Parents often worry that treating chronic childhood illnesses with medication could turn those children into drug addicts later in life. However, is not treating the illness the answer? Studies show that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who are not treated with ADHD medications are more likely to become drug addicts than those who take the ADHD medications.

Methylphenidate, more commonly known as Ritalin, is a stimulant that has been widely successful in treating children with ADHD. Ritalin helps children sharpen their mental focus and increase concentration. Researchers have found that adolescents who get relief from ADHD symptoms with Ritalin are less likely to become drug abusers than those who do not take medications to treat their ADHD.

However, ADHD is not the only thing Ritalin might be good for treating. Researchers have now found that Ritalin can be used to successfully treat cocaine addicts who have problems controlling impulses. This discovery is a major breakthrough in substance abuse addiction research, as impulse control is one of the main reasons why substance abusers can’t stop taking dangerous drugs, even when they know they shouldn’t.

Given that lack of impulse control is a major component of substance addiction, and that Ritalin helps normalize emotional response in those with ADHD, it is no surprise that adolescents who undergo continuous treatment of ADHD with Ritalin experience fewer incidents of drug addiction than those ADHD suffers who are left untreated. Could ADHD be a precursor to impulse disorders later in life?

A small study at Yale University was recently conducted to test the hypothesis that Ritalin can help addicts control their impulsive behavior. Ten subjects were administered methylphenidate (Ritalin) before undergoing an MRI to record brain activity. The activity was measured when the subjects were completing computer tasks related to controlling impulses. The subjects who received the drug were better at impulse control while on Ritalin than when they received only a placebo (usually a sugar pill).

The brain scans of the Ritalin users showed changes to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VPC), the area of the brain that is involved in risk, fear, and decision-making. Researchers have found that the VPC is important in controlling behavior during emotional events and is involved in matters of impulse control. It is believed that the methylphenidate may be able to help stabilize an addict’s impulse response.

Dangers of Ritalin

However, Ritalin use, in and of itself, it not without its own dangers. The drug is a stimulant and has pharmacological effects similar to cocaine and amphetamines. As such, it can be highly addictive. Ritalin has not yet been reproduced by street dealers in homemade labs, however, because it is an affordable controlled substance that can be purchased at a local drug store or pharmacy with a valid prescription. Because Ritalin is typically prescribed to adolescents for treatment of ADHD, and those teens can then go and sell the pills to peers, it is easier for other young people to obtain it on the black market than other types of illicit, stimulant drugs such as methamphetamine (meth) or cocaine. One Ritalin tablet can cost as little as $.50 or as much as $5.00, depending on the prevailing supply and demand in the marketplace.

Ritalin, sometimes known as Vitamin R in adolescent circles, is misused, especially in high school and college populations. Ritalin is taken as an appetite suppressant, to heighten focus, and to produce a euphoric feeling. College students, in particular, use Ritalin when studying for exams as it keeps them awake and helps keep them focused on the books.

As with any pharmaceutical, Ritalin is not without side effects. Common side effects include headache, trouble falling or staying asleep, nervousness, decrease in appetite, or elevated blood pressure and heart rate. If Ritalin is abused (i.e., taken in greater doses than prescribed or taken without a prescription), it can cause the user to become addicted. Tolerance is also a problem with Ritalin, as increased doses could be needed to have the same effect as when the user began taking the drug.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/26/news/la-heb-ritalin-20100726
 

It is difficult enough for normal teens to respond to peer pressure and frequent changes in emotions; the journey is even harder for teens with substance abuse problems. When teens with drug abuse problems seek treatment, research indicates therapy that involves the whole family may be the best approach. Called multi-dimensional family therapy, or MDFT, research studies suggest the practice may be linked to higher rates of improvement across the family unit.

MDFT is an outpatient treatment approach for teens, involving the whole family in counseling sessions. The practice has emerged during the last two decades and is the focus of federal research toward reducing teen drug abuse. One distinguishing factor of MDFT is acknowledging that teen drug abuse is influenced by several factors – friends, homelife, and community – and thus a multi-dimensional approach is needed to resolve the problem.

