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It targets the brains reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine, dopamine is a neurotransmitter that regulates movement, emotion, cognition, motivation,

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Where can i find more information about drug treatment programs?

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Where can i find more information about drug treatment programs?

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For more infromation or finding drug treatments by state visit

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Home - SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator

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Official locator map of treatment facilities for substance use and/or mental health assistance in the United States or U.S. Territories. Find facilities for alcoholism, drug abuse/addiction (opiates, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, PCP, LSD, etc.), and disorders including PTSD, depression, SED or SMI.

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Addiction makes you feel as if you need the drug to survive.

It takes your strong will for you to be able to get better. You will

have to cooperate with the people who are trying to help you.

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The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse

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Watch this animated infographic to learn more. It explains that addiction is a disease that involves changes in the structure and function of the brain, which can result in compulsive substance use. This is a complex condition and like other diseases, it can be prevented, treated and managed by medical and other health professionals.

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Are there effective treatments for addiction?

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Are there effective treatments for addiction?

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No single treatment is appropriate for everyone, but yes there are different types of effective treatments, such as counseling, medications, and treatment programs.

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When is the best time ti get someone treatment

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When is the best time ti get someone treatment

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The best time to get someone to treatment is as soon as

possible. You mustn't wait until someone hits "rock bottom"

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There are no simple answers as to why some people develop an addiction and others don't, but most experts agree that there are contributing psychological, biological and genetic components. Fortunately, with recent scientific advancements in our understanding of addiction, treatment programs that address both the biological and psychosocial dimensions can be very successful.

Looking at these four major types of symptoms of alcohol and drug addicts may provide some insight:

1. Loss of control - The inability to limit use despite the negative consequences

2. Cravings - An overwhelming psychological need or compulsion to drink or use any other mood-altering substance

3. Physical dependence - When attempting to stop using, there are withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, sweating, shaking, or anxiety

4. Tolerance - The need for larger amounts of mood-altering chemicals to achieve the same effect

Click here to learn more.

Substance abuse is common in today's society, especially with alcohol. Abuse starts with a person using drugs or alcohol more frequently and, at intermittent times, it gets out of control. Telling signs of abuse include becoming argumentative, getting into a fight, having a wreck, becoming uncharacteristically promiscuous or adversely impacting a job or relationship.

Once a person loses the ability to willingly stop using or drinking, they are now dealing with the disease of addiction. This lack of self-control is one of the key indications that the drugs or alcohol have damaged the brain in both structure and function, making it physically impossible for the individual to stop using on their own for any prolonged length of time. By this point, since the brain has been damaged, it is highly unlikely that traditional twelve-step programs could work for any significant length of time.

Click here to learn more.

30 years ago, the scientific and medical communities didn't know as much about addiction and the brain as they do today. Part of what we've learned is that, for millions of people, overcoming addiction is not about a lack of will power or a lack of discipline. It's about their brains being literally injured and their brain chemistry being physically altered.

This has led the scientific community to acknowledge addiction as a chronic and progressive brain disease. And that means that treating addiction may require medicine, just like any other disease. Therapy is necessary for recovery, but it's not going to heal the brain. Believing therapy alone will work is one of the primary reasons so many people struggle and relapse.

Click here to learn more.

We understand that residential rehab is disruptive to families, careers and everyday life. But that's the point. If a thorough assessment leads to a medical prescription or recommendation of residential care for your loved one, it's because their brain needs disrupting in order to break the harmful patterns it has created. Every patient is unique, of course, but medical studies show that the optimal amount of time needed to reboot the brain's chemistry and rewire its neurological pathways is about 45 to 90 days. We realize that sounds like a lot, but isn't two to three months of effort now worth a lifetime of sobriety?

In addition, people who enter residential treatment typically have problems that require combined medical, psychological and/or physical therapies over a sustained period of time in a controlled environment. Residential treatment is often the most practical and effective course of action.

Click here to learn more.

It is a myth that an addicted individual must hit "rock bottom" to be ready for treatment. Helping your loved one get help early in their addiction cycle will result in fewer accompanying psychological and physical problems and a better prognosis for long-term recovery. Furthermore, "rock bottom" is a dangerous place to be; for many addicts, that point is when a near-fatal or fatal overdose, serious accident or criminal justice consequence has occurred.

Click here to learn more.

Science has detected approximately 12 to 15 different types of alcoholism and 12 to 25 types of narcotic addiction. Depending upon the type of addiction, anti-addiction medicines may be the only solution. Simply put, the brain's chemistry has been altered and needs re-balancing.

