ONE80CENTER Alert: Prescription Drug Abuse Is The Fastest Growing Addiction In The United States And Getting Worse
Prescription drug abuse is spiraling out of control in the United States. As the fastest growing addiction in the United States, the prescription drug problem is so frustrating to doctors and the clinical team at ONE80CENTER because these drugs are meant to help. Unfortunately, in the wrong hands, prescription drugs, particularly painkillers like OxyContin and Percodan, are doing more harm than good, and the cost is growing day by day.
Prescription Drug Abuse Spiraling
Help Stop Prescription Drug Abuse
“Thousands of people are dying. In 16 states, prescription drug overdoses has overtaken motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of accidental death,” says Dr. John Dreyzehner, the director of the Virginia Department of Health. As a member of One Care of Southwest Virginia, Dr. Dreyzehener has joined a group of doctors, social workers and other recovery personnel trying to address the growing prescription drug abuse explosion. As Dr. Dreyzehner explains, “This is a national problem.”
ONE80CENTER supports both treatment and prevention solutions, such as prescription drug monitoring programs that include pill counts and drug screens to detect co-occurring disorders and prescription drug abuse. “This is complicated. there is no one easy magic bullet solution to the drug abuse misuse problem,” says Dr. Dreyzehner. The Virginia group believes there are four-lines of defense: proper disposal areas, education, enforcement and monitoring.
A recent survey paints a troubling picture for hospital patients in need of medication because of the abuse that is spiraling out of control. According to the American Hospital Association, the drugs that legitimate patients need might not be there when a doctor prescribes it. More than 99% of hospitals have experienced one or more drug shortages in the past six months, and nearly half have reported 21 or more shortages in that time. In fact, experts are calling it one of the worst drug shortages in history.
Prescription Drug Abuse Leads To Drug Shortages
The reason for these drug shortages, ranging from Adderall and Xanax to OxyContin and Percodan, is the rising levels of prescription drug abuse. Everyday people in your life, people you would not suspect, are becoming prescription drug addicted and drug-dependent. Such people are not buying on the street, but they are doctor shopping and hospital shopping. As a result, the shortages are caused by unexpected surges in demand. ONE80CENTER believes a line has to be drawn in the sand before there are no places left to draw lines and the problem becomes practically unstoppable.
In The Journal Of Neuroscience, Dr. Subhash Pandey Identifies A Link Between Alcoholism And Anxiety As Co-Occurring Disorders With A Similar Brain Chemistry
As reported in The Journal of Neuroscience, Dr. Subhash Pandey and his research team at the University of Illinois have identified a molecular link between alcoholism and anxiety. The hope of ONE80CENTER and other treatment professionals is that his research will spur new therapeutic strategies in the treatment of the co-occurring disorders. As a well-known neuroscientist in the alcohol addiction field, Dr. Pandey has contributed significantly towards a better understanding of the neurobiology of alcoholism.
Alcohol Researcher Dr. Pandey
Dr. Pandey described the neurological connection between the co-occurring disorders of alcoholism and anxiety in a paper published in The Journal of Neuroscience. Pander described the following: “The association of anxiety with increased alcohol use is a key factor in the initiation and maintenance of alcohol addiction.” Pandey’s team found that the same brain behaviors are related to both alcohol consumption and anxiety-like behaviors.
The researchers found that short-term alcohol changed the biology of the brain, producing anti-anxiety effects by stimulating the creation of proteins. The same proteins play a role in both alcoholism and anxiety disorders. Researchers traced the anti-anxiety effect to the production of a particular protein, Arc. When alcohol was withheld from animals that had been chronically exposed, they developed high anxiety. But the researchers were able to eliminate the anxiety in the alcohol-dependent animals by Arc to normal levels.
Dr. Pandey has expressed that two of the most striking features of alcoholism are the rapid onset of tolerance to the acute effects of alcohol and the development of withdrawal symptoms after cessation of protracted consumption. Predisposition to alcohol abuse may involve abnormalities in the signaling neural pathways that ultimately lead to abnormal behaviors. Dr. Pandey is attempting to help design drugs to treat alcohol abuse, alcoholism and anxiety disorders.
