increased aggressive behavior, particularly when high doses are taken. Depression, mood swings, fatigue, restlessness, loss of appetite, and reduced sex drive when steroid abuse is stopped.
These facts courtesy of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse
Research has shown that simply teaching students about steroids' adverse effects does not convince adolescents that they can be adversely affected. Nor does such instruction discourage young people from taking steroids in the future. Presenting both the risks and benefits of anabolic steroid use is more effective in convincing adolescents about steroids' negative effects, apparently because students find a balanced approach more credible.
Current knowledge is based largely on the experiences of a small number of physicians who have worked with patients undergoing steroid withdrawal. The physicians have found that supportive therapy is sufficient in some cases. Patients are educated about what they may experience during withdrawal and are evaluated for suicidal thoughts. If symptoms are severe or prolonged, medications or hospitalization may be needed. Some patients require assistance beyond pharmacological treatment of withdrawal symptoms and are treated with behavioral therapies.
Myths and Facts About Steroids
Most youths share information about the drugs they use. Unfortunately, most is locker room trash talk, also called myths. Take a look at some of them.
MYTH: Forget working out. Just pop some steroids and you’ll bulk up fast with no problem.
FACT: Not exactly. Steroids can make pimples pop up and hair fall out. They can make guys grow breasts and girls grow beards. Steroids can cause livers to grow tumors and hearts to clog up. They can even send users on violent, angry rampages. In other words, steroids throw a body way out of whack and then, it’s anybody’s guess what happens.
MYTH: There are no long-lasting harmful results.
FACT: Wrong. Some long-lasting health consequences for males and females include liver cancer, heart attacks, and elevated cholesterol levels. In addition to this, steroid use among adolescents may prematurely stop the lengthening of bones resulting in stunted growth.
MYTH: If I don’t like them, I’ll just stop taking them.
FACT: Some steroid abusers experience withdrawal symptoms that include mood swings, fatigue, loss of appetite, insomnia, reduced sex drive, and depression. This depression, if left untreated, can persist for a year or more after the abuser stops taking the drugs and can lead to suicide attempts.
MYTH: Using supplements that have steroids in them is not as dangerous as regular steroids.
FACT: In 2006, the US Food and Drug Administration was so concerned that these products, marketed as dietary supplements and promoted for building muscle and increasing strength, may cause serious long-term adverse health consequences in men, women, and children that many were warned to stop selling them or face seizure and injunction.
If you are a young athlete with a wish to shape your body, please check your local gym for a trainer who will design a program for you. One or two visits are usually inexpensive and you can then follow his or her training program on your own.
The scientific name for this class of drugs is anabolic-androgenic steroids. Anabolic refers to muscle-building. Androgenic refers to increased male characteristics. But even scientists shorten it to anabolic steroids.
Steroids are synthetic substances similar to the male sex hormone testosterone. The primary medical use of anabolic steroids is to treat delayed puberty, some types of impotence, and wasting of the body caused by HIV infection or other diseases. But doctors never prescribe anabolic steroids to young, healthy people to help build muscles. Without a prescription from a doctor, steroids are illegal.
Street slang terms for steroids include “arnolds”, “gym candy”, “juice’, “pumpers”, “stackers”, and “weight trainers”. Some steroid users pop pills. Others use hypodermic needles to inject steroids directly into muscles. Abusers have been known to take doses 10 to 100 times higher than the amount prescribed for medical reasons by a doctor.
The Good News is most teens are smart and stay away from steroids.
The Bad News according to the most comprehensive survey of students in eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades, 17.1 percent of eighth graders, 30.2 percent of tenth graders, and 41.1 percent of twelfth graders said that steroids were "fairly easy" or "very easy" to obtain. Furthermore, 60.2 percent of twelfth graders surveyed reported that using steroids had a great risk [of happening] during 2006. I don’t know about you but these percentages get translated to kids in danger pretty fast for me.
Three reasons youngsters use steroids is because they want to build muscles, reduce body fat or become a more powerful athlete. They either take it orally or inject it into their stomachs (yes, it hurts just thinking of that torturous act) or rub a cream form of steroids on themselves.
Ironically, they might be suffering from muscle dysmorphia, a condition in which a person has a distorted image of his or her body. Men with this condition think that they look small and weak, even if they are large and muscular. It’s the equivalent of anorexic young girls who literally starve themselves when they are already painfully and dangerously undernourished.
Health consequences associated with anabolic steroid abuse include:
Hormonal system disruptions. Reduced sperm production, shrinking of the testicles, impotence, and irreversible breast enlargement in boys and men. Decreased body fat and breast size, voice deepening, excessive body hair, loss of scalp hair, and genital changes in girls and women
Musculoskeletal system effects
Premature and permanent growth termination among adolescents
Cardiovascular diseases
Heart attacks and strokes
Liver diseases
Potentially fatal cysts and cancer
Skin diseases
Acne and cysts
Infections including HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, and infective endocarditis, a potentially fatal inflammation of the heart’s lining.
Increased aggressive behavior, particularly when high doses are taken. Depression, mood swings, fatigue, restlessness, loss of appetite, and reduced sex drive when steroid abuse is stopped.
These facts courtesy of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse
Research has shown that simply teaching students about steroids' adverse effects does not convince adolescents that they can be adversely affected. Nor does such instruction discourage young people from taking steroids in the future. Presenting both the risks and benefits of anabolic steroid use is more effective in convincing adolescents about steroids' negative effects, apparently because students find a balanced approach more credible.
Current knowledge is based largely on the experiences of a small number of physicians who have worked with patients undergoing steroid withdrawal. The physicians have found that supportive therapy is sufficient in some cases. Patients are educated about what they may experience during withdrawal and are evaluated for suicidal thoughts. If symptoms are severe or prolonged, medications or hospitalization may be needed. Some patients require assistance beyond pharmacological treatment of withdrawal symptoms and are treated with behavioral therapies.
Myths and Facts About Steroids
Most youths share information about the drugs they use. Unfortunately, most is locker room trash talk, also called myths. Take a look at some of them.
MYTH: Forget working out. Just pop some steroids and you’ll bulk up fast with no problem.
FACT: Not exactly. Steroids can make pimples pop up and hair fall out. They can make guys grow breasts and girls grow beards. Steroids can cause livers to grow tumors and hearts to clog up. They can even send users on violent, angry rampages. In other words, steroids throw a body way out of whack and then, it’s anybody’s guess what happens.
