Brains May Be Wired for Addiction

On February 2, 21012, a BBC Report explained how abnormalities in the brain may make some people more likely to become drug addicts.  The study, conducted by the University of Cambridge, England and funded by the Medical Research Council, attempted to determine if some people’s brains are hard-wired for addiction.

The study tried to answer that question by comparing the brains of 50 cocaine or crack addicts with the brain of their brother or sister, who had always been clean.  Both the addicts and the non-addict siblings had the same abnormalities in the region of the brain which controls behavior, the fronto-striatal systems.  They found the same differences in the brains of addicts and their non-addicted brothers and sisters. 

The study, published in the journal Science, suggested addiction is in part a "disorder of the brain".  Other experts said the non-addicted siblings offered hope of new ways of teaching addicts self-control.  It has long been established that the brains of drug addicts have some differences to other people, but explaining that finding has been more difficult.  Experts were unsure whether drugs changed the wiring of the brain or if drug addicts' brains were wired differently in the first place. 

With the recent death of Whitney Houston, the dangers of prescription drug abuse - and the potential deadly effects when mixed with alcohol - are in the spotlight.  Click on the link below for more information:

http://drdrew.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/15/pill-popping-rx-for-death/

 

A Bill Banning "Bath Salts" Signed Into Law

On Wednesday, January 25, 2012 DE Governor, Jack Markell, signed into law a bill banning the possession and sale of the designer drugs known as "bath salts."

The signing of Senate Bill 160 made permanent an emergency ban passed in late September following a rash of violent incidents linked to the drug.

"Bath salts"are commonly smoked, snorted or injected. Users experience an intense high, euphoria, extreme energy, hallucinations, insomnia and are easily provoked to anger, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

Under the new law, possession of a small amount of bath salts would be classified as a misdemeanor. Someone found guilty of possession with intent to manufacture or distribute small quantities of the drug would face eight years in prison.  The law also prohibits any combination of the chemicals in bath salts and makes it easier for lawmakers to ban other chemicals that may pose harmful consequences to Delawareans.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

As the weather turns chilly and the days become shorter, Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, could affect you and your family.  SAD is a type of depression that affects a person during the cold, winter months.  If you get depressed in the winter but feel much better in spring and summer, you may have SAD. 

The disorder may begin as early as fifteen, but the risk of getting SAD for the first time goes down as you age.  People who live in places with long winter nights are at greater risk for SAD.  Other factors that may make SAD more likely include the amount of light that a person is exposed to, body temperature, genes, and hormones.

Symptoms usually build up slowly in the winter months and may include:

•  Increased appetite with weight gain
•  Increased sleep and daytime sleepiness
•  Less energy and ability to concentrate in the afternoon
•  Loss of interest in work or other activities
•  Slow, sluggish, lethargic movement
•  Social withdrawal
•  Unhappiness and irritability

According to NIH, antidepressant medications and talk therapy can be effective.  Taking long walks during the daylight hours and getting exercise can make the symptoms better.  Keep active socially, even if it involves some effort.  Light therapy that mimics light from the sun may also be helpful.

Driving Under the Influence

The statistics don’t lie.  Driving under the influence is a serious issue that takes lives.  Last year in Delaware, more than 5,500 people were arrested for DUI, and 24% of the state's traffic deaths were alcohol related.  According to the state of DE’s statistics, 62% of alcohol-related accidents and fatalities occurred between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., with males age 21 – 34 being the most likely to be involved in an alcohol-related crash.

Now, new reports show that there may be a way for parents to decrease the chances that their children drive under the influence – stop doing it themselves.  Reports show that adolescents are far more likely to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs if they live with a parent that drives under the influence.

According to SAMHSA’s latest report, 18.3 percent of 16 and 17 year olds living with a mother who drove under the influence of drugs or alcohol also drove under the influence – as opposed to 10.9 percent of the adolescents who lived with a mother who had not driven under the influence. The difference was even more pronounced for fathers - 21.4 percent of adolescents living with a father who drove under the influence also drove under the influence, as opposed to 8.4 percent of adolescents living with a father who did not drive under the influence.