On page 31 in the chapter entitled “More About Alcoholism” in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill Wilson wrote about the possibility of a medical cure for alcoholism: “Science may one day accomplish this, but it has not done so yet.” ONE80CENTER supports research into this field, but believes it is important to emphasize that no definitive conclusions have been drawn and no effective medicines found. Progressive research by Dr. Pandey and other scientists is essential, but far from the answer today when it comes to alcoholism. Treatment for the disease and a long-term focus on the path of recovery is what has been shown to work over and over again.
Alcoholism and anxiety often are co-occurring disorders that the ONE80CENTER treatment team have effectively addressed in past clients.If you or a loved one needs help with alcoholism and anxiety, please contact the clinical team at ONE80CENTER by calling 888.593.2301.
13,000 American Infants Born Addicted To Prescription Painkillers, Tripling In The Past Decade, According To A National Study Released By The Journal of the American Medical Association
Imagine entering the world addicted to prescription painkillers. Now accept the reality that 3.4 of every 1,000 infants born in American hospitals in 2009 suffered from prescription painkiller withdrawal. Although the results of this study by the Journal of the American Medical Association is terrifying, it is sadly not surprising to the clinical staff of ONE80CENTER. The national epidemic of prescription painkiller abuse is only getting worse and this is the worst of the red flags are being waved.
The Red Flag of Infants Born Addicted To Prescription Painkillers
So Many Born Addicted To Prescription Painkillers
When will we say enough is enough – no babies should ever be born addicted to prescription painkillers. Is it any surprise that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has flagged prescription painkiller abuse as a major health threat in America? Given the recent history of prescription drugs across the board and opiate painkillers in specific, is this surprising?
Nearly tripling in the past decade, according to the first national study of its kind, so many infants being born addicted to prescription painkillers is downright shocking. Why are so many pregnant women abusing narcotic pain medications? How can this national epidemic of prescription painkiller abuse be stopped?
Imagine the numbers alone… about 13,539 infants a year, or one born every hour, says the study’s lead author, Stephen Patrick, a fellow in neonatal-perinatal medicine at the University of Michigan. The treatment of these newborns is a given necessity. The vast majority of them naturally have to be covered by the publicly financed Medicaid program. This coverage alone cost $720 million in 2009.
There is no question that we have an obligation as a country to help these babies. They did not choose to ingest the deadly drugs. They did not choose to be born addicted to prescription painkillers. There is no questioning whether or not they are innocent victims.
Unlike in the 1980s and 1990s, when hospitals saw a frightening surge in babies born addicted to crack cocaine, many newborns today arrive addicted to prescription painkillers, such as Vicodin and Oxycontin. Although neonatal abstinence syndrome produces different symptoms from cocaine withdrawal, the damage is hardcore and there is no easy answer to the long-term negative effects on development. At a much higher risk for death from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other complications, babies born in withdrawal are often born small. Doctors treat them with methadone, a narcotic used to treat heroin addicts. The dose is cut slowly to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Infant Withdrawal Born Addicted ToPrescription Painkillers
AMA Raises Red Flag Of Babies Born Addicted
It is understandable that Doctors and nurses often can tell without testing which babies are going through withdrawal simply from their cries. They are irritable, hard to console, and suffer from stiff, rigid muscles. The very image brought to mind brings tears to my eyes. These little babies have tremors, seizures and breathing problems. Furthermore, the infants have trouble feeding, often rejecting nourishment. They throw up frequently, tremble in their cribs and produce watery diarrhea. Luckily, with no time to spare, the American Medical Association and the CDC have raised the red flag.
Mark Hudak, a spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics, explained that many mothers tell doctors they failed to realize prescription painkillers could harm their babies. Although hard to buy into such rationalizations, this is far from the whole story. Many of the abusing mothers-to-be are addicted when they get pregnant and find themselves unable or unwilling to quit.
