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https://www.sovcal.com/drugrehab/five-reasons-staying-away-from-club-drugs-is-a-good-idea/

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http://www.townsendarc.com/Club%20Drugs.html

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

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

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Post 1 psa or informational video about this drug 

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Post 1 psa or informational video about this drug 

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http://recovergateway.org/downloads/Gateway-Treatment-Centers-Facts-Club

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What are the withdrawl symptoms of this drug and where can one go for help ???

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What are the withdrawl symptoms of this drug and where can one go for help ???

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In 2011, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) published that almost 25 million Americans over the age of 12, approaching 10 percent of this section of the population, had used an illicit drug in the month prior to the survey, classifying them as current drug users.

Addictive drugs and alcohol make changes to the way the brain processes emotions and regulates mood. Many of these changes create a flood of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which create an artificial feeling of pleasure, or a "high."

Continued abuse of drugs or alcohol interferes with the motivation and reward chemistry and circuitry, resulting in drug cravings and dependence.

Once a dependence on a substance has formed, withdrawal symptoms will start when the substance is then removed. Different drugs and substances will have different withdrawal symptoms and timelines, depending on how they interact with the brain and bodily functions. Drugs are absorbed and remain active in the body for differing amounts of time. This is often referred to as the drug's "half-life,"which relates to the different withdrawal timelines for each substance.

The severity and duration of withdrawal is influenced by the level of dependency on the substance and a few other factors, including:

Length of time abusing the substance

Type of substance abused

Method of abuse (e.g., snorting, smoking, injecting, or swallowing)

Amount taken each time

Family history and genetic makeup

Medical and mental health factors

For example, someone who has regularly injected large doses of heroin for several years, with a family history of addiction and underlying mental health problems, is likely to experience a longer withdrawal period with potentially more powerful symptoms than someone who has used smaller dosages for a shorter period of time.

A general overview of certain drugs and their withdrawal timeline is as follows:

Heroin: Withdrawal begins within 12 hours of the last dose, peaks within 24-48 hours, and lasts a week to up to a few months, per the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Prescription opiates (such as Vicodin, OxyContin, methadone, and morphine): Withdrawal starts in 8-12 hours for most prescription opiates, peaks in 12-48 hours, and lasts 5-10 days usually. Methadone withdrawal begins within 24-48 hours, peaks in the first few days, and lasts 2-4 weeks, per Cambridge Health Alliance.

Benzodiazepines (such as Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, and Ativan): Withdrawal may begin within 1-4 days, peaking in the first two weeks. In some cases, protracted withdrawal can last months or even years without treatment, per the Comprehensive Handbook of Drug and Alcohol Addiction.

Cocaine: Withdrawal starts within hours of the last dose, peaking in a few days and lasting from a week to 10 weeks, per the Australian Government Department of Health.

Alcohol: Withdrawal usually begins between eight hours of last drink up to a few days after drinking, peaks within 24-72 hours, and can last a few weeks, according to the S. National Library of Medicine.

Heroin and Opiates

Opioid drugs increase feelings of pleasure while numbing symptoms of pain. These drugs include the illegal drug heroin and prescription opiates, such as OxyContin (oxycodone), Vicodin (hydrocodone and acetaminophen), morphine, codeine, Percocet (oxycodone and acetaminophen), and methadone.

Opiates are considered highly addictive, and in 2013, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported that 517,000 people were classified with a heroin abuse disorder. An additional 1.8 million Americans suffered from an opioid use disorder involving prescription painkillers.

Opioid withdrawal produces both physical side effects that may mimic the flu and psychological symptoms, during two distinct phases, known as early and late withdrawal. Early on during opioid withdrawal, muscle aches, tearing, runny nose, yawning, insomnia, agitation, anxiety, and sweating are common, according to The New York Times. Later on, nausea and vomiting, chills or goose bumps, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and dilated pupils occur during late withdrawal.