Another element that makes MDFT unique is that it is organized into phases, based upon knowledge of what is considered normal adolescent cognitive and emotional development. Providers do not progress to the next phase until the current phase has been successful, and should have knowledge of teen development.

Three distinct stages of MDFT are recognized: the first stage, or building a foundation; the second stage, called Work the Themes; and a third stage, called Seal the Changes and Exit. In addition to the stages of MDFT, five types of interventions can occur during treatment. These are one-on-one interactions with the teen, interventions with only the parents, or activities that modify the ways the teen and the parents interact. Sessions can involve additional members of the family, or work with the school or community-based entities that influence the teens’ drug behaviors.

Treatments can occur at home, at school or other community places. Themes may include helping parents deal with feelings of being powerless to provide influence to their teen, and ways to address conflict successfully.

During sessions where the teen works with the therapist without the family, themes like how to make decisions and talk about feelings are the focus. Ways to solve problems and reduce stress are also addressed, as are plans for acquitting career skills or training. Simultaneously, the parents learn about parenting styles that may be more effective at discouraging drug abuse – such as the difference between exerting guidance instead of just control.

A San Francisco-based study worked with 95 teens involved with drugs to explore the success rate of MDFT alongside therapy involving several families at once, and therapy involving several teens in a group setting. The teens’ drug use habits were assessed at the beginning of treatment and one year after, including their success at school and the way the family functioned. Teens and their families who took part in MDFT showed more improvements in behavior and school/family success than teens in the other treatment programs – and these positive changes continued beyond the treatment duration.

While a variety of approaches may be utilized to counteract teen drug abuse, the Center for Treatment Research on Adolescent Drug Abuse describes MDFT as successful because it pinpoints the highest risk factors connected with teen drug abuse. The treatment simultaneously improves the systems and processes that can generate successful teen development, both independently and within the family unit.
 

Twenty-five years after Melody Beattie wrote her groundbreaking book, Codependent No More, and following publication of three other books on codependence (Beyond Codependency, The Language of Letting Go, and The Codependents Guide to the Twelve Steps), the author is back again, this time with The New Codependency. This latest work sheds new light on how codependency has changed in the quarter century since Beattie first wrote about the subject. But the book is so much more than that. Infused with her indomitable spirit, sense of belief in the power we have to take care of ourselves, and punctuated by her own inspiring story, The New Codependency stands on its own.

The author says she wrote the book for a number of different audiences. These include:

• People affected by someone else’s alcoholism, addiction, illness, compulsions, hurtful behaviors, including issues of abuse, rage, and anger management

• Those who are the legitimate caretakers of anyone, whether that be a parent, child, or spouse – who also need to remember to take care of themselves

• Men, women, and children who have been emotionally, physically, or sexually abused

• What Beattie terms as Double Winners, alcoholics or addicts codependency underneath – and especially those who need to forgive themselves for having the disease (of alcoholism or addiction)

• Children (adult and teenage) of alcoholics, addicts, and parents whose problem affected and still affects them

• People who are codependent on codependents

• “Classic codependents,” who are looking for more peace, power, and information, and are ready for an “upgrade” to Codependent No More

• Finally, for people who turned the idea of codependency recovery into just another set of repressive and fundamentalist rules
With such a broad audience, it could be argued that the scope is too large for a single book. This is not the case, as Beattie delivers on all fronts. First, however, let’s look a bit at Beattie’s background, her life experiences, why she’s qualified to write on the subject of codependency.