MYTH: There are no long-lasting harmful results.
FACT: Wrong. Some long-lasting health consequences for males and females include liver cancer, heart attacks, and elevated cholesterol levels. In addition to this, steroid use among adolescents may prematurely stop the lengthening of bones resulting in stunted growth.
MYTH: If I don’t like them, I’ll just stop taking them.
FACT: Some steroid abusers experience withdrawal symptoms that include mood swings, fatigue, loss of appetite, insomnia, reduced sex drive, and depression. This depression, if left untreated, can persist for a year or more after the abuser stops taking the drugs and can lead to suicide attempts.
MYTH: Using supplements that have steroids in them is not as dangerous as regular steroids.
FACT: In 2006, the US Food and Drug Administration was so concerned that these products, marketed as dietary supplements and promoted for building muscle and increasing strength, may cause serious long-term adverse health consequences in men, women, and children that many were warned to stop selling them or face seizure and injunction.
If you are a young athlete with a wish to shape your body, please check your local gym for a trainer who will design a program for you. One or two visits are usually inexpensive and you can then follow his or her training program on your own.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Marijuana - The Effects, Treatment and Recovery
The effects of marijuana on each person depends on the type of cannabis and how much THC it contains; how the drug is taken; how experienced the user is; where the drug is used; and the use of other drugs and/or alcohol. Even genes can influence how cannaboids affect their physical and mental health. Although it’s common for some users to feel nothing at first use, others may feel high. Ordinary sights, sounds or tastes may seem extremely interesting or funny. Time seems to slow down. Sometimes the user feels very hungry or thirsty. As the immediate effects fade, usually after 2 to 3 hours, the user may become sleepy.
Short term use: Intoxication, a dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, some loss of coordination and poor sense of balance, and slower reaction time. Blood vessels in the eye expand, so the user's eyes look red. For some people, marijuana raises blood pressure and can double the normal heart rate.
Some users, especially someone new to the drug or in a strange setting, may suffer acute anxiety and have paranoid thoughts. This is more likely to happen with high doses of THC. In rare cases, a user who has taken a very high dose of the drug can have severe psychotic symptoms and need emergency medical treatment.
Stronger doses intensify reactions. The individual may experience shifting sensory imagery, rapidly fluctuating emotions, fragmentary thoughts with disturbing associations, an altered sense of self- identity, impaired memory, and a dulling of attention despite an illusion of heightened insight. High doses may result in image distortion, a loss of personal identity, fantasies, and hallucinations. This is one reason why hashish, or hashish oil, is so dangerous. These substances are a more concentrated, resinous form of cannabis. Hash oil, a sticky black liquid, is highly concentrated.
Long term effects: Marijuana hinders the user's short-term memory (memory for recent events), and he or she may have trouble handling complex tasks. With the use of more potent varieties of marijuana, even simple tasks can be difficult. Because of the drug's effects on perceptions and reaction time, users could be involved in auto crashes. Drug users also may become involved in risky sexual behaviors, which could lead to the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Under the influence of marijuana, students may find it hard to study and learn. Young athletes could find their performance is off; timing, movements, and coordination are all affected by THC.
Up until a few years ago, it was hard to find treatment programs specifically for marijuana users. Treatments for marijuana dependence were much the same as therapies for other drug abuse problems. These include behavioral therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy; multi-systemic therapy; individual and group counseling; and regular attendance at 12-step meetings. Recently, other methods to help marijuana users abstain from drug use were tested.
Progress in treatment to help marijuana users includes a number of programs set up to help adolescents in particular. Some of these programs are in university research centers, where most of the young clients report marijuana as their drug of choice.
Others are in independent adolescent treatment facilities. Speak to a professional therapist, pediatrician, physician or other professional counselor who has experience dealing with young marijuana-dependant users for information about appropriate treatment for your child. Each child is different. What are the underlying problems, if any?
Short term use: Intoxication, a dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, some loss of coordination and poor sense of balance, and slower reaction time. Blood vessels in the eye expand, so the user's eyes look red. For some people, marijuana raises blood pressure and can double the normal heart rate.
Some users, especially someone new to the drug or in a strange setting, may suffer acute anxiety and have paranoid thoughts. This is more likely to happen with high doses of THC. In rare cases, a user who has taken a very high dose of the drug can have severe psychotic symptoms and need emergency medical treatment.
Stronger doses intensify reactions. The individual may experience shifting sensory imagery, rapidly fluctuating emotions, fragmentary thoughts with disturbing associations, an altered sense of self- identity, impaired memory, and a dulling of attention despite an illusion of heightened insight. High doses may result in image distortion, a loss of personal identity, fantasies, and hallucinations. This is one reason why hashish, or hashish oil, is so dangerous. These substances are a more concentrated, resinous form of cannabis. Hash oil, a sticky black liquid, is highly concentrated.
Long term effects: Marijuana hinders the user's short-term memory (memory for recent events), and he or she may have trouble handling complex tasks. With the use of more potent varieties of marijuana, even simple tasks can be difficult. Because of the drug's effects on perceptions and reaction time, users could be involved in auto crashes. Drug users also may become involved in risky sexual behaviors, which could lead to the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Under the influence of marijuana, students may find it hard to study and learn. Young athletes could find their performance is off; timing, movements, and coordination are all affected by THC.
Up until a few years ago, it was hard to find treatment programs specifically for marijuana users. Treatments for marijuana dependence were much the same as therapies for other drug abuse problems. These include behavioral therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy; multi-systemic therapy; individual and group counseling; and regular attendance at 12-step meetings. Recently, other methods to help marijuana users abstain from drug use were tested.
Progress in treatment to help marijuana users includes a number of programs set up to help adolescents in particular. Some of these programs are in university research centers, where most of the young clients report marijuana as their drug of choice.
Others are in independent adolescent treatment facilities. Speak to a professional therapist, pediatrician, physician or other professional counselor who has experience dealing with young marijuana-dependant users for information about appropriate treatment for your child. Each child is different. What are the underlying problems, if any?
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Myths & Facts About Marijuana
There are so many myths about marijuana that most users are the last ones to know the truth about “pot”, “mary jane”, “dooby-do”, “”blunts”, “ganji” or whatever the slang term for marijuana is this year. Let’s look at some:
MYTH: Marijuana is harmless.
FACT: Marijuana is more potent and harmful than ever because the THC put in it is more potent and harsh.