Heroin has the shortest half-life only a few minutes per Mayo Clinic of all opiates. Therefore, it takes effect the quickest, but also leaves the body quickly, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA. To put it into perspective, OxyContin has a half-life of 3-4 hours for its immediate-release format and 12 hours for the extended-release form, while morphine has a half-life of 6-10 hours, the journal Clinical and Translational Oncology reports. Withdrawal starts when the drug's half-life expires, and the drug is no longer active in the bloodstream. While not technically considered to be life-threatening, opioid withdrawal can be dangerous and should be performed under medical supervision and guidance.

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines, often called "benzos"for short, make up a class of prescription drug used primarily to treat anxiety, panic disorders, and seizures. They may also be used as sleep aids or muscle relaxants. These drugs are considered central nervous system depressants that work to dampen the "fight or flight" reflex that may be hyperactive in someone suffering from heightened levels of anxiety or stress by activating the inhibitory neuron gamma amino-butyric acid, or GABA, which acts as a natural sedative.

When the brain is dependent on a benzo, if the drug is suddenly removed, a rebound effect can occur.

This is when the brain is trying to regain its state of balance as GABA levels potentially drop, opening the door to heightened levels of anxiety and insomnia in the early stage of withdrawal.

The bulk of withdrawal symptoms will be present during the acute withdrawal phase and may include:

More serious side effects may also occur during benzo withdrawal, such as delirium, hallucinations, extreme confusion, fever, and seizures. Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be life-threatening due to grand mal seizures that may result in coma or death in someone heavily dependent on benzodiazepines who stops taking them suddenly, the Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association states.

Anxiety and psychological withdrawal symptoms may continue for several month or even years in about 10 percent of those addicted to a benzodiazepine, reports. This is called "protracted withdrawal"and can be managed with therapy and mental health services.

Benzodiazepines are generally considered to be short-acting, intermediate-acting, or long-acting and the differing half-lives will dictate when withdrawal may start.

A short-acting benzo, for example, will have the shortest half-life and faster onset of withdrawal than a long-acting benzodiazepine. Short-acting benzodiazepines include Halcion (triazolam) and Serax (oxazepam). Ativan (lorazepam) and Xanax (alprazolam) are intermediate-acting, and Valium (diazepam), Klonopin (clonazepam), and Librium (chlordiazepoxide) are long-acting, per Primary Psychiatry. All three types of benzos produce similar withdrawal symptoms, and detox should be medically managed.

Cocaine

The stimulant drug cocaine has a very short half-life of less than an hour, meaning that it quickly takes effect and also rapidly leaves the bloodstream. Stimulant drugs elevate heart rate, temperature, and blood pressure. The "high" can produce extreme euphoria, heightened energy levels, and elevated self-confidence, although the feelings do not last very long. This often results in cocaine being abused repeatedly in a binge pattern.Cocaine is produced in two main forms: powdered cocaine that is smoked, snorted, or injected, and rock form or "crack" cocaine that is typically smoked. Smoking and injecting cocaine send it straight into the brain and may result in higher "highs" and quicker "crashes," according to the DEA.

Cocaine withdrawal is usually manifested in three main phases: the initial crash, acute withdrawal, and extinction period.

Crash period: The crash may last between nine hours and four days, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports. The crash symptoms are generally the opposite of the stimulant effects. A person in the crash phase of cocaine withdrawal may sleep for days, notice an increase in appetite, and feel depressed and agitated.

Acute withdrawal: During acute withdrawal - which may continue for 1-3 weeks NHTSA publishes - irritability, fatigue, depression, insomnia, anxiety, and drug cravings are common.

Extinction period: Cravings for cocaine along with depressed moods and even potentially suicidal thoughts may continue for several months after stopping use of cocaine, NLM

Stimulant withdrawal is unlike withdrawal from most other substances, as there is a lack of many physical symptoms. As a result, withdrawal from cocaine is not considered to be life-threatening. Drug cravings and emotional turmoil associated with withdrawal may be best treated by a mental health professional trained in substance abuse and dependency who can provide necessary psychological support and care during detox and throughout recovery.