Many credit Beattie with coining the word codependent back in 1985-1986 – when she published her first book, Codependent No More. Readers of this latest work will discover in its pages the four decades of learning life lessons that Beattie reveals. These, more than anything else, show that she knows what she’s talking about. Beattie grew up in an alcoholic family, was abused as a child, placed for adoption, abused by a spouse, lost someone to suicide, and had a serious illness. She started drinking at 12, using drugs at 18, robbing drugstores and shooting narcotics at 20, ran out of veins and faced five years in jail by 24. But perhaps the most powerful words leap out on the first page of Section One, “Crossing Lines and Getting Back over Them Again”:
“I know what it’s like to lose yourself so badly that you don’t know if there’s a you or ever was one. I spent thirty years not knowing what boundaries were and another ten learning to set them. I gave until I was depleted and needed someone to take care of me. I threatened, begged, hinted, and manipulated to get what I wanted. I was convinced that I knew what was best for other people. I got so busy teaching them their lessons that I forgot to learn mine.”

Although she’s written four books on the subject of codependency, Beattie says she realizes that’s not enough. This most recent work is intended to clear up confusion, reveal new information, show how codependency has mutated over the years, give various support options, and remind us of the lessons we’ve learned. And, lest anyone think that codependency can just vanish, never to surface again, Beattie tells us that she sometimes will still “step in codependency puddles.” She may get hooked into someone’s stuff, and allow their problems to control her. Then she may over-engage or start reacting instead of taking the right action. That’s when she comes to an abrupt halt, and reminds herself that she needs to take care of herself.

An important concept is that when people sometimes resort to survival mode, it’s not relapse. Beattie says that when we care about someone and feel victimized when they betray us, give everything to those we love, or want to control others because we see them destroying themselves and hurt us – this doesn’t mean we’re sick. These are normal human reactions. According to Beattie, codependency is about normal behaviors taken too far – or crossing lines.

Here are some important points Beattie makes in the book:

• Alcoholism and other addictions are diseases. Codependency is a problem.

• Most recovering addicts and alcoholics have codependency underneath.

• If you’re in the codependent zone, you need to do whatever it takes to get back across the line. The goal of recovering from codependency is looking to and trusting yourself – not doing what someone else tells you to do.

• Excessive and unreasonable guilt is a common codependent trait.

• The biggest codependency issue many of us have is our need to control. Underneath that is fear, and under that is lack of trust.

• Codependency issues either cause us to be among the living dead or drain the life out of us slowly, tortuously. Codependents – like addicts – need to work recovery as though our lives depend on it, because they do.

• Taking care of ourselves can’t be reduced to a list of rules. Don’t’ let anyone tell you it can.

• Boundaries concern our behavior – what we will and will not do. It isn’t a boundary if we can’t enforce it. Expect people to test your boundaries. The more they have to lose, the harder they’ll push. They won’t stop pushing until they know you mean what you say.

• If we’re being manipulated time and time again by the same person or the same thing, we may have crossed into the codependent zone where we’re living in denial, dependency, or not trusting ourselves again. Healthy behavior means taking care of ourselves as soon as we recognized manipulation.

• We may never be happy certain events happened in our lives, but we can be happy again.

Fear, obsession, control, manipulation, denial, guilt, and resistance – Beattie deals with each of these. She also shows us how to make a conscious connection with ourselves and how to “catch and release” feelings so they don’t overwhelm us and drop us into the codependency zone.

There’s also a section on troubleshooting or what to do when we find ourselves in situations where we’re unsure of the right direction or action to take.

Who should read this book? The answer to that is easy: just about everyone. It’s likely that you or someone you know or love is codependent or affected by someone who is. Consider Beattie’s book an owner’s manual, of sorts, helping all of us to learn who we are and giving us tools to overcome unhealthy behaviors and reclaim our lives.

Those dealing with mental health and addiction problems in Indiana may soon be receiving positive news. The state has decided to move these individuals to community-based care. This move is considered to be a significant step toward recovery and the opportunity to build a life within the community.

The Journal Gazette recently reported on this move, noting it is an initiative of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA), part of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA). Those involved in the move are expected to benefit from treatment that is considered more appropriate, as well as the opportunity to be closer to friends and family.