ONE80CENTER believes that no additional red flags need to be raised in order for action to be taken. Major campaigns of education and awareness raising, prevention and free treatment for pregnant women need to be started in order to stem this vicious tide of babies being born addicted to prescription painkillers. What other choice do we honestly have when facing such avoidable trauma? Above all others, infants have the undeniable right to begin their lives free from the chains of addiction.
New Research Study Reveals 60% of Adult Americans Misuse Prescription Medications And Possibly Suffer From Prescription Drug Abuse
ONE80CENTER was not surprised by the results of a new Quest Diagnostics study that revealed that 60% of Americans misuse prescription medications, leading to prescription drug abuse. Examining men and women of all ages, income levels and health plans, the study conclusively showed that the subjects used pain medication and other prescription drugs contrary to clinician orders. Prescription drug abuse leads directly to alarming health risks and the rise of addiction.
Prescription Drug Abuse Study
Medication Misuse + Prescription Drug Abuse
Comprised of nearly 76,000 laboratory tests for monitoring prescription drug use and the possible abuse of prescription drugs, the extensive study indicate that the majority of Americans tested misused medications, including potentially addictive pain killers. From missing doses to combining medications with other drugs, the forms of medication misuse and prescription drug abuse were recorded in a wide range. Prescription pain medication abuse, however, was the worst.
The study found high rates of inconsistency with clinical orders and pharmaceutical instructions particularly when it came to opioid pain medications, such as oxycodone in the form of OxyContin (44%). In addition, misuse and abuse of central nervous system depressants like Xanax (50%), and stimulant amphetamines like Adderall (48%) were extremely high as well.
The study’s insights into the Prescription drug epidemic was based on an analysis of 75,997 de-identified urine lab test results of patients of both genders in 45 states and the District of Columbia performed by the company’s clinical laboratories in 2011. Patients were tested for the presence of up to 26 commonly abused prescription medications and illicit drugs, such as cocaine and marijuana.
Prescription Drug Abuse Gender Equality
What is fascinating in the findings were that men and women were equally likely to suffer prescription drug abuse. In contrast, the illegal drug abuse of men was higher with two in ten (21%) testing positive for cocaine, marijuana or PCP compared to 15% of women. All positive drug screens in the study were confirmed by mass spectrometry, the most advanced drug testing method. The analysis did not include results of drug rehabilitation clinics, which may be more likely to exhibit unusually high rates of drug inconsistency.
Why is the clinical team at ONE80CENTER not surprised by the findings of this study of prescription drug abuse? The answer is simple: We have seen the exact same trends in our own work and with our clients, both in and out of our facilities. These findings are not isolated events or a mass exception to the rule. Prescription drug abuse is the new American plague. If you or a loved one or a co-worker is suffering from the disease of prescription drug abuse or addiction, please contact ONE80CENTER today by calling 888.593.2301. The right time to take action is today.
Wall Street Journal Publishes Cutting-Edge Article Rethinking The War On Drugs
“For every complex problem, there is an answer
that is clear, simple and wrong.” — H. L. Mencken
The Failure of the War on Drugs
The Wall Street journal came out with an amazing article over the weekend entitled Rethinking the War on Drugs that ONE80CENTER believes is essential reading for anyone with a personal or professional stake in the field and the issue at hand. With a balanced and informed take on the problem, the three writers present an argument about the utter failure of the war on drugs that is utterly convincing. If you have the opportunity, please take the time to read it.
Rather than going over what they said so well, let us give you a taste of the article . . .
THREE POWERFUL EXCERPTS:
“Our current drug policies do far more harm than they need to do and far less good than they might, largely because they ignore some basic facts. Treating all “drug abusers” as a single group flies in the face of what is known as Pareto’s Law: that for any given activity, 20% of the participants typically account for 80% of the action.”