Alcohol

Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in the US, with one in every 12 adults battling an alcohol dependency or abuse issue, according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD). Alcohol withdrawal has a wide range of side effects, from mild hangover-type symptoms to coma and death. The more and longer an individual engages in patterns of heavy drinking, the more likely the brain is to become seriously dependent on alcohol and the more grave withdrawal symptoms may be during the detox process.

According to data published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), about half of those with an alcohol use disorder will experience some form of alcohol withdrawal symptoms when alcohol use is cut down or eliminated. Between 3 and 5 percent will suffer from the most serious form of alcohol withdrawal: delirium tremens, or DTs. Seizures, fever, severe confusion, agitation, hallucinations, and delirium may signify DTs, which can be fatal without swift medical intervention.

Other side effects of alcohol withdrawal include:

Alcohol withdrawal is usually most intense in the first few days, with physical side effects typically tapering off in a few days to a week. The emotional effects and cravings for alcohol may continue for longer.

While alcohol withdrawal can start within the first few hours after the last drink, delirium tremens may not start for an additional few days, and appear suddenly, making alcohol withdrawal safest when monitored around the clock by a medical professional.

When Detox Is Necessary

Addiction is a disease with many symptoms that may affect each individual person in a unique way.
Withdrawal from any substance of abuse after a dependency has formed is best performed in a substance abuse treatment center that offers medical detox.

Medical detox means that medical professionals are on hand to ensure the individual's personal safety by monitoring vital signs and emotional states. The initial goal of detox is to achieve a safe and comfortable level of physical stability so the psychological manifestations of withdrawal can be addressed. Someone addicted to alcohol, opioids, or benzodiazepines should always undergo medical detox to safely remove these substances from the body with the fewest number of adverse consequences. Many times, these substances will need to be weaned out of the body slowly under the direction of a medical professional.

Use of Medications in Detox

Medical detox may also use medications to help with the side effects of withdrawal. Buprenorphine products and methadone are supported by NIDA as effective treatments for opioid detox and dependency, for instance. Both buprenorphine and methadone are partial opioid agonists that partially activate opioid receptors in the brain. These drugs are long-lasting, meaning that they are effective for a longer period of time and in smaller doses, making them applicable in reducing withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings.

Naloxone, a partial opioid antagonist, is often added to buprenorphine products, like Suboxone and Zubsolv, in order to block opioid receptors from receiving other opioids. It usually lies dormant unless tampered with and injected. If these medications are abused, the naloxone may induce another form of opioid withdrawal called precipitated withdrawal, which is the rapid onset of more intense withdrawal symptoms. This may deter someone from attempting to abuse these medications or any other opioid agonists during detox and into recovery.

For someone addicted to benzodiazepines, a longer-acting benzodiazepine may be used during detox to control withdrawal and taper the drugs down slowly. Medications such as antidepressants or mood stabilizers may be used during medical detox from many addictive substances in order to target specific psychological symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, and panic. NIDA reports that the mild stimulant drug modafinil may help with cocaine withdrawal symptoms. Benzodiazepines are sometimes used to smooth out alcohol withdrawal and to help prevent seizures by calming the overactive nerves and neurons.Depending on the level of dependency and care needed, detox from illicit drugs may be done in either an outpatient or inpatient capacity. An assessment of physical and emotional symptoms should be first conducted by a trained professional in order to determine what level of care will produce the best results.

Different drugs have different withdrawal timelines and symptoms, and treatment should be tailored to the specific drug and its side effects. Mental health and medical issues can complicate withdrawal as can poly-drug abuse, and these issues should be considered during substance abuse treatment.