MYTH: Marijuana users are “mellow” – they don’t harm anyone like other drug users might.
FACT: Getting high on marijuana impairs judgment which can lead to risky decisions on issues like sex, criminal activity, or riding with someone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol or driving under the influence yourself. This can cause the death of innocent drivers and pedestrians.
MYTH: There are no long-term consequences to marijuana use.
FACT: Smoking marijuana can and have destroyed academic or job performances, and cause long term depression and anxiety.
MYTH: Marijuana is used for cancer patients so it can’t be harmful to anyone.
FACT: Smoked marijuana is not medicine. Even advocates of legalization of marijuana and medical proponents of its use for medicinal purposes say that youngsters should never use marijuana. It causes them physical, social, behavioral and academic harm.
MYTH: You can't get addicted to marijuana.
FACT: Wrong. Youths can get dependent on marijuana. Addiction is simply untreated dependency. Each year, more kids enter treatment with a primary diagnosis of marijuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs combined.
MYTH: So what if I buy marijuana? I’m not hurting anyone else.
FACT: Not true. Demand drives supply. Marijuana trafficking is a big, violent business whether the plants are grown on foreign soil or cultivated in basements, backyards, and farms in the United States. If drug criminals didn’t have buyers, they wouldn’t have any business. If you buy, you are part of the drug business. Get it?
MYTH: Okay, so drug dealers sometimes get killed. That doesn’t harm the “good guys.”
FACT: Again, not true. Much marijuana produced in America is grown on public land like national forests and parks, areas set aside to preserve wildlife habitats, provide playgrounds for children, and to serve as natural refuges for recreation. To protect their crops, marijuana growers use fishhooks hung at eye level, crude booby traps, bear traps, punji sticks and rat traps rigged with shotgun shells on these lands. Most marijuana grown on public land in the U.S. is grown in the national forests of California by armed, dangerous Mexican drug traffickers carrying high –powered assault weapons. Hunters, campers and others have been fired upon after stumbling by accident on these illegal marijuana “farms.”
In addition, there is a long list of innocent bystanders, including children and babies, who have been shot and killed during drug disputes. If you don’t buy, no one can sell. Still think no one is getting hurt but you? If you are not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
MYTH: Young kids aren’t exposed to marijuana.
FACT: Not true. Between 1991 and 2001, the number of 8th graders who used marijuana doubled from one in 10 to one in five.
MYTH: There's not much parents can do to stop their kids from "experimenting" with marijuana.
FACT: Not true. Most parents are surprised to learn that they are the most powerful influence on their children when it comes to drugs. BY STAYING INVOLVED, KNOWING
WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE DOING, AND SETTING FIRM LIMITS WITH CLEAR RULES AND NO-WIGGLE-ROOM CONSEQUENCES, YOU CAN KEEP YOUR KIDS DRUG FREE.
MYTH: Parents who experimented with marijuana in their youth are hypocrites if they tell their kids not to try it.
FACT: No. Times and people change. Much more is known today about the serious health and social consequences of using marijuana. One, the THC potency in marijuana, hashish/hash oil is stronger since the 1970s and quickly getting more so.
MYTH: Marijuana is harmless.
FACT: Marijuana is more potent and harmful than ever because the THC put in it is more potent and harsh.
MYTH: Marijuana users are “mellow” – they don’t harm anyone like other drug users might.
FACT: Getting high on marijuana impairs judgment which can lead to risky decisions on issues like sex, criminal activity, or riding with someone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol or driving under the influence yourself. This can cause the death of innocent drivers and pedestrians.
MYTH: There are no long-term consequences to marijuana use.
FACT: Smoking marijuana can and have destroyed academic or job performances, and cause long term depression and anxiety.
MYTH: Marijuana is used for cancer patients so it can’t be harmful to anyone.
FACT: Smoked marijuana is not medicine. Even advocates of legalization of marijuana and medical proponents of its use for medicinal purposes say that youngsters should never use marijuana. It causes them physical, social, behavioral and academic harm.
MYTH: You can't get addicted to marijuana.
FACT: Wrong. Youths can get dependent on marijuana. Addiction is simply untreated dependency. Each year, more kids enter treatment with a primary diagnosis of marijuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs combined.
MYTH: So what if I buy marijuana? I’m not hurting anyone else.
FACT: Not true. Demand drives supply. Marijuana trafficking is a big, violent business whether the plants are grown on foreign soil or cultivated in basements, backyards, and farms in the United States. If drug criminals didn’t have buyers, they wouldn’t have any business. If you buy, you are part of the drug business. Get it?
MYTH: Okay, so drug dealers sometimes get killed. That doesn’t harm the “good guys.”
FACT: Again, not true. Much marijuana produced in America is grown on public land like national forests and parks, areas set aside to preserve wildlife habitats, provide playgrounds for children, and to serve as natural refuges for recreation. To protect their crops, marijuana growers use fishhooks hung at eye level, crude booby traps, bear traps, punji sticks and rat traps rigged with shotgun shells on these lands. Most marijuana grown on public land in the U.S. is grown in the national forests of California by armed, dangerous Mexican drug traffickers carrying high –powered assault weapons. Hunters, campers and others have been fired upon after stumbling by accident on these illegal marijuana “farms.”
In addition, there is a long list of innocent bystanders, including children and babies, who have been shot and killed during drug disputes. If you don’t buy, no one can sell. Still think no one is getting hurt but you? If you are not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
MYTH: Young kids aren’t exposed to marijuana.
FACT: Not true. Between 1991 and 2001, the number of 8th graders who used marijuana doubled from one in 10 to one in five.
MYTH: There's not much parents can do to stop their kids from "experimenting" with marijuana.
FACT: Not true. Most parents are surprised to learn that they are the most powerful influence on their children when it comes to drugs. BY STAYING INVOLVED, KNOWING
WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE DOING, AND SETTING FIRM LIMITS WITH CLEAR RULES AND NO-WIGGLE-ROOM CONSEQUENCES, YOU CAN KEEP YOUR KIDS DRUG FREE.
MYTH: Parents who experimented with marijuana in their youth are hypocrites if they tell their kids not to try it.
FACT: No. Times and people change. Much more is known today about the serious health and social consequences of using marijuana. One, the THC potency in marijuana, hashish/hash oil is stronger since the 1970s and quickly getting more so.
Monday, May 17, 2010
CANNABOIDS: Just “Kid Stuff?”