The transition of moving these patients is expected to happen at a gradual pace over the next several months and will include both mental health and addiction patients from six psychiatric hospitals. Those patients involved will only be those who can easily transition to the appropriate community settings.

Data from states throughout the nation show an average of 70 percent of mental health and addiction budgets are aimed at community-based services. The state of Indiana currently budgets 50 percent on community-based services.

Those who are able to move the community-based services will be able to live in much less restrictive settings and be closer to friends and family. This move is expected to greatly improve their quality of life. At the same time, such services are a much more effective and efficient way to allocate state funds.
 

Scientists often wonder why some people can recreationally use cocaine, while others easily develop an addiction to the substance. According to a recent Science Daily release, a particular genetic material could play a key role in determining an individual’s vulnerability to cocaine addiction.

Animal studies conducted by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute suggest this finding could offer a new direction for the development of therapies to treat addiction. The molecule, microRNA-212 was shown to control the amount of cocaine animals consumed when it was increased in the brains of test animals.

Paul Kenny, an associate professor in Department of Molecular Therapeutics at Scripps Florida and team leader in this research, noted that this finding could point to why one person may be vulnerable to the effects of cocaine, while another is not.

In this research, the Scripps team found that specific microRNA is shown to have significant control over the individual’s response to the drug. When this molecule is increased in the brain, is provides protection against addictive behavior. A reduction in the same molecule raises the individual’s vulnerability.

A small non-protein coding RNA, microRNA-212 is able to regulate the expression levels of hundreds – potentially thousands – of genes. As a result, this molecule is considered to be a master regulator of gene expression. It is also considered to potentially play a role in complex psychiatric disorders.

The findings of this study suggest that those with a serious addiction problem could possibly have damaged supplies of microRNA-212. It is also possible that this molecule does not function properly.
What the new findings suggest, Kenny said, is that individuals with serious addiction problems may have damaged supplies of this particular non-coding RNA, or the microRNA may not function properly. The development of a molecule that mimics or stimulates the production of microRNA-212 could offer treatment potential.
 

As the potential damage caused by exposure to the sun has been researched, many people flocked to tanning beds, hoping to keep up their bronzed appearance without the risk of developing cancer. As the dangers of tanning beds are explored, however, natural skin tones may soon be the outward sign of healthy living.

A new study explores the connections between indoor tanning addiction, substance abuse and mood disorders (Mosher & Danoff-Burg, 2010). Despite the increasing costs and health concerns about tanning, the researchers saw that people were still choosing to go tanning. The study sought to understand the addictive potential of tanning, and determine whether tanning proves to be similar in its addiction process to addictive substances.

The researchers’ recruited 421 undergraduate students enrolled in psychology classes in a northeastern university in the United States. The students were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire that measured several different variables.

The students reported on their history of using indoor tanning, including questions that asked about their frequency of tanning in the last year. The researchers attempted to measure lifetime dependence on indoor tanning, using indoor-tanning-related screens based on the CAGE alcohol screen and DSM-IV diagnostic criteria.

The students were separated into three groups: not addicted to indoor tanning, displaying addictive tendencies to indoor tanning, or addicted to indoor tanning. The participants reported past-month substance use by answering questions about the number of days they had used each of 12 different substances in the last month.

Of the 229 students who had reported having ever tanned indoors, the mean number of tanning visits was 23 in the last year. 30.6 percent met the criteria for a tanning addiction based on CAGE, and 39.3 percent met the criteria for addiction using DSM-IV models. 21.8 percent met the criteria for both diagnosis tools.

Participants who showed an addiction to tanning also reported more frequent tanning use, more symptoms of anxiety, more days of alcohol use during the last month and more days of marijuana use in the last month. Depression symptoms did not vary across the groups.

The study’s results may be limited because the associations between types of addiction were not examined to determine causation or sequence. It is also difficult to determine whether the results found in an undergraduate psychology class are able to be generalized to the public.

