Teens With ADHD or Conduct Disorder May be More Likely to Drink or Smoke

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January 8th, 2015/

Teens with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or conduct disorder are at increased risk of starting to smoke or drink, a new study suggests. The more symptoms of these disorders they have, the greater their risk.

Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital analyzed data from more than 2,500 teens ages 12 to 15. They identified teens with a diagnosis of ADHD and/or conduct disorder, as well as teens with symptoms of those disorders, even if they had not been diagnosed. Conduct disorder is characterized by behavior that is aggressive, destructive or deceitful,HealthDay reports.

The researchers report in Drug and Alcohol Dependence that 45 percent of children in the study had at least one symptom of ADHD, and almost 15 percent had at least one symptom of conduct disorder. For each additional ADHD symptom related to inattention (but not hyperactive or impulsivity), the risk that a teen would use alcohol or tobacco increased by 8 to 10 percent. Each additional symptom of conduct disorder raised the risk of tobacco use by 31 percent.

Teens with a diagnosis of both ADHD and conduct disorder had a three- to five-times increased risk of using tobacco and alcohol, and started use at a younger age, compared with teens with neither disorder. Having ADHD alone was linked with an increased likelihood of tobacco use, but not alcohol use.

“Our findings underscore the need to counsel families about the risk of substance use as [these] children approach adolescence,” said study author Dr. William Brinkman. “This need is heightened among children with ADHD and/or conduct disorder diagnoses or symptoms.”

Vermont Expands Addiction Treatment, But Can’t Keep Up With Demand

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January 8th, 2015/

Vermont has responded to the state’s opiate addiction problem by expanding treatment, but many people are still waiting to receive help, according to NPR.

In January 2014, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin’s entire State of the State Message wasdevoted to drug addiction. He said the state was suffering from a “full-blown heroin crisis.” Shumlin said he wanted officials to respond to addiction as a chronic disease.

He called on the state to treat heroin addiction with treatment and support, instead of punishment and incarceration. In 2013, almost twice as many people in Vermont died from heroin overdoses as the previous year. The governor said every week, more than $2 million worth of heroin and other opiates are trafficked in Vermont. Almost 80 percent of the state’s inmates are jailed on drug-related charges. He asked for more funding for treatment programs, which he said is more cost-effective than incarceration. He also called for allowing people addicted to heroin to receive treatment as soon as they are arrested.

The Howard Center, which provides addiction treatment in Burlington, Vermont, has a waiting list of almost 300 people, despite more openings this year. The center is one of five regional hubs that provide intensive treatment, including methadone.

Once patients finish treatment at a hub, they continue treatment with doctors and therapists in their communities. While the number of treatment openings at regional hubs has significantly increased, the state has had difficulty getting doctors to provide treatment locally, even though it has offered to pay for nurses and counselors to work alongside them, the article notes. Only about one in five primary care doctors in Vermont treats opiate addiction. Some doctors say they are concerned about the additional work and complex needs of these patients.

ALL ABOUT RECOVERY MEET & GREET When Saturday February 7, 2015 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM EST Add to Calendar   Where All About Recovery Center 400 Civic Center Way Suite B Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 Driving Directions Dear Friends, This will be an evening of Entertainment and Informative Speakers; John Lehman President of FARR Allie Severino Fresh Start Magazine All Around Wellness Psychiatry and Healthcare Academy for Addiction Professionals Candice Conway Marchman Act Attorney Robert Gluck This is a casual Networking event provided for the enjoyment of professionals in the recovery field, so A free community marketing table will be available for business cards and brochures.                       Please RSVP to Stephanie Humphries Program Development Director by January 24th loosen those ties and let your hair down. Refreshments Stephanie@allaboutrecoveryinc.com or 561-502-7874 Space is limited! 400 Civic Center Way  Suite B    Royal Palm Beach, Fl. 33411 Get more information Register Now! I can't make it