___________________________________________________________________________________
“Start with the biggest problem: alcohol. Inflation has eroded the federal alcohol tax down to about a fifth of its Korean War level in constant-dollar terms. Analysis by Philip Cook of Duke University suggests that tripling the tax—from about a dime to about 30 cents a drink—would prevent at least 1,000 homicides and 2,000 motor-vehicle fatalities a year, all without enriching any criminals, putting anyone behind bars or having a SWAT team crash through anyone’s door. . . . Raising alcohol taxes would have a big effect on adolescents and heavy drinkers, but many problem users of alcohol would have enough money to keep guzzling. Some of them like to drink and drive, or drink and beat up other people. Telling them not to misbehave does not do much good, because being drunk makes them less responsive to the threat of criminal penalties. So we need to find ways of preventing drinking among the relatively small group of people who behave very badly when they drink.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________
“David Kennedy of John Jay College in New York City has pioneered two related programs designed to go after the most violent dealers and organizations and to shut down the most violent market areas. . . . The first step, once the police negotiate community support, is to identify all the dealers and make cases against them. Then comes the surprising part: Instead of being arrested, the nonviolent dealers are called in for a meeting. (The handful of violent ones go to jail.) They are presented with the evidence against them—perhaps video of them making a sale—and confronted by angry neighbors, clergy and relatives. Each one is then offered a choice: Stop dealing and get help to turn your life around, or tell it to the judge. The point is not to eliminate the drug supply but to force dealing into a less flagrant and socially damaging form: sales in bars or home delivery instead of street-corner transactions. The results have been spectacular, with long-established markets disappearing overnight.”
Rethinking the War on Drugs Makes Sense
Whether you agree or disagree with the findings and ideas presented in the article, you cannot ignore the power and compassion of the message. ONE80CENTER fully supports an ongoing open dialogue on how to take efforts towards promoting treatment and preventing addiction to the next level of effectiveness.
University Of Kentucky Research Study Suggests Rates Of Alcohol Consumption Directly Increase Prescription Stimulant Abuse Risk
Alcohol & Prescription Stimulant Abuse
Demonstrating a logical connection between drinking and methamphetamine abuse, a new University of Kentucky research study suggests alcohol consumption may increase the likelihood of prescription stimulant abuse. Amphetamines are part of the larger group of drugs known as stimulants that includes cocaine and Adderall. Although cocaine was once the dominant illegal stimulant abused, today prescription stimulants like Adderall are more widely abused by young adults. The clinical staff at ONE80CENTER are not surprised that the Kentucky study strongly indicates an association between alcohol consumption and prescription stimulant abuse.
Prescription Stimulant Abuse Linked To Alcohol Consumption
As the senior author of the study and professor of Behavioral Science, Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Kentucky, Craig R. Rush said that the study shows a direct epidemiological link between drinking alcohol and prescription stimulant abuse, implying a link as well to the abuse of crystal meth. Building on his previous research that showed moderate drinkers were more sensitive to some of the effects of amphetamines when compared to light drinkers, Rush published the new study in the March 2011 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
Rush explains in detail: “The idea behind the present study was to follow that study up with one in which we determined whether moderate drinkers were also more likely to work to receive amphetamine in the laboratory, in addition to being more sensitive to its subjective effects.” The researchers looked at 33 study participants and divided them into either moderate (more than seven drinks per week) or light drinkers (less than seven drinks per week).
The focus on study was not on actual drinking, but how drinkers ranging from light to moderate react to a rewards program related to prescription stimulant abuse. During a series of four studies on prescription stimulant abuse and rates of alcohol consumption, the participants were given a placebo as well as low (8-10mg) and high (16-20mg) doses of d-amphetamine. The subjects then had the chance to earn up to a total of eight capsules containing 12.5 percent of the previous dose by working on a computer task.
Drug Seeking, Drinking And Prescription Stimulant Abuse
Prescription Stimulant Abuse
What is fascinating is that the high dose of amphetamines increased drug seeking behaviors in both light and moderate drinkers, but only the low dose did so with the moderate drinkers. Such a finding definitely suggests that consuming moderate levels of alcohol can increase an individual’s vulnerability to prescription stimulants and illegal stimulant abuse.