Canniboids include marijuana, strong forms of cannabis including sinse-milla (sin-seh-me-yah), hashish ("hash” for short), and hash oil. All are produced from the hemp plant, Cannabis Sativa. . The main active chemical is (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC), the main drug in marijuana – which includes hashish and hash oil -- plus more than 400 other chemicals!
All forms of cannabis are mind-altering (psychoactive) drugs; however, the effect on the user depends on the strength or potency of the THC it contains. The THC potency has increased since the 1970s and continues to increase.
According to recent government studies, lifetime marijuana abuse decreased among 10th-graders, from 34.1 percent in 2005 to 31.8 percent in 2006. It also reports that marijuana abuse fell by 36 percent among 8th-graders this past year.
Nearly 45 percent of U.S. teenagers try marijuana before finishing high school. It is the most commonly used illegal drug in the U.S.
Why do youngsters use marijuana? Curiosity and the desire to fit into a social group are common reasons. Youngsters who already smoke cigarettes and/or use alcohol are at high risk for marijuana use. Parents, grandparents, and older siblings in the home who use alcohol or drugs are role models many children follow. Some young people are influenced by friends who use drugs and urge them to do the same. Once a child starts using marijuana, they may become dependant upon it, making it hard for them to stop using it.
Others mention psychological coping as a reason for their use - to deal with anxiety, anger, depression, boredom, and so forth. They take the drugs to stop the pain, not to die. Inner emotional pain drives youngsters to drugs of all kinds to help them “numb out.”
For any youth who is reading this: if you are a user, you need and can get help. Think of all the adults in your life: a preacher you trust, a teacher, a doctor, even a neighborhood policeman or woman you like and trust can be approached. Using drugs is not the end of your story. Each day is a new beginning.
All forms of cannabis are mind-altering (psychoactive) drugs; however, the effect on the user depends on the strength or potency of the THC it contains. The THC potency has increased since the 1970s and continues to increase.
According to recent government studies, lifetime marijuana abuse decreased among 10th-graders, from 34.1 percent in 2005 to 31.8 percent in 2006. It also reports that marijuana abuse fell by 36 percent among 8th-graders this past year.
Nearly 45 percent of U.S. teenagers try marijuana before finishing high school. It is the most commonly used illegal drug in the U.S.
Why do youngsters use marijuana? Curiosity and the desire to fit into a social group are common reasons. Youngsters who already smoke cigarettes and/or use alcohol are at high risk for marijuana use. Parents, grandparents, and older siblings in the home who use alcohol or drugs are role models many children follow. Some young people are influenced by friends who use drugs and urge them to do the same. Once a child starts using marijuana, they may become dependant upon it, making it hard for them to stop using it.
Others mention psychological coping as a reason for their use - to deal with anxiety, anger, depression, boredom, and so forth. They take the drugs to stop the pain, not to die. Inner emotional pain drives youngsters to drugs of all kinds to help them “numb out.”
For any youth who is reading this: if you are a user, you need and can get help. Think of all the adults in your life: a preacher you trust, a teacher, a doctor, even a neighborhood policeman or woman you like and trust can be approached. Using drugs is not the end of your story. Each day is a new beginning.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Cocaine
Cocaine, also known as Coke, Dust, Snow, Flake, Blow, Toot, Nose candy, Her, She or Girl produces a carefree feeling, relaxation, a sense of being in total control and such an intense “high” that nothing and no one means anything to the user but that feeling. Cocaine “high” causes the user’s behavior to change radically. He or she may become more sociable but will also become more arrogant and domineering. Its use can make the user aggressive, both verbally and physically.
According to scientists involved in neuroscience, cocaine use negatively affects the functioning of neurons (cells located in the brain and spinal cord), primarily in the prefrontal cortex, but also in a number of other areas in the brain.
The result is a reduced ability to weigh benefits versus drawbacks and a reduced ability to control behavior.
Cocaine has recently become the drug most frequently involved in emergency room visits. Major affects that usually cause a cocaine abuser to go to an emergency room include severe headache, seizures, loss of consciousness that can be caused by not breathing or bleeding in the brain, stroke, hyperthermia (increased body temperature), coma, loss of vital support functions such as low blood pressure, slow heart rate, slow respirations, and death.
Cocaine hydrochloride, distributed on the street, looks like a fine white powder. It is frequently “cut” or mixed with crystalline vitamin C, which has a similar appearance. “Crack” cocaine is hydrochloride cocaine “cooked” with ammonia or baking soda and water. It resembles white chips, chunks or rocks and is usually delivered in a thin glass tube that may look like a cigar or laboratory test tube.
Now for the glamorous part. The effects on the human body:
Cocaine in powder form is sniffed up one’s nostrils. We’ve all seen this demonstrated in films and television shows that often claim to be anti-drug messages. Anyone who believes that still believes in the tooth fairy. It’s “show and tell” for our kids – and to add insult to injury, we pay to support these “messages.” Hello?
All this sniffing of highly irritating chemicals down the nose not only helps the cocaine to reach the brain very quickly, thereby inducing an intense “high” but it burns out the mucous in nostrils. Constant snorting can eventually cause the nasal septum to collapse. Red nostrils and seemingly unwarranted nosebleeds are one sign of cocaine abuse. Needle “tracks” or red raw-looking scars on ones arms – or legs – can be a sign of injecting cocaine. Sharing needles to inject cocaine offers the added risk of acquiring HIV infection/AIDS. Cardiac arrest or seizures related to cocaine use can cause death. Incidentally, cocaine is considered both a narcotic and a stimulant.
Since cocaine is a very expensive “high”, it’s usually connected with large sums of missing moneys, theft of expensive jewelry, household items or electronics, cash, negotiable checks, and/or criminal behavior including shop lifting, muggings, burglaries and prostitution among both genders.
Most cocaine addicts are over 26 but some are only 15. That said, cocaine abuse and addiction continues to be a problem that plagues our nation. For instance, from 1965 to 1967, only 0.1 percent of youths surveyed had ever used cocaine, but rates rose throughout the 1970s and 1980s, reaching 2.2 percent in 1987. After a brief decline, lifetime prevalence rates peaked at 2.7 percent in 2002.
The worse news is that while we worry about the health and safety and life expectancy of users, we sometimes ignore the impact of drug abuse on the innocent non-user.
Those not so wise folks who use cocaine live on the myths they embrace about cocaine. Let’s share some of them with you.
Myth: Cocaine is NOT addictive.