Research shows that combining anti-addiction medicines with evidence-based behavioral therapies is the best way to ensure success for most patients. Treatment approaches personalized to address each person's abuse patterns and co-occurring medical, psychiatric and social problems can lead to sustained recovery and a life without addiction.

It is important to remember that addiction is a chronic and progressive disease -- like diabetes, asthma, or heart disease -- and can be managed successfully. Medically based treatments allow people to recover most - if not all - of their functionality, counteracting addiction's powerful disruptive effects and enabling people to regain control of their lives. As with other chronic diseases, of course, relapses will occur if you stop following the treatment protocols.

Click here to learn more.

We have put together a list of ten questions you should ask of any treatment program, including Enterhealth Ranch. Click here to learn more.

See More

Watch Now

"They're changing
the way addiction is
being treated."

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There are no simple answers as to why some people develop an addiction and others don't, but most experts agree that there are contributing psychological, biological and genetic components. Fortunately, with recent scientific advancements in our understanding of addiction, treatment programs that address both the biological and psychosocial dimensions can be very successful.

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Other than addiction, what are some other health consequences of abusing drugs? 

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Other than addiction, what are some other health consequences of abusing drugs? 

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Other than addiction, people may suffer from stroke, cancer, and mental disorders.

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Ordering Publications

Call 1-877-643-2644 or:

APA Style MLA Style AMA Style

NIDA. (2014, July 1). Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction

Lesson Plan and Activity Finder

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Call 1-877-643-2644 or: APA Style MLA Style AMA Style NIDA. (2014, July 1). Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction Lesson Plan and Activity Finder

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If a pregnant woman abuses drugs does it affect the fetus?

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If a pregnant woman abuses drugs does it affect the fetus?

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During pregnancy, everything you eat, drink, or take into your body affects you and the baby, therefore drugs can have a major impact on the baby. They can affect the baby both before and after he or she is born. They can Affect the baby's size, Affect how the baby's heart, lungs, and brain work and c ause lifelong learning, emotional, and physical problems for the fetus.

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How do i know if someone is addicted to drugs?

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How do i know if someone is addicted to drugs?

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If you’re worried that a friend or family member might be abusing drugs here are some common warning signs. (Unexplained change in personality or attitude, lack of motivation, secretive or suspicious behavior, unexplained need for money or financial problems, changes in appetite or sleep patterns etc..)

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What happens to your brain if you keep taking drugs?

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What happens to your brain if you keep taking drugs?

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Drugs alter the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. They do this by (1) imitating the brain’s natural chemical messengers, (2) by over-stimulating the “reward circuit” of the brain, (3) flooding the brain with excess chemicals, and (4) binding to receptors in the brain.

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Detoxification is a process in which the body is allowed

to free itself of a drug. During this period, the symptoms

of withdrawal are also treated. Drug withdrawal is the

Physical and mental symptoms that occur after stopping

or reducing intake of a drug

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Why do some people become addicted while others don't

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Why do some people become addicted while others don't

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As with many other conditions and diseases, addiction differs from person to person. Your health, family, genes and social environment all play a role in addiction.

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Drug addiction is a dependence on a legal or illegal drug or medication

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Where can I learn more about the science of drug addiction?

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Where can I learn more about the science of drug addiction?

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You can learn more about the science of drug addiction

at the National institute of drug abuse website.

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What are the costs of substance abuse to Society?

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What are the costs of substance abuse to Society?

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In average the cost of substance abuse to society

is about $559 billion a year.

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Drugs that are most commonly abused

involve Alcohol, Cocaine ,Heroin, Marijuana,

Tobacco, Steroids, Inhalants, Pain Killers, and Meth.

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Although it is impossible to measure the extent of drug use, drug use is everywhere. From bathrooms and refrigerators to cars and street corners, alcohol and drug use touch every part of our culture. Recent national data* from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides a reliable estimate of which drugs people are using the most.

Alcohol

With over half (52.5%) of U.S. population identified as drinkers, alcohol is the #1 abused substance in America. An estimated 135.5 million people drink alcohol, but of those people, 86 million are considered to be abusers, which include heavy drinking, binge drinking and underage drinking. Twenty-three percent of the population participates in binge drinking (59.7 million) and 6.5% of the population reported heavy drinking (17.0 million). An estimated 81.4% of people who drank alcohol for the first time were younger than age 21 at the time they started drinking, and 9.3 million underage people aged 12 to 20 were current drinkers.