Residential, or inpatient, substance abuse treatment often provides the most comprehensive care, and medical detox is the optimal choice in helping to make withdrawal as smooth as possible for most addictive drugs.

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Drug Withdrawal Symptoms, Timelines, and Treatment

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In 2011, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) published that almost 25 million Americans over the age of 12, approaching 10 percent of this section of the population, had used an illicit drug in the month prior to the survey, classifying them as current drug users.

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Where can someone go for help to stop using the drug ?

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Where can someone go for help to stop using the drug ?

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you can always go in and ask a dotor for some help it always is good to have some to talk to about how to get help.

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Drug and Addiction Treatment Centers | Promises

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Families trying to help a loved one struggling with addiction get a lot of mixed messages. "You're one of the single greatest influences in your loved one's life." And that's often true. Then again, you hear the "three Cs" of addiction recovery: You didn't cause it, you can't cure it and you can't control it. Again, true.

So how do you help someone if you're influential, but you aren't in control? If you're to stay close but avoid enabling? Here are a few suggestions from two women who have come face to face with the harsh realities of the disease of addiction:

What You Can't Do
#1 Make them quit.
You can stage an intervention, and you may be successful, but you cannot force someone with a substance abuse problem to quit. Even in states that allow involuntary treatment, you can't make someone get sober.

"You can keep throwing money at them, telling them what to do and trying to lift them up, but they have to commit to it," says Eve Goldberg, a mom who lost her 23-year-old son, Isaac, to an opiate overdose in 2013. "I've learned you have to let go. You can't control them or the situation, and the sooner you accept your lack of control, the sooner they can face the natural consequences of their actions."
#2 Do the work of recovery for them.
Even if a loved one goes to drug rehab, you can't do the work of recovery for them and you can't prevent relapse. After Eve's son completed addiction treatment, everything was going well. He had a job and was rebuilding his life. He told his mom "I'm never going back to that bad place again."

Months later, he spiraled back into active addiction. She tried to talk with him about the signs she was seeing, but he didn't want to admit it. One night, Eve heard unusual breathing from his bedroom and when she checked on him, she couldn't wake him up. After six weeks in a coma, the doctors told Eve that Isaac was gone.

Eve was well-educated about addiction. She stayed close to Isaac and kept the lines of communication open. But unfortunately, "even if you see the signs you can't always do something about it." Addiction hijacks the brain, leading people to hide, lie and manipulate to maintain their drug abuse. Isaac didn't want to die. He wanted to get better. But there is simply no logic in addiction.

After dealing with her own family's substance abuse for over 20 years, Carole Bennett, MA, author of Reclaim Your Life: You and the Alcoholic/Addict and Is There a Dry Drunk in Your Life? and a counselor in private practice, learned "You shouldn't babysit someone's recovery. You can be a participant in their healing, but from arm's length."

For many, even those who ultimately maintain their recovery long-term, relapse is a common part of the process. Like other chronic diseases, it's not unusual for those struggling with addiction to need multiple episodes of treatment. "Someone can go to meetings, have a sponsor and be a poster child for AA but still relapse," says Bennett. "It's a vicious cycle, and the person has to be willing to reach out for help to stop it."
#3 Accept behavior that violates your boundaries.
To avoid enabling, loved ones have to set boundaries. And once you've laid out your boundaries, allowing them to be violated destroys your credibility and perpetuates your loved one's addiction.

"If you don't follow through with consequences when someone violates one of your boundaries, your word is like quicksand," says Bennett. "If you say what you mean and mean what you say, even if they're mad at first, they'll respect you in the long term."

Boundaries can be basic - for example, the person has to be clean and sober if they're in your home. If the boundary is broken, Bennett recommends calmly saying, "We talked about this and this doesn't work for me" or "I love you but I can't go down this road anymore" and then following through with the consequence. Holding firm to your boundaries may mean disengaging for a period of time, or indefinitely, she says.