Fact: Cocaine is highly addictive, especially in its “crack” or condensed form. The addiction is physical and psychological. In studies, animals addicted to cocaine preferred the drug to food, even when it meant they would starve. Some users report being hooked after one use.
Myth: Cocaine is a safe drug.
Fact: Common physical effects include damage to the inside of the nose, increased heart and pulse rate or irregular heart and pulse rate (arrhythmia), sweating, nausea, paranoia and hallucinations, increased blood pressure and strokes. Sniffing cocaine can and does damage the nasal septum and nasal passages. That’s why “coke heads” have violent nosebleeds.
Myth: There is no hangover.
Fact: The “crash” or “low” that follows the “high” can be so bad, it can lead to depression and suicidal thoughts.
Myth: Cocaine really makes you swing on your job or in the arts, and sexually. Maybe at first that may seem to be so.
Fact: Long time use eliminates interest in jobs, sports, school or sex. Long term use can cause loss of concentration, energy, memory, and can cause anxiety, irritability, paranoia, and loss of interest in sex. A cocaine habit can cost thousands of dollars a week to maintain.
Myth: Using cocaine is glamorous.
Fact: It can cost you everything you own or hope to own and your future. It often leads to criminal acts like prostitution, theft, burglary, and worse. It can destroy your health, your professional life, your sex life, and your financial security.
Paying through the nose is not just a saying if you use cocaine.
According to scientists involved in neuroscience, cocaine use negatively affects the functioning of neurons (cells located in the brain and spinal cord), primarily in the prefrontal cortex, but also in a number of other areas in the brain.
The result is a reduced ability to weigh benefits versus drawbacks and a reduced ability to control behavior.
Cocaine has recently become the drug most frequently involved in emergency room visits. Major affects that usually cause a cocaine abuser to go to an emergency room include severe headache, seizures, loss of consciousness that can be caused by not breathing or bleeding in the brain, stroke, hyperthermia (increased body temperature), coma, loss of vital support functions such as low blood pressure, slow heart rate, slow respirations, and death.
Cocaine hydrochloride, distributed on the street, looks like a fine white powder. It is frequently “cut” or mixed with crystalline vitamin C, which has a similar appearance. “Crack” cocaine is hydrochloride cocaine “cooked” with ammonia or baking soda and water. It resembles white chips, chunks or rocks and is usually delivered in a thin glass tube that may look like a cigar or laboratory test tube.
Now for the glamorous part. The effects on the human body:
Cocaine in powder form is sniffed up one’s nostrils. We’ve all seen this demonstrated in films and television shows that often claim to be anti-drug messages. Anyone who believes that still believes in the tooth fairy. It’s “show and tell” for our kids – and to add insult to injury, we pay to support these “messages.” Hello?
All this sniffing of highly irritating chemicals down the nose not only helps the cocaine to reach the brain very quickly, thereby inducing an intense “high” but it burns out the mucous in nostrils. Constant snorting can eventually cause the nasal septum to collapse. Red nostrils and seemingly unwarranted nosebleeds are one sign of cocaine abuse. Needle “tracks” or red raw-looking scars on ones arms – or legs – can be a sign of injecting cocaine. Sharing needles to inject cocaine offers the added risk of acquiring HIV infection/AIDS. Cardiac arrest or seizures related to cocaine use can cause death. Incidentally, cocaine is considered both a narcotic and a stimulant.
Since cocaine is a very expensive “high”, it’s usually connected with large sums of missing moneys, theft of expensive jewelry, household items or electronics, cash, negotiable checks, and/or criminal behavior including shop lifting, muggings, burglaries and prostitution among both genders.
Most cocaine addicts are over 26 but some are only 15. That said, cocaine abuse and addiction continues to be a problem that plagues our nation. For instance, from 1965 to 1967, only 0.1 percent of youths surveyed had ever used cocaine, but rates rose throughout the 1970s and 1980s, reaching 2.2 percent in 1987. After a brief decline, lifetime prevalence rates peaked at 2.7 percent in 2002.
The worse news is that while we worry about the health and safety and life expectancy of users, we sometimes ignore the impact of drug abuse on the innocent non-user.
Those not so wise folks who use cocaine live on the myths they embrace about cocaine. Let’s share some of them with you.
Myth: Cocaine is NOT addictive.
Fact: Cocaine is highly addictive, especially in its “crack” or condensed form. The addiction is physical and psychological. In studies, animals addicted to cocaine preferred the drug to food, even when it meant they would starve. Some users report being hooked after one use.
Myth: Cocaine is a safe drug.
Fact: Common physical effects include damage to the inside of the nose, increased heart and pulse rate or irregular heart and pulse rate (arrhythmia), sweating, nausea, paranoia and hallucinations, increased blood pressure and strokes. Sniffing cocaine can and does damage the nasal septum and nasal passages. That’s why “coke heads” have violent nosebleeds.
Myth: There is no hangover.
Fact: The “crash” or “low” that follows the “high” can be so bad, it can lead to depression and suicidal thoughts.
Myth: Cocaine really makes you swing on your job or in the arts, and sexually. Maybe at first that may seem to be so.
Fact: Long time use eliminates interest in jobs, sports, school or sex. Long term use can cause loss of concentration, energy, memory, and can cause anxiety, irritability, paranoia, and loss of interest in sex. A cocaine habit can cost thousands of dollars a week to maintain.
Myth: Using cocaine is glamorous.
Fact: It can cost you everything you own or hope to own and your future. It often leads to criminal acts like prostitution, theft, burglary, and worse. It can destroy your health, your professional life, your sex life, and your financial security.
Paying through the nose is not just a saying if you use cocaine.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
From Street Drugs to Prescription Drugs
In 2002, more than 26,000 people died in the U.S. as a direct consequence of drug use. That does not include those killed as a consequence of drug-using behavior, like deaths caused by drivers whose perceptions, coordination and/or decision making skills were grossly impaired by drugs.
According to the largest teen drug use survey in the United States, there’s been a 23 percent reduction in the number of young people using drugs since 2001. This includes fewer teens using marijuana and methamphetamines (meth). However, prescription drug abuse among teens is rapidly increasing, as is inhalant abuse. Prescription drug abuse now ranks second to marijuana as the nation's largest illegal drug problem, with nearly 6.4 million people reporting non-medical use.