The information gathered in this study is important for determining the risks involved with choosing to use indoor tanning. There may be a connection between those who struggle from other types of addiction and the development of a tanning addiction.
 

Lidocaine is a generic drug also known as lidocaine hydrochloride and available under the brand name, Xycloaine. As lidocaine has cardiac antiarrhythmic properties, it is generally used as a local anesthetic. Lidocaine is often used for numbing the gums when a dentist needs to work on a patient’s teeth. More recently, another discovery indicates lidocaine may be useful in other ways.

Lidocaine has the ability to shut off insula, or the brain nucleus that is responsible for controlling an addiction to drugs. Scientists believe the ability to control or target insula could hold the key to ending drug addiction for many. Insula plays an important role in the brain as it controls the body’s heart rate, blood sugar, hunger, cravings and a number of other functions. It is believed that an impaired insula can eradicate addiction.

In a study of lab rats, amphetamines were given to the rats anytime they entered a well-lit area. This was somewhat of a contradiction for the rats, rodents who tend to love the dark. In this process, the rats quickly became addicted to the amphetamines and returned repeatedly to the same location to receive a new dose.
At this point in the study process, some of the addicted rats were given shots of lidocaine into the insula. As lidocaine is known to impair the signals transmitting between the brain cells, it was effective in changing the behavior of the addicted rats.

Before they received the shots – and after they had developed the addiction – many of the rats were spending as much as 25 percent of their time in the well-lit areas, seeking their next hit. After receiving the lidocaine, that group of addicted rats spent less than 10 percent in the well-lit area.

One scientist involved in the study believes that lidocaine could provide the key for switching off memories related to the experience of taking the drug. The challenge is that right now, giving lidocaine to humans presents considerable risk as infection could develop and potential changes in heart rate could be life threatening. No matter how addicted the individual, injecting something into the brain is still a risk.

The finding is significant nonetheless. And, while lidocaine delivers only a short lasting effect (injected rats only forgot about the drug for about 20 minutes), there is still potential for further development in this area. Further studies are suggested, although developing a process for interrupting multiple interactions between a vast array of brain regions presents considerable challenge.

Until lidocaine can be used through other methods, it will likely continue to be the anesthetic of choice in the dentist’s office.
 

Did you know that whether or not you are likely to give into peer pressure has a lot to do with your genes? According to recent research featured in a Science Daily release, this is a complicated issue for young women.

Conducted by Washington University in St. Louis, this research suggests that a young woman with a predisposition to substance abuse is also predisposed to select friends who smoke, drink or use drugs. This selection actually alters her environment to one that encourages drug use.

In addition, this genetically susceptible young woman with an increased exposure to substance-using friends increases her genetic inclination to use drugs regularly. As a result, her already increased likelihood of substance use and abuse is increased.

In a study of more than 2,000 female twins, researchers sought a link between two types of data: woman who regularly used tobacco, alcohol and drugs; and the women who have friends involved in regular substance use. Identified links showed that genetic vulnerability to regularly use substances is enhanced by an exposure to friends who use substances.

Adolescents will often select peers who share their same interests and will engage in the same behaviors. This study suggests that this peer selection has a genetic basis as one person’s predisposition to regular substance use is directly correlated with the likelihood of selecting friends who use the same substances.

In addition, those genetic factors that influence the likelihood of using drugs will also modify the likelihood of associating with friends who choose to do the same.
 

Many environmental factors help determine the risk level each individual has to become addicted to smoking. Smokers are often influenced by family members and friends who smoke, making smoking seem like a normal part of life.

However, research has shown that genetic factors are also important in determining a individual’s likelihood of developing different types of addiction, including addictions to drugs, alcohol and tobacco. A recent study led by Dr. Jacqueline M. Vink and Professor Dorret L. Boomsma has further investigated this connection between genes and addiction, specifically addiction to smoking.

The study, published in The American Journal of Human Genetics, made a significant breakthrough by identifying the specific groups of genes active in smoking behavior and addiction vulnerability. The effort was initiated by the Department of Biological Psychology at Vrje Universiteit in Amsterdam and was collaborated by several international research groups.

