Tag Archives: addictions

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

AN EPIDEMIC: THE U.S.’s MOST RAMPANT ADDICTIONS (GUEST POST)

There can be no doubt that the United States is facing a health care epidemic. All across the nation, there are millions of people fighting addiction and the negative consequences it brings into their lives. These men and women are up against the toughest enemy anyone could ever face: their own mind. The neurochemistry of the brain releases pleasure hormones every time an illegal substance is consumed. It’s why people start using in the first place. It’s why, unfortunately, they get hooked. There are literally an infinite number of different addictions occurring simultaneously here in America. However, there are those addictions that are much more common than others. Here is a brief look at America’s epidemic: our most prevalent addictions and what we’re doing to stop them. 

Marijuana

For anyone over the tender age of 12, Marijuana has become the vice of choice. It is, statistically, the most consumed illicit drug in this nation. The pot industry (both regulated and deregulated) is worth billions alone. 
There is academic debate as of whether or not Marijuana is intrinsically addictive or harmful. Even if it doesn’t have a chemical component making it addicting all, there are a number of people who become addicted due to the pleasant high. A number of people simply outgrow their usage. Some states are fighting addiction by minimizing the illegality of the substance. Rehab services deal with thousands of cases a year in which people become lethargic after extended marijuana usage. So much so that they’re either living in squalor or are entirely dependent on another person.

Prescription Drugs

Prescription drug addiction is the fastest growing addiction in the nation. Every year, thousands of people become addicted to potent medications that should only be distributed by qualified medical professionals. However, that’s often the problem. People receive medication for pain and they become hooked. They seek out the continuance of pleasure and only find the negativity of their addiction.
Children are becoming frequent users of their parent’s medications. Pill parties are reported to be common affairs. The process to becoming detoxified from these drugs can be long and arduous.

Tobacco

Tobacco is the most addictive legally available item on the market. Although usage has gone down over the years thanks to the government’s efforts to prevent nicotine addiction, there are still millions of people who can’t quit smoking. The grip of nicotine is such that most people who try quitting will fail repeatedly– even with medical intervention. It’s a destructive process that can only be stopped through sheer will power and a lot of determination.
 
Author Bio: Annette Hazard is a freelance blogger that is currently promoting rehab with freedomdrugrehab.com/ups-and-downs-in-life-course/. She usually writes about health issues.
General Safety Issues

FINDING A WAY TO PREVENT ALCOHOL ABUSE

As we know, April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and the first Thursday of every April is National Alcohol Screening Day.  Most folks don’t understand what is in store for moderate alcohol users.  There should not be more than two drinks per day for men, and for women and seniors, it’s recommended not to take more than one drink per day.  There could be a sign of a problem if you are not following these guidelines.  Here are some signs of a drinking problem:

  • Guilt about drinking.
  • Unsuccessful trials to reduce or stop drinking.
  • Denying or hiding drinking addictions.
  • Posing risk or causing harm to oneself or someone else after drinking.
  • Drinking to soothe nerves, forget troubles, or bolster a somber mood.
  • Feeling angry, resentful, or unreasonable when not drinking.
  • Medical, family, social, or financial problems caused by drinking.
  • Thrust to drink enhanced amounts of alcohol in order to achieve the desired effect.

Now, these statistics about alcohol problems:

  • Almost 49 per cent of American adults prohibit alcohol or drink less than 12 drinks per year.
  • About 22 per cent of adult Americans are occasional drinkers.
  • About 29 per cent of American adults (nearly 3 in every 10 are “risky drinkers” whose drinking behavior lends them at increased risk for alcohol disorders. 

The National Alcohol Screening Day’s outreach program provides an informative and yet non-threatening process to raise awareness about this issue.  Early diagnosis of at-risk drinking behaviors is the first step to proper intervention and treatment remedies.  The Workplace Response alcohol screening program provides your EAP with effective tools designed to educate your employees about mental health and the resources available to them.  These private screenings reduce stigma, raise awareness about alcohol abuse and connect those in need of help to the proper resources available.  

Alcohol and Women: 

Women are at higher risk than men with several medical conditions of alcohol use.  Women who abuse alcohol are more prone to observe cirrhosis, damage of heart cells, and nervous system problems.  Women develop organ disorder easily and faster, and at lower levels of alcohol intake as comparable to men.  The progression of alcoholism seems to be quicker in women as compared to men.  One theory is that a woman’s body usually has less water than a man’s, enabling their blood alcohol content to achieve greater level,  much faster. 

Alcohol and College Students: 

Fourteen hundred college students in the age groups of 18 and 24 embrace death every year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries that cause motor accidents and fatalities.  More than 600,000 students in the same age group are assaulted every year by another drunken young person. 

Alcohol and Older Drinkers: 

Heavy alcohol consumption is considered to be the cause of memory deficits.  Alcohol-related troubles, including interactions with prescription and over-the-counter drugs are due to most of the know substance-related troubles experienced by older adults.  Heavy alcohol intake may also enhance the risk for Alzheimer’s disease in both genders and in women specifically, as they seem to be more prone than men to alcohol-related brain damage or disorder.  Due to age-related body changes, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism suggests that older people should not take more than one drink a day.