Mark T. Fillmore, a professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky and part of the research team, summarized what needs to be done in light of the study: “We need to determine if drinking heavily might actually produce physiological changes in individuals that causes them to become more sensitive to the pleasurable effects of psychostimulant drugs, such as amphetamines.” Such efforts unquestionably will help to wide and deepen the prescription stimulant abuse debate that needs to be conducted in light of the prevalence of co-occurring disorders.
Expanding on his colleagues point, Rush explained, “Other future directions could be to look at the influence of alcohol use history on the effects of other drugs of abuse or to determine how acute alcohol administration, as opposed to self-reported drinking history, impacts response to stimulants.” Without question, the link between prescription stimulant abuse and alcohol consumption is directly related, particularly in terms of a certain personality and even genetic type that is prone to alcoholism and addiction.
ONE80CENTER has seen the prevalence of co-occurring disorders in our client base. Such commonality in both alcoholics and addicts makes the connection between prescription stimulant abuse and alcohol consumption appear almost like an afterthought. The question is not whether co-occurring disorders fuel each other, but how to prevent them from causing such damage and havoc in the lives of so many young people.
Myths About Marijuana Abuse Exposed As Several Research Studies From Around The World Reveal A Direct Link Between Cannabis And Psychosis
Cannabis & Psychosis Connected
As a new study links cannabis use to an increased risk of psychosis, the myths about marijuana abuse not being dangerous has been exposed. The Clinical Staff at ONE80CENTER are familiar with this common attitude when talking to new clients – the myth of reefer madness has come home to roost. As the most common illicit substance, marijuana has managed to avoid the hazardous reputation held by other illegal drugs. However, a new study published in the March 2, 2012 edition of the Archives of General Psychiatry revealed otherwise. The study addressed the question using sibling-pair analysis. By using blood-related siblings, the study tried to minimize the chance of variables such as social demographics or genetics interfering with results.
Myths About Marijuana Abuse Exposed
While research suggests that cannabis use can induce an acute psychotic state, there is controversy about whether it may eventually lead directly to psychotic disorders. More than 16 million Americans use cannabis on a regular basis, typically beginning in adolescence. In fact, it is estimated that approximately 4% of the population have a diagnosis of either cannabis abuse or dependence. Marijuana abuse is especially common in younger people experiencing a first psychotic episode, particularly in males. And the myths about marijuana abuse that claim the drug is harmless clearly are now in question.
Marijuana contains more than 400 chemical compounds, including over 60 cannabinoids that contribute to its psychopharmacological effects. The primary psychoactive constituent of cannabis is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Common myths about marijuana abuse claim that the drug is basically harmless. In the recent study on siblings, researchers found the exact opposite to be the case. At the Queensland Brain Institute, researchers assumed that most sets of siblings experience a similar family dynamic, cultural milieu and exposure to drugs and alcohol. They found that pot smokers in the study group were at increased risk of psychosis.
Back in 2006, the British Medical Journal concluded that 10 percent of all psychosis cases were pot-related, uncovering the myths about marijuana abuse being harmless. But the studies have been imperfect so far: Despite controlling for variables like family history or childhood trauma, researchers were hard pressed to conclude that marijuana use caused psychosis, and not the other way around. ”No single study is perfect,” Wayne Hall professor at the University of Queensland, informed the Boston Globe after the 2006 reports. ”But the fact that so many individually imperfect studies so consistently find this relationship adds confidence to the conclusion that the relationship is causal.”
From years of experience and expertise, the clinical staff at ONE80CENTER are not surprised by the findings. Past clients have experienced such difficulties, and the study helps to illuminate certain connections. If you have a loved one or a friend, an employee or a co-worker, experiencing problems with marijuana abuse and are scared for their safety, please contact us today by calling 888.588.4180. The myths of marijuana abuse being harmless are false, but embracing the path of sustainable sobriety and long-term recovery can reduce the dangers.
Abusing Alcohol Obstructs Anti-Depressant Medications, Aggravating The Co-Occurring Disorders Of Depression And Alcoholism
Aggravating the co-occurring disorders of depression and alcoholism, alcohol abuse can have extreme negative consequences and cause untold external damage. There are more than 60 diseases that are associated with alcohol consumption. As an alcoholic provokes these health problems by continuing to drink, the alcohol consumed also prevents medication prescribed to address such problems ineffective.