For some people struggling with addiction, experiencing the consequences of their drug use is the only way they'll recognize the seriousness of the problem and get help. "Sometimes love is letting them hit bottom," Bennett says. For evidence, she suggests going to an open AA meeting. "More often than not, you'll hear people say 'Thank God my parent kicked me out/said no.' As difficult as it is, you don't have the power to fix it. Only they do."

What You Can Do
#1 Get educated.
You can't help fight an enemy you don't understand. Learn about addiction - the signs, the treatments, the relapse triggers - and talk to your loved ones about drugs and alcohol from an early age. Of course, education is no guarantee of healthy choices, but it can be a powerful tool in preventing drug abuse and finding a way into recovery.

If your loved one goes into treatment, participate in any family programs that are offered. The education and encouragement offered by a drug rehabilitation center can help you support your loved one and take care of your own needs at the same time. Then continue to be a source of support and accountability post-treatment, when drug cravings and triggers heighten the relapse risk. Bennett strongly recommends putting into place a family recovery contract when a loved one returns home from treatment or sober living. She notes, "If the 'addict' doesn't live at home, a recovery contract is important with fewer stipulations, but not imperative."
#2 Take care of yourself.
A critical lesson for Eve was the importance of being good to herself, regardless of whether her son was doing well. You can't control another person, but you can make healthy decisions for yourself. And you must in order to have any hope of being able to support and encourage your loved one.

For some people, groups like Al-Anon provide a safe place to get education and fellowship with others who are facing similar struggles. Others prefer seeing a therapist privately or joining a different type of support group.

Whatever your path looks like, "you have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, keep looking forward, not back," Eve says. "There's no way to make sense of it. There's no reason why my son should've died. Give yourself over to a higher power - for me, it was the only way I could live my life."

There's a lot of pain and grief involved when you love someone with a substance abuse problem. Your other family members and friends may not grieve in the same way as you and may have their own ideas about how to handle the situation. For example, Eve started BIGVISION, an organization dedicated to helping young adults transition into sober life after rehab. Although her family had trouble understanding it at first, helping others suffering from the same illness that took away her son has been an integral part of her healing.
#3 Talk about it.
Talking about the problem can be healing both for the person trying to overcome addiction as well as their loved ones. A person with a drug problem may be reluctant to come to you and ask for help, but if you can tolerate the lies and manipulation, an open dialogue is your best chance to be there for them when they need you most.

"Work on building a good relationship, without judging or accusing," Eve suggests. "You have to step back, you can't be on top of them all the time, or they won't trust that they can come to you."

For loved ones trying to take care of themselves, nothing is more toxic to your healing than shame. Eve had many friends who struggled with addiction in their family but were too ashamed to talk about it. "We made a decision as a family to be up front about our struggles," she says. "The more you talk about it, the more you realize everyone has a story, everyone has been affected by addiction in some way."

For Eve, speaking her son's name and telling his story is one way to keep his memory alive. "I still cry when I tell Isaac's story, even two years later. And I can see people's faces cringe when I talk about my dead child. They don't know how to handle it," she says. "But I can't worry about making them uncomfortable. He's still my son and I won't pretend he didn't exist."

The realities of addiction are painful. It's hard to hear that a loved one's life is at risk and you can't fix it. But once you accept certain realities, you may discover that there's empowerment beyond the powerlessness. There are steps you can take to help yourself and your addicted loved one, and once you've taken those steps you can take solace in knowing you did all that you could in the face of a devastating disease.

By Meghan Vivo

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3 Things You Can (and Can't) Do to Help an Addicted Loved One

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Families trying to help a loved one struggling with addiction get a lot of mixed messages. "You're one of the single greatest influences in your loved one's life." And that's often true. Then again, you hear the "three Cs" of addiction recovery: You didn't cause it, you can't cure it and you can't control it.

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Can your drug cause a lifestyle disease or other health complications???

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Can your drug cause a lifestyle disease or other health complications???