SAMHSA has developed an online tool at www.underagedrinking.samhsa.gov/ to help parents create an action plan to talk with their children about the dangers of underage drinking.

SAMHSA Announced New Definition for Recovery

SAMHSA recently announced a new working definition of recovery from mental disorders and substance use disorders. The definition is the product of a year-long effort by SAMHSA and a wide range of partners in the behavioral health care community and other fields to develop a working definition of recovery that captures the essential, common experiences of those recovering from mental disorders and substance use disorders. The new working definition of Recovery From Mental Disorders and Substance Use Disorders is as follows:

A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.

 

Through the Recovery Support Strategic Initiative, SAMHSA also has delineated four major dimensions that support a life in recovery:

• Health: Overcoming or managing one's disease(s) as well as living in a physically and emotionally healthy way.
• Home: A stable and safe place to live.
• Purpose: Meaningful daily activities, such as a job, school, volunteerism, family care taking, or creative endeavors, and the independence, income, and resources to participate in society.
• Community: Relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love, and hope.

The Power of Peer Support

Today’s  New York Times cover story, “After Drugs and Dark Times, Helping Others to Stand Back Up,” focused on peer support and its power to help people pull through recovery and get their lives back on track.

The mental health care system has long made use of former patients as counselors and the practice has been controversial, in part because doctors and caseworkers have questioned their effectiveness.  But recent research suggests that peer support can reduce costs, and in 2007, federal health officials ruled that states could bill for the services under Medicaid — if the state had a system in place to train and certify peer providers.

In the years since, “peer support has just exploded; I have been in this field for 25 years, and I have never seen anything happen so quickly,” said Larry Davidson, a mental health researcher at Yale. “Peers are living, breathing proof that recovery is possible, that it is real.”

To read the full NY Times article, click here.

AIDS Awareness

Today, we know that HIV/AIDS does not discriminate. Anyone can become infected with HIV when engaging in high risk behaviors. HIV/AIDS can and does impact all of our lives. Stigma, discrimination, and countless myths continue to surround HIV/AIDS as it continues to spread at alarming rates, perhaps because some individuals believe they are exempt from impact of the disease.

New infections are surging among teens and young people both in the United States and worldwide. In the United States, one-half of all new infections occur in people younger than age 24 years, mostly among heterosexual women and girls. In developing countries, young women face even higher risk for contracting HIV—they become infected up to six times as often as young men in those areas.

But, HIV/AIDS has come a long way. We may still be many miles away from a cure, yet the medical advances that have been made to treat this virus are monumental. HIV/AIDS is now considered to be a chronic illness. People are living long, vibrant, healthy lives with HIV. With the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and other treatments during the last two decades, people with HIV/AIDS in the United States are living longer.

Today is World AIDS Day

Today, December 1, is World AIDS Day.   This day has been observed for 23 years, and began as a way to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS and those affected by the disease.  World AIDS Day helps fight the stigma for people living with HIV by providing education and steps for prevention.  The World Health Organization’s theme for the day, which runs from 2011 through 2015 is “Getting to Zero – zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS related deaths.”

The disease, first discovered in 1981, affects nearly 1.2 million people in the United States.  The United States has made tremendous progress against HIV, preventing hundreds of thousands of new infections and helping people live longer, healthier, more productive lives with effective treatments. Testing is the only way to identify the nearly 250,000 Americans currently living with HIV who do not know they're infected – that's 1 in 5 of all Americans with HIV.  HIV testing and diagnosis are the first steps toward connecting people to life-extending treatment, as well as helping to prevent the spread of HIV to partners.

Heroin Alert

The Poison Control Center has been notified that doctors in the region have recently encountered heroin overdoses that have seemed particularly potent, and which have required higher than normal doses of naloxone for reversal.  As contamination of heroin with other drugs has been a frequently encountered phenomenon in our region, health care providers and public health officials are advised to be aware.