Co-Occurring Disorders Of Depression And Alcoholism
A perfect example is in the case of depression in all its forms. Whether it is bi-polar or obsessive compulsive, clinical or anxiety ridden, ONE80CENTER has seen the wreckage caused when the co-occurring disorders of depression and alcoholism are set against each other. Drinking not only makes depression worse because alcohol is a depressant, it also obstructs the anti-depressant medications designed to help the client who suffers from the co-occurring disorders of depression and alcoholism.
Co-Occurring Disorders Of Depression And Alcoholism
Such a frustrating problem becomes a Catch-22 as the alcoholic is caught in a deadly spiral of aggravating their co-occurring disorders of depression and alcoholism. Why do alcoholics have the unique inability of being unable to heed the warning labels on the prescription bottles of antidepressants and mood stabilizers. All of these labels seem to say the same thing: DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES WHEN TAKING THIS MEDICATION or ALCOHOL MAY INTENSIFY THIS EFFECT with an image of a man clearly well sedated.
As veteran drinkers, alcoholics are arrogant and believe they can handle just about everything. They rationalize their behaviors by expressing how alcohol is a better anti-depressant for them than any stupid medication. The insanity of the alcoholic mind in the form of the disease of perception is downright incredible. Despite negative consequences and clear evidence to the contrary, they cannot escape vicious cycles of alcohol abuse.
When an alcoholic ignores a warning label, it is just one more example of the disease running rampant and out of control. Despite the necessity of anti-depressant medication and a diagnosis of depression, the alcoholic will not stop and will continue on the road of self-destruction. ONE80CENTER has watched such tragedies unfold again and again as the co-occurring disorders of depression and alcoholism are set against each other and spiral downwards. This is a main motivation for the work we do. You cannot imagine how gratifying it is when we actually can help our clients break such vicious cycles of abuse and begin the road of true recovery.
Co-Occurring Disorders Of Depression And Alcoholism Deadly Spiral
Avoiding the destructive end product of alcoholism happens through early intervention and taking the first steps on the road of recovery. The most useful stepping-stone before any treatment method is to recognize that the problem of the co-occurring disorders of depression and alcoholism set against each other exists. If you have a friend or a loved one or a colleague experiencing such problems, if you sense their co-occurring disorders of alcoholism and depression are leading to a downward spiral, contact ONE80CENTER for informed help.
The Effects of Scientific and Technological Advances on Addiction and Recovery Part 4 Alcoholism And Dopamine
Ongoing ONE80CENTER Series
The Effects of Scientific and Technological Advances
on Addiction and Recovery
Joint Yale Columbia Study On Release Of Dopamine When You Drink
Explains Why Men Have A Higher Rate Of Alcoholism Than Women
______________________________________________________________________________
Researchers discovered recently that differences in the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine when a person drinks possibly could explain why men statistically are up to twice as likely as women to develop alcoholism. Published in the October 15, 2011 issue of Biological Psychiatry, the study on alcoholism and dopamine was conducted jointly by scientists at Columbia and Yale. The results of the study are just beginning to be incorporated into new perspectives on the relationship between gender and alcoholism and dopamine. The Clinical Team at ONE80CENTER focuses on keeping up-to-date on such advances in order to guarantee our treatment programs are current and reliable.
Connection Between Alcoholism And Dopamine
Connection between Alcoholism and Dopamine
Although dopamine plays a number of roles in the brain, it is generally known as the neurotransmitter that provides a feeling of pleasure when it’s released. The release of dopamine is associated with pleasurable experiences such as having sex and can be greatly enhanced by taking drugs. Despite similar consumptions of alcohol, the men in the study had greater dopamine release than women. Is this the connection between alcoholism and dopamine revealed? This increase was found in the ventral striatum, an area in the brain strongly associated with pleasure, reinforcement and addiction.