Facts courtesy of the White House’ 2007 National Drug Control Strategy Plan
“After an increase in LSD use during the 1990s, the reported rates of LSD use by young people have declined by nearly two-thirds since 2001,” reports the Strategy Plan. This is attributed to the dismantling of the world’s leading LSD manufacturing organization in 2000.
“MDMA (Ecstasy) use has made a similar dramatic turnaround since U.S. law enforcement partnered with the Netherlands to disrupt several major MDMA trafficking organizations in recent years.” the Plan says.
Before you heave a huge sigh of relief, the latest drugs of choice are in your medicine cabinet. Prescription drugs are now the second most commonly used illegal drug by teens to get high, after marijuana. A majority of teens who use these products are getting them easily -- and often for free.
"Parents need to know that teens are turning away from street drugs and increasingly abusing prescription drugs to get high. They should also be aware that suppliers of these drugs . . . are more likely close friends or relatives," said John P. Walters, Office of National Drug Control Policy’s director. "Too many young people see popping pills as a painless high."
According to the largest teen drug use survey in the United States, there’s been a 23 percent reduction in the number of young people using drugs since 2001. This includes fewer teens using marijuana and methamphetamines (meth). However, prescription drug abuse among teens is rapidly increasing, as is inhalant abuse. Prescription drug abuse now ranks second to marijuana as the nation's largest illegal drug problem, with nearly 6.4 million people reporting non-medical use.
Facts courtesy of the White House’ 2007 National Drug Control Strategy Plan
“After an increase in LSD use during the 1990s, the reported rates of LSD use by young people have declined by nearly two-thirds since 2001,” reports the Strategy Plan. This is attributed to the dismantling of the world’s leading LSD manufacturing organization in 2000.
“MDMA (Ecstasy) use has made a similar dramatic turnaround since U.S. law enforcement partnered with the Netherlands to disrupt several major MDMA trafficking organizations in recent years.” the Plan says.
Before you heave a huge sigh of relief, the latest drugs of choice are in your medicine cabinet. Prescription drugs are now the second most commonly used illegal drug by teens to get high, after marijuana. A majority of teens who use these products are getting them easily -- and often for free.
"Parents need to know that teens are turning away from street drugs and increasingly abusing prescription drugs to get high. They should also be aware that suppliers of these drugs . . . are more likely close friends or relatives," said John P. Walters, Office of National Drug Control Policy’s director. "Too many young people see popping pills as a painless high."
Monday, May 10, 2010
Moving on to Phase Three
Having identified the source of our problem in phase two and cultivated a daily practice over long periods of time, we have now arrived at a level where the solution becomes more experiential for us each day. Having practiced our spiritual principles of recovery, we now know that the spiritual foundation of our recovery is to put principles before individual personalities. This is the spiritual foundation of the 12-step recovery groups. Now that we have spent considerable time establishing a strong foundation apart from our most fundamental addictions and attachments, and have gained some freedom from these problems, we can venture into other practices to supplement our recovery. In phase three, we no longer live in the problem but rather in the solution.
As recovering addicts, we may tend to gravitate toward some of the more intense writings in order to increase our understanding of spiritual truth. Still, nothing can replace the actual work that has to be done in the early phases of recovery and which will always serve as the foundation of our spiritual path. Reading these sacred texts over and over will not help the stubborn addict who refuses to take action and seek out help from other addicts or alcoholics. It is in our humility that we have first learned to practice spirituality and not through our “elevated” intellectual stance. It is in the taking action and living of the experience of spiritual truth which makes the greatest personal impression in our lives and becomes the cornerstone from which our future advancements will be made.
Regardless of the phase of our recovery, we must always recognize that nobody needs to be a literary expert about the many spiritual writings or teachers in order to be truly spiritual. Simply knowing that there is the possibility for a better life may be enough to inspire us to improve ourselves and begin our spiritual life. We may have already begun to cultivate an experience which is similar to the experience of these teachers and authors of these great books regardless of our intellectual knowledge. It is not necessary to read every book and visit every teacher in order to achieve a truly spiritual life.
Through the practices of prayer, contemplation and meditation, we may develop a relationship with a Higher Power that transcends the many differences of religions or teachings and which recognizes that all truth comes from the same ultimate Source. Regardless under what name, the fundamental spiritual intention is the same.
In phase three recovery, we have learned that it doesn’t matter which drug or addictive behavior we had been controlled by because another problem was always waiting beneath the surface anyway. Similarly, it doesn’t matter which form of spiritual truth we may pursue as long as it works for us. Every addiction is merely another means to keeping us separate from our Higher Power and this separation is at the heart of the addiction’s structure. With courage, willingness and love, we learn to overcome the obstacles that our addiction places in front of us and to move ahead toward a more spiritual vision of the world around us. This opens our heart to the higher levels of spiritual power which are now available to us through perseverance and intention.
Anything is possible for us in the spiritual life and, with devotion and perseverance; we discover that the road is open to us just like it has been for many others throughout history. We are all part of the totality of the universe and our very existence is the validation that an experience of this totality is also possible for us. All we need to do is make a conscious decision to begin and the road will open up ahead of us in its infinite potential.
As recovering addicts, we may tend to gravitate toward some of the more intense writings in order to increase our understanding of spiritual truth. Still, nothing can replace the actual work that has to be done in the early phases of recovery and which will always serve as the foundation of our spiritual path. Reading these sacred texts over and over will not help the stubborn addict who refuses to take action and seek out help from other addicts or alcoholics. It is in our humility that we have first learned to practice spirituality and not through our “elevated” intellectual stance. It is in the taking action and living of the experience of spiritual truth which makes the greatest personal impression in our lives and becomes the cornerstone from which our future advancements will be made.
Regardless of the phase of our recovery, we must always recognize that nobody needs to be a literary expert about the many spiritual writings or teachers in order to be truly spiritual. Simply knowing that there is the possibility for a better life may be enough to inspire us to improve ourselves and begin our spiritual life. We may have already begun to cultivate an experience which is similar to the experience of these teachers and authors of these great books regardless of our intellectual knowledge. It is not necessary to read every book and visit every teacher in order to achieve a truly spiritual life.
Through the practices of prayer, contemplation and meditation, we may develop a relationship with a Higher Power that transcends the many differences of religions or teachings and which recognizes that all truth comes from the same ultimate Source. Regardless under what name, the fundamental spiritual intention is the same.