The researchers used a genome-wide association study to investigate the DNA of smokers and non-smokers for more than 500,000 genetic variants. The variants were tested to see whether certain variants occurred in smokers at a higher or lower level.

The researchers discovered that several groups of genes held variants of interest. In one group of genes, a common variant was found related to glutamate. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that has a specific role in normal brain processes, but is also associated with addiction vulnerability.

A second group was identified that may also play a significant role with addiction. The NTRK2 gene is located in a chromosomal region that affects addiction vulnerability and the GRB14 gene which may restrict the genes that regulate nicotine receptors and may alter the reward response that a person has after smoking a cigarette.

Some of the genes identified in the study have been identified as playing a role in several types of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, autism, and multiple types of addiction. Each of these psychiatric disorders has also been connected with smoking.

Dr. Vink cautions that an identified predisposition for smoking does not imply that a person’s offspring will develop an addiction to nicotine. Though they may have more difficulty with cessation, each smoker should understand that a genetic predisoposition is never an excuse to continue an unhealthy behavior.

As research continues to understand the genetic influence over different types of addiction, there may be connections found between many types of behaviors. It may soon be possible to target individuals tested for “addiction genes’ for additional education and prevention efforts.
 

Self-help groups, in existence for decades, are used to help people work through issues including mental health, addictions, obsessive behaviors and even medical conditions like cancer. Group members share the same disorder or circumstance and meet voluntarily. Self-help groups can be professionally-guided or peer-led; can allow members to remain anonymous; and typically meet on a set schedule – thus contributing to their value in treatment plans.

Prior to the emergence of self-help groups, many people with addictions or behavioral problems were likely to seek help from friends and family. However, these relationships tend to be more dispersed in today’s technological age, and reflect cultural changes in communication. Immediate, consistent peer support may be one of the primary benefits of self-help groups, also called support groups or mutual help groups. Members say they experience feelings of comfort when sharing similar stories with one another. Feelings of belonging can also counteract the isolation that afflicts people with addictions and mental disorders.

The group leader –either a counselor, therapist or a member of the group – is usually responsible for keeping meetings organized and generating discussions. In recent years, some self-help strategies have moved to the online world, allowing members from broad geographic locations to participate in a non-threatening environment and have around-the-clock access to support. Online tools can include chat rooms, Internet bulletin boards, forums or email lists.

Basic criteria for self-help groups include educating members about their condition or disease, discussing its impacts, teaching members new ways to cope and care for themselves, and providing a network of relationship-based support. Members who are active and dedicated toward participation typically experience greater levels of success and more positive attitudes toward recovery.

Some studies have shown that people suffering from mental illness may find self-help groups quite helpful. Basic group models include independent groups or those connected with national ties, such as Alcoholics Anonymous. In the professional-based format, a counselor, therapist or expert oversees the group meetings and discussions and if often able to give additional resources.
Regardless of format, experts agree that it is the experiential knowledge component of self-help groups that helps create an environment of openness and reciprocity. Often times, those who are experiencing recovery continue to attend groups for the purpose of helping their peers reach the same goal. Eventually, a feeling of self-empowerment emerges and may help the recovering alcoholic or addict retain success.

Self-help groups, with membership numbers reaching well into the millions, are also helping reduce negative stereotypes about mental illness and addictions. Some groups, such as Rational Recovery Systems, do not follow a traditional Twelve Step model of recovery and instead rely on non-spiritual approaches.

Though they may use different strategies for meetings, underlying almost all self-help groups – from overeating to alcoholism to family members of addicts – is the premise of non-judgmental attitudes and caring for one another. Experts caution, however, that groups should be careful not to create a system of complete dependence for members or to fall into victim-based thinking.
With new Internet-based options available today, and support for hundreds of conditions, self-help groups continue to be an important treatment option for many people with addictions or problem behaviors.