The subjects of the study were male and female college-age volunteers who underwent brain scans after consuming an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink. After consuming similar amounts of alcohol, men showed greater dopamine release than women. According to Dr. Nina Urban, a co-author of the study: “In men, increased dopamine release also had a stronger association with subjective positive effects of alcohol intoxication. This may contribute to the initial reinforcing properties of alcohol and the risk for habit formation.”
Is Loss Of Dopamine The Key To The Onset Of Alcoholism?
Alcohol Triggers The Release Of Dopamine
What is so intriguing is the study also discovered that repeated heavy drinking episodes resulted in a decline in alcohol-induced dopamine release. Dr. Anissa Abi-Dargham, senior author on this project, noted: “Another important observation from this study is the decline in alcohol-induced dopamine release with repeated heavy drinking episodes. This may be one of the hallmarks of developing tolerance or transitioning into habit.” Beyond these conclusions, it is possible to argue that there is a direct result between levels of dopamine being released and the development of alcoholism.
Without question, the identification of a neural mechanism that helps explain the gender difference when it comes to rates of alcoholism is a major step forward in addiction research. ONE80CENTER believes that it is essential to learn from scientific advances and be open to applying them to treatment models in order to further help our clients.
The Effects of Scientific and Technological Advances on Addiction and Recovery Part 3 Social Media Addiction
Ongoing ONE80CENTER Series
The Effects of Scientific and Technological Advances
on Addiction and Recovery
The Science Of Replacement Addictions -
New Nigerian Study Shows The Technologies Of Facebook, Twitter, And Texting To Be Addictive
Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media, including texting and the general use of Smartphone technology, can be as addictive as cocaine according to a new Nigerian study. Experts caution that obsessive use of social media is addictive and dangerous. ONE80CENTER believes this study also contributes to the emerging science of replacement addictions. Replacement addictions is a term used to describe how addicts find other outlets of escapist behavior once they become sober. Whether the obsessive problem revolves around posting on Facebook, constant Tweeting, texting as the central method of communication or incessant pinging, all of these social media technologies have rapidly become part of the fabric of the society, especially among the younger generation.
Nigerian Study Shows That Social Media Addiction Is A Real Problem
It is true that these are all beneficial communication tools for technology-savvy individuals that can be employed for social, commercial, and political purposes. But for many young people in particular, these tools are replacing traditional forms of communication. They are more comfortable using mobile technologies to interact, making an effort to avoid face-to-face encounters. Such new forms of communication quickly become connected to an obsessive-compulsive need that mirrors addiction. Through the Internet and mobile technology, social media has created a realm where users constantly share information, track responses, and explore news and opinion in a transparent environment. Is it surprising that a 2011 report by CNN stated that Facebook accounted for more web traffic than Google?
Is Social Media Addiction A Replacement Addiction?
As a replacement addiction, social media fools the recovering addict into a belief that they truly are reaching out and being part of a community. Although such virtual communities are valid, they cannot replace the fellowship and presence provided by 12 Step meetings and direct forms of identification and empathy. How often have you seen people at the same table avoiding any form of direct interaction by focusing on their Smartphones. In fact, the younger generation often communicates through texting each other and updating their Twitter while sitting at the same table. But is this an indication of an addiction to the technology? Does it actually imply that social media can be as addictive as cocaine?
Researchers at the University College Hospital in Nigeria compared brain scans of 17 men and women who were diagnosed with Internet addiction disorder with the brain scans of 17 people who were not addicted to surfing the web. The subjects were between the ages of 14 and 21 and lived in China. The report said that the researchers found more “abnormal white matter” in the Internet addicted individuals. Abnormal white matter can disrupt pathways in the brain related to emotions, self-control and decision-making.
The first type of individuals that were recognized as having serious Internet addiction were gamers who spend long hours playing computer and video games to the extent that the gaming impairs their quality of life. The addiction in some gamers results in an inability to emotionally connect with anything outside the game. It can interfere with school, work, family and social relationships. It is similar to social media addiction. Individuals with obsessive Facebook and social media addiction may experience withdrawal symptoms when they are prevented from having their usual amount of Internet access. When they wake up, the first thing they often need to do is check their Facebook account or update their Twitter. And this is also the last thing they do at night, reflecting the behaviors of an addict. The first and last thing heroin addicts do in the morning and at night is use. Many cocaine addicts cut out a line by their bed to snort when they wake up in the morning.