In phase three recovery, we have learned that it doesn’t matter which drug or addictive behavior we had been controlled by because another problem was always waiting beneath the surface anyway. Similarly, it doesn’t matter which form of spiritual truth we may pursue as long as it works for us. Every addiction is merely another means to keeping us separate from our Higher Power and this separation is at the heart of the addiction’s structure. With courage, willingness and love, we learn to overcome the obstacles that our addiction places in front of us and to move ahead toward a more spiritual vision of the world around us. This opens our heart to the higher levels of spiritual power which are now available to us through perseverance and intention.
Anything is possible for us in the spiritual life and, with devotion and perseverance; we discover that the road is open to us just like it has been for many others throughout history. We are all part of the totality of the universe and our very existence is the validation that an experience of this totality is also possible for us. All we need to do is make a conscious decision to begin and the road will open up ahead of us in its infinite potential.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Progress and Failure
Progress and failure are a necessary part of the freedom from addiction journey. Once we truly decide that this is the most important thing in our lives, the biggest roadblock to our freedom will be removed.
Taking action is easy. Sticking to a plan is hard. Many people start with a list of the things they want to work on and mark off their progress on a daily calendar. They cultivate a serious intention about this project and watch themselves as they make some successful efforts and initial failures. For them, however, the underlying principle remains the same all along the way.
Maintaining their devotion to a new set of behaviors and continually practicing self-observation are the keys. Whether we feel we are being successful or we are failing, we continue to observe ourselves and learn what makes us tick. We look closely at our emotions and the way they control our behavior. This self-observation is the energy that eventually begins to erode the negative hold that our addiction and our ego have upon us. At first it takes a lot of effort but eventually we start to lose those old feelings of depression or fear and they are replaced with a more peaceful equanimity in our lives. It isn’t just luck or accident that makes some people more peaceful and happy. It is the result of long periods of spiritual work that help them to develop a happier life.
The bottom line is that if you truly want to be free, nothing will be able to stop you. Clarity of intention is the foundation of the spiritual life, and it states that your desire for freedom, your impulse to evolve, has to become more important to you than anything else in this world. Wanting to be free more than anything else is not a feeling; it’s an action. -Andrew Cohen
Taking action is easy. Sticking to a plan is hard. Many people start with a list of the things they want to work on and mark off their progress on a daily calendar. They cultivate a serious intention about this project and watch themselves as they make some successful efforts and initial failures. For them, however, the underlying principle remains the same all along the way.
Maintaining their devotion to a new set of behaviors and continually practicing self-observation are the keys. Whether we feel we are being successful or we are failing, we continue to observe ourselves and learn what makes us tick. We look closely at our emotions and the way they control our behavior. This self-observation is the energy that eventually begins to erode the negative hold that our addiction and our ego have upon us. At first it takes a lot of effort but eventually we start to lose those old feelings of depression or fear and they are replaced with a more peaceful equanimity in our lives. It isn’t just luck or accident that makes some people more peaceful and happy. It is the result of long periods of spiritual work that help them to develop a happier life.
The bottom line is that if you truly want to be free, nothing will be able to stop you. Clarity of intention is the foundation of the spiritual life, and it states that your desire for freedom, your impulse to evolve, has to become more important to you than anything else in this world. Wanting to be free more than anything else is not a feeling; it’s an action. -Andrew Cohen
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Focusing on Ourselves
One thing that is extremely easy to see are the problems of others, but the things that are extremely hard to see are the problems in ourselves. This is why very few people ever truly uncover the solution to addiction and discover their true Self. The true Self is our Higher Power and we can’t be developing a relationship with our Self if we are constantly focused on other people’s problems. Turning toward the problems of others may eventually become a diversion and distraction if we don’t remember the true nature of spiritual growth.
It isn’t up to us to determine whether someone is doing what is best for them. When we can’t keep the focus on ourselves, a sponsor from a twelve step group may help us to see how the problems we see in others are really a reflection of our own problems. Rather than wanting to look at our own problems, we immediately start to notice how “they” are talking too much or “they” aren’t really working their spiritual program. In actuality, it is us who is at fault and we are projecting our own problems onto others. Almost instantaneously, as if by some strange contagious virus, we have caught the same problem that we thought we noticed in another. If we aren’t skilled at observing ourselves, this fact will elude us completely and stunt our progress on the spiritual path for many years.
Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll
understand what little chance you have in trying to
change others. -Jacob Braude
When we turn to point our finger, even for a second, we have lost focus on ourselves and given up our practice of “seeing the problem”. We have started to become experts at how “others” become egotistical. We have started to develop what is commonly termed “The spiritual ego”. To continually see how others are falling short and constantly be speaking about the great knowledge we have acquired is often a distraction from true self-observation and authentic change in ourselves. Rather than looking at ourselves, we become obsessed with the behavior of others. We point our finger and refer to others as “control freaks” or “those lost in their egos”. Though we may not think we fall under that heading ourselves, we all have this buried behind our own wall of denial. It manifests itself constantly in every thought and emotion we may have. Any addict who has ever given up his or her addictions knows this first hand. You begin to see that you too have been suffering from a hidden “control freak” mechanism or that somehow, without realizing it, you too are “lost in your ego”.
It isn’t up to us to determine whether someone is doing what is best for them. When we can’t keep the focus on ourselves, a sponsor from a twelve step group may help us to see how the problems we see in others are really a reflection of our own problems. Rather than wanting to look at our own problems, we immediately start to notice how “they” are talking too much or “they” aren’t really working their spiritual program. In actuality, it is us who is at fault and we are projecting our own problems onto others. Almost instantaneously, as if by some strange contagious virus, we have caught the same problem that we thought we noticed in another. If we aren’t skilled at observing ourselves, this fact will elude us completely and stunt our progress on the spiritual path for many years.
Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you'll
understand what little chance you have in trying to
change others. -Jacob Braude
When we turn to point our finger, even for a second, we have lost focus on ourselves and given up our practice of “seeing the problem”. We have started to become experts at how “others” become egotistical. We have started to develop what is commonly termed “The spiritual ego”. To continually see how others are falling short and constantly be speaking about the great knowledge we have acquired is often a distraction from true self-observation and authentic change in ourselves. Rather than looking at ourselves, we become obsessed with the behavior of others. We point our finger and refer to others as “control freaks” or “those lost in their egos”. Though we may not think we fall under that heading ourselves, we all have this buried behind our own wall of denial. It manifests itself constantly in every thought and emotion we may have. Any addict who has ever given up his or her addictions knows this first hand. You begin to see that you too have been suffering from a hidden “control freak” mechanism or that somehow, without realizing it, you too are “lost in your ego”.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Seeing of the problem
As we progress in phase two, we come to recognize the most important truth about spiritual development. The real solution to multiple addictions is not in becoming perfect or becoming a saint. The real solution is in just one thing. It is in the seeing of the problem. This is a much bigger task than it may sound.