Tobacco

In 2012, an estimated 69.5 million Americans over age 12 were current users of a tobacco product. Across age groups, current cigarette use was highest among people aged 21 to 25. Among youths aged 12 to 17 who smoked cigarettes in the past month, over half (54.6) percent also used an illicit drug, compared with 6.4 percent of youths who did not smoke cigarettes.
Learn about the Facts & Effects of Tobacco→
Marijuana

In 2012, marijuana was the most commonly used federally illicit drug, with 18.9 million users, although several states have already legalized it. Seventy-nine percent of all current illicit drug users use marijuana, and marijuana remains the most popular illicit drug among high school students. Of the 7.3 million persons classified with illicit drug dependence or abuse, over half (4.3 million) had marijuana dependence or abuse.
Learn about the Facts & Effects of Marijuana→
Prescription Drugs

In 2012, 2.4 million people used prescription drugs non-medically for the first time within the past year-nearly 6,700 initiates per day. Painkillers containing hydrocodone, such as Vicodin, and painkillers containing oxycodone, such as Percocet and Oxycontin, are the top most abused medicines in the United States.
Learn about the Facts & Effects of Prescription Painkillers→
Benzos

Sedatives like benzodiazepines and tranquilizers like barbiturates are central nervous system depressants that work similarly to alcohol. Benzodiazepines such as Lorazepam (Ativan) and Alprazolam (Xanax) are the most commonly prescribed depressants. In 2012, the vast majority (i.e. 2.1 million) of the 2.4 million users came from nonmedical users of benzodiazepines.
Learn about the Facts & Effects of Benzodiazepines→
Cocaine

Nearly 1.6 million people in America are current users of this powerful central nervous stimulant and 1.1 million are dependent on cocaine. In 2012, there were 639,000 persons aged 12 or older who had used cocaine for the first time, approximately 1,800 initiates per day. Although the estimates are slightly higher than the number and rate in 2011, they were lower than in 2003 to 2007.
Learn about the Facts & Effects of Cocaine→
Stimulants

Stimulant prescription drugs such as Ritalin and Aderall are typically prescribed for ADHD and narcolepsy. Since they are made from powerful stimulants like amphetamine (Dexedrine and Adderall) or methlphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta), prescription stimulants have a high potential for abuse. With 1.2 million current nonmedical users in 2012, prescription stimulants are now the third most abused class of prescription drugs in the nation.
Learn about the Facts and Effects of Prescription Stimulants→
Hallucinogen Drugs

Hallucinogen drugs include LSD, PCP, peyote, mescaline, psilocybin mushrooms, and Ecstasy (MDMA). In 2012, there were 1.1 million people who used hallucinogens. Ecstasy, LSD, and PCP were the most popular hallucinogens respectively, with 869,000 first time users of Ecstasy, 421,000 for LSD and 90,000 for PCP in the past year.

Learn about the Facts and Effects of Ecstasy and Hallucinogens →

Heroin

Heroin use, the King of Narcotics and the most addictive substance in the world, has increased to 669,000 users in 2012. About 335,000 people used heroin in the month prior to the survey, and about 267,000 users were dependent on heroin, which is approximately twice the number in 2002 (214,000).
Learn about the Facts and Effects of Heroin→
Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is a powerful and highly addictive stimulant drug with a high that can last 40 times longer than the effects of cocaine. With the average first time meth user being 19 years old, meth is most pervasive among young adults. About 133,000 people used methamphetamine for the first time in 2012. About 440,000 people are current users of methamphetamine, which is a significant decrease from 2006.
Learn about the Facts and Effects of Methamphetamine→
Conclusion

The rate of drug abuse is constantly changing; the numbers are never static. Thousands of people abuse drugs every day, but thousands of people are recovering as well.

In the past year, four million people received treatment for a problem related to the use of alcohol or illicit drugs. Although addiction is a powerful disease, treatment does work and recovery is possible. Outside of these commonly abused drugs, there are hundreds of substances being abused. These individuals will need to seek treatment for the substance abuse.

About Duffy's

Located in California, Duffy's Napa Valley Rehab is a premier treatment facility in Northern California dedicated to helping others find freedom from addiction and drug abuse. Since our founding in 1968, we have helped over 40,000 find hope and recovery, and we would count it a privilege to help you.

Posted in Addiction, Alcohol, Benzodiazepines, Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Opioids, Prescription Drugs, Research and Policies

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Top 10 Most Commonly Abused Drugs and Their Effects - duffys

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Update: the content in this blog has been modified as of January 2018 to reflect the most recent national survey.* Although it is impossible to measure the extent of drug use, drug use is everywhere. From bathrooms and refrigerators to cars and street corners, alcohol and drug use touch every part of our culture.