ONE80CENTER Believes In Breaking The Chains Of Social Media Addiction As A Replacement Addiction
Like such addicts, social media-addicted individuals are not able to go for more than a day without access to their computers and Smartphones. Even if they are not updating their Facebook status constantly, they check Facebook to see the updates of their friends many times during the day. A study involving students who sought to go without social media and Internet connections for 24 hours recorded what happened to them. The result was the following list of feelings and reactions: fretful, confused, anxious , irritable, insecure, nervous, restless, crazy, jealous, angry, lonely, depressed and jittery and paranoid. This is exactly what the video gaming studies found as well. What is even more surprising is that other studies have found similar changes in “white matter” in people who are addicted to alcohol, cocaine, heroin and marijuana.
Nigerian Study Validates Social Media Addiction
Professor Oye Gureje, a consultant psychiatrist at the University College Hospital in Nigeria, described addiction as anything that is done in excess that leads to repetitive behaviors. The general public’s understanding of addiction seems to be growing, with a more general acceptance of the scientific reality that it is a disease, not a personal weakness. At the same time, non-chemical addictions such as gambling, sex, food, even video games or the Internet are misunderstood and often denied by the general public. “Certainly not all people that use the Internet end up becoming addicted,” explained Professor Gureje about social media addiction, “ but like every habit, some people are more vulnerable to developing an addiction than others. Some people have a higher a vulnerability to different kinds of stimulating or exciting habits. Vulnerability can be genetic, meaning it can be personality based and those who have that kind of predisposition or vulnerability may become addicted. It is the same way that not everyone who experiments with illegal drugs, alcohol or any addictive substance who will eventually become addicted.”
What is so intriguing is that ONE80CENTER has witnessed the same behaviors in the evolution of the science of replacement addictions. When addicts in early recovery become uncomfortable, they look for ways to find relief. With the prevalence of Internet connections and Smartphones, it is not surprising that social media and texting obsessive behaviors are on the rise as replacement addictions. What is essential is to recognize that all new technology that is widely adopted is a double-edged blade. Although a definite bonus with positive implications, it also can be a serious problem with negative potential and addictive outcomes.
- Alex Shohet (RSS)
- Amanda Blue (RSS)
- Ashley Dane (RSS)
- BJ Hickman (RSS)
- Danielle Salk (RSS)
- Eamon Kelly (RSS)
- Elise Salomon (RSS)
- Geoff Martin (RSS)
- Isai Cortez (RSS)
- John Lavitt (RSS)
- Johnny Fisher (RSS)
- Markus Van Loan (RSS)
- ONE80 Staff (RSS)
- ONE80 Staff (RSS)
- Steve Dansiger (RSS)
- Categories
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
Addiction Research
ONE80CENTER Alert: Prescription Drug Abuse Is The Fastest Growing Addiction In The United States And Getting Worse
more »“Why This Is A Big Deal For Us” – ONE80CENTER & Dr. Andrew Leeds by Dr. Stephen Dansiger
more »In The Journal Of Neuroscience, Dr. Subhash Pandey Identifies A Link Between Alcoholism And Anxiety As Co-Occurring Disorders With A Similar Brain Chemistry
more »ONE80 News
“Why This Is A Big Deal For Us” – ONE80CENTER & Dr. Andrew Leeds by Dr. Stephen Dansiger
more »TEEN PROJECT’s the P.A.D. Venice Drop-In Center For Homeless Teens
more »An Evening With Marianne Williamson
more »Perspectives
The insidiousness of pharmaceuticals
more »“Why This Is A Big Deal For Us” – ONE80CENTER & Dr. Andrew Leeds by Dr. Stephen Dansiger
more »Bouncing through sobriety!
more »Subscribe
Click to subscribe !