Early on in our recovery, we stressed the importance of taking action. We took concrete steps to change our lives and found that a Higher Power was necessary to make these changes. Now that those changes have happened, we begin to look at ourselves from a new perspective. We do this through the eyes of a Higher Power which makes “seeing the problem” a completely different experience than it might have been before.
“Seeing the problem” is a simple thing to say but an extremely hard thing to do. It first takes a devoted form of action in our lives and then it takes a new perception that can only come through a relationship with a Higher Power. Seeing the problem in ourselves requires continual attention each and everyday. It requires a determination that very few people have to both maintain a new lifestyle and maintain a new vision. We must look deeply at ourselves and the way we live our lives each day but remember that it isn’t we who are doing these things. This is an ability that can only be developed over long periods of time. It can be easily talked about but is rarely experienced.
The solution of “seeing the problem” cannot be overstated nor can it be over-applied in our lives when it comes to multiple addiction. We may sometimes feel guilt or shame about something we have done in the past but a new found relationship with a Higher Power will assure us that these experiences no longer belong to the person we used to be. That person who we thought we were was part of our ego and we no longer act that way anymore.
When we truly begin to see that the solution involves every aspect of who we are, it starts to become apparent that it involves a complete change of lifestyle for us. We have to change our behavior and our attitude in such a way as to make it easier to see our own problems. Stopping the old behaviors is the first part of this process. Learning to see ourselves in a new way is the next step. We have to move away from the more destructive addictions into the more benign ones and ultimately to an entirely different experience of who we are. We have to make “seeing” an easier thing to do but also recognize that this is a process rather than an “instant fix”. If we decide that this is too much for us, we may turn back for a while and return to some of our earlier habits. If we are serious, however, and decide that we want something better, we may finally decide to begin some more serious changes.
Early on in our recovery, we stressed the importance of taking action. We took concrete steps to change our lives and found that a Higher Power was necessary to make these changes. Now that those changes have happened, we begin to look at ourselves from a new perspective. We do this through the eyes of a Higher Power which makes “seeing the problem” a completely different experience than it might have been before.
“Seeing the problem” is a simple thing to say but an extremely hard thing to do. It first takes a devoted form of action in our lives and then it takes a new perception that can only come through a relationship with a Higher Power. Seeing the problem in ourselves requires continual attention each and everyday. It requires a determination that very few people have to both maintain a new lifestyle and maintain a new vision. We must look deeply at ourselves and the way we live our lives each day but remember that it isn’t we who are doing these things. This is an ability that can only be developed over long periods of time. It can be easily talked about but is rarely experienced.
The solution of “seeing the problem” cannot be overstated nor can it be over-applied in our lives when it comes to multiple addiction. We may sometimes feel guilt or shame about something we have done in the past but a new found relationship with a Higher Power will assure us that these experiences no longer belong to the person we used to be. That person who we thought we were was part of our ego and we no longer act that way anymore.
When we truly begin to see that the solution involves every aspect of who we are, it starts to become apparent that it involves a complete change of lifestyle for us. We have to change our behavior and our attitude in such a way as to make it easier to see our own problems. Stopping the old behaviors is the first part of this process. Learning to see ourselves in a new way is the next step. We have to move away from the more destructive addictions into the more benign ones and ultimately to an entirely different experience of who we are. We have to make “seeing” an easier thing to do but also recognize that this is a process rather than an “instant fix”. If we decide that this is too much for us, we may turn back for a while and return to some of our earlier habits. If we are serious, however, and decide that we want something better, we may finally decide to begin some more serious changes.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
"Finding Spirituality"
A final element of phase two recovery that must be acknowledged is spirituality. Many recovering addicts who begin to get a glimpse of some progress in their lives, soon begin to read and learn a lot of information about spirituality and can be heard talking about everything they have learned until they are blue in the face! This is a very natural part of phase two recovery which is oftentimes referred to as "finding spirituality". The "finding spirituality" may or may not have anything to do with religion or your religious beliefs.
Spirituality isn’t such a bad thing to have as we enter phase two of our recovery because it allows us to celebrate our progress in a somewhat harmless manner. The only person who has to suffer is the person who lives with us! Our ongoing lectures and speeches about the "spiritual truths" we have discovered can become pretty tedious for our loved ones. Hopefully, we don’t drive the ones we love away as we profess all our great new realizations! If we can eventually become more humble and quiet in our spiritual progress, we will keep the ones we love close at hand and make them our partners in our spiritual journey. A silent humility is the greatest example we can give to the people who are closest to us and we might be best to save our speeches for meetings or spiritual groups which are better suited for that end.
People are naturally excited that they have made some progress and they are eager to move ahead at an extremely fast pace. Although big leaps in consciousness are sometimes seen to happen, most recovering addicts and alcoholics have found constancy and persistence to be a more common experience in recovery.
Continual "speedy progress" has not been possible for other addicts and learning to settle into some daily habits is part of the program for any serious student of spiritual work. It is common for us to forget that progress takes time. We have to go through the ups and the downs to really make a truly spiritual life.
Spirituality isn’t such a bad thing to have as we enter phase two of our recovery because it allows us to celebrate our progress in a somewhat harmless manner. The only person who has to suffer is the person who lives with us! Our ongoing lectures and speeches about the "spiritual truths" we have discovered can become pretty tedious for our loved ones. Hopefully, we don’t drive the ones we love away as we profess all our great new realizations! If we can eventually become more humble and quiet in our spiritual progress, we will keep the ones we love close at hand and make them our partners in our spiritual journey. A silent humility is the greatest example we can give to the people who are closest to us and we might be best to save our speeches for meetings or spiritual groups which are better suited for that end.
People are naturally excited that they have made some progress and they are eager to move ahead at an extremely fast pace. Although big leaps in consciousness are sometimes seen to happen, most recovering addicts and alcoholics have found constancy and persistence to be a more common experience in recovery.
Continual "speedy progress" has not been possible for other addicts and learning to settle into some daily habits is part of the program for any serious student of spiritual work. It is common for us to forget that progress takes time. We have to go through the ups and the downs to really make a truly spiritual life.
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