Best of Wednesday from Choose Help Understanding "Powerlessness" and Why Acceptance Liberates You Powerlessness is one of the most difficult things to accept in early recovery. Free yourself from unhealthy expectations and futile pursuits. To admit or even be mindful of powerlessness is a rarity outside of recovery. Our culture is so entrenched in competing for success that we're uncomfortable acknowledging the limits of what we can and cannot do, individually. We in recovery are accustomed to living at the extremes of all or nothing. Many of us prove our worth by managing everything and everyone but not ourselves. Even in sobriety, many of us tend not to respect our limitations and we pay too high a price accordingly. Powerlessness is Counter-intuitive but Simple In AA we're confronted with the reality that "... we were powerless over alcohol...". For many of us, it's the first conscious exploration of powerlessness: it's Step One of the12-Step program. At face value, this seems untrue. I have the choice to not drink, therefore I am not powerless over alcohol. Digging a bit deeper it's clear that we become powerless to control ourselves and the manageability of our lives when we drink. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable. Acknowledging powerlessness therefore means that we stop trying to do the impossible. Simplicity Powerlessness is commonly mistaken for helplessness or hopelessness. It's actually very simple. There are only two things to consider: what we can control, and what we cannot. In application, I recommend using the serenity prayer regardless of what a person's faith is, because all of us are seeking three simple things: Serenity, to accept the things I cannot change (other people). Courage, to change the things that I can (myself). Wisdom, to know the difference. (This is a matter of awareness and acceptance not a lack of ability to make this distinction). Power & Control Addiction and survival are always fear-based. Fear makes us crave control. The number one character defect for most of us is that we are control freaks. If we don't feel like we're in control of everything in our lives, we feel like we're out of control personally. We aren't conscious of our desire to dictate the behavior of others. We seek to influence and persuade, but we manipulate as readily as we draw our next breath. Like a playwright we develop "scripts." We decide how others should feel, how they should view things, and how they should treat us. We are generally afraid to simply ask for these things and so we seek strategies to covertly evoke the outcomes we want. Vulnerability is Key Vulnerability simplifies everything. Instead of railing against powerlessness or relying on unhealthy ways of getting our needs met, we can simply share our struggles and ask for help in getting our needs met. Our fears of rejection and/or disappointment prevent us from asking friends, family, and folks in recovery. When we allow our fears to dictate our decisions, we suffer. When we choose to see vulnerability as an act of courage rather than weakness, we create possibilities and move more fully toward the person we want to be. Spiritual Growth I try to approach fear by asking myself, "What's the worst that can happen?" If I choose to trust a Higher Power to handle the things that I cannot, this does not in any way change the fact that I am powerless to do anything about them anyway. By asking a HP to handle these things, I move toward acceptance of my powerlessness and choose therefore to direct my time and energies toward areas where I am not powerless. I take heart in William James' words, "Faith is a bet you can't lose." If I choose to believe that things I'm powerless over can work out without me, then I have more peace. I worry less and cease searching for ways to not be powerless. All of this culminates in my choice not to take responsibility for the feelings, beliefs, and actions of others. It allows me to focus more fully on what I am able to offer to myself and others that is healthy, sustainable, and satisfying. This acceptance creates more harmony and allows me to relate to myself in a far more loving manner. Read in browser »   Recent featured articles: Learning to Forgive Yourself and Let Go of Guilt and Shame New Year's Introspection: About Taking Stock of Our Progress Hating the Holidays? Tips on How to Stay Clean and Sober Handling and Preventing Stress: A 3-Step Approach Avoid Marijuana Relapse: Identify High Risk Situations and Prepare Coping Strategies And, as always, thank you for reading! All the best to you and yours, Martin Schoel, founder of Choose Help P.S. If you’d like to dive into the conversation, make sure to follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook (40K+ people do). FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO A LOVED ONE Do you or someone you know need rehab? Click or 'Tap' to speak with us now: (877) 333-5266

January 7, 2015

Comparing Alcohol Use in the DSM-IV-TR, DSM-5, and ICD-10

Date: Thursday, January 8, 2015 @ 3:00 - 4:30pm ET (2 CT/ 1 MT/12 PT)

Description: Using alcohol use as an example, this free webinar explores the diagnostic criteria among the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR), the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10). Attend this webinar to better understand the similarities and differences of these essential diagnostic manuals.Presenter: Dr. Norman G. Hoffman

Dr. Norman G. Hoffmann is a clinical psychologist who has evaluated behavioral health programs and provided consultations for over 35 years. He has worked with private organizations and governmental agencies in a variety of countries. Dr. Hoffmann served on an accreditation panel for the British Home Office and currently does accreditation reviews for the European Addiction Treatment Association. He has developed a variety of assessments instruments used throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Sweden, Norway, and the United Kingdom. He has also designed student surveys to assess needs and evaluate prevention impacts. Dr. Hoffmann is the author of more than 150 publications and has held faculty appointments at the University of Texas Medical Branch, University of Minnesota and Brown University. Currently he is President of Evince Clinical Assessments and adjunct professor of psychology at Western Carolina University.

Price: Education is FREE to all professionals

Continuing Education Credit: Earn a Certificate of Completion for 1.5 CE Credits by passing an online CE Quiz upon completion of the webinar. Free for NAADAC members (Join now!). $20 for Non-members.

Questions or comments about NAADAC Education? Take a look at our Webinar FAQs or email NAADAC.

Managing the Medusa: The Neurobiology of Addiction, Intervention, and Recovery 

Date: Thursday, January 29, 2015 @ 3-4pm ET (2 CT/ 1 MT/12 PT)

Description: Having a plain-language method for understanding and communicating how addiction develops and why some approaches are necessary and effective to initiate and sustain recovery can be very helpful in initiating and sustaining recovery. This free webinar will equip clinicians with the skills to discuss the neurobiological structures and processes involved in addictive disease, effective intervention, and relapse prevention and recovery with clients and client support systems (typically, families).Presenter: Dr. Dave Janzen

 

"Dr. Dave" Janzen was born into a family system with generations of addiction. Years later, as an ordained Presbyterian Minister, he discovered that the most troubled and troublesome persons he encountered in ministry were those whose families had also been affected by addiction. When he moved into counseling after 20 years of parish ministry, his undergraduate studies in psychobiology and behavioral psychology, along with post-graduate studies in marriage & family therapy evolved into a practice focused on helping addicted individuals and their families overcome the challenges of addiction. Dr. Janzen practices as an Interventionist and Recovery Coach in the Atlanta, Georgia area.

Price: Education is FREE to all professionals

Continuing Education Credit: Earn a Certificate of Completion for 1 CE Credit by passing an online CE Quiz upon completion of the webinar. Free for NAADAC members (Join now!). $15 for Non-members.

Questions or comments about NAADAC Education? Take a look at our Webinar FAQs or email NAADAC.

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The Association for Addiction Professionals

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Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone: 703.741.7686 / 800.548.0497

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Six Americans Die From Alcohol Poisoning Daily: CDC Report

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January 7th, 2015/

Six Americans die from alcohol poisoning each day, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The death rate from alcohol poisoning is highest among men ages 45 to 54.

“Most previous studies have looked at college kids and young people, but the problem is bigger than that,” Dr. Robert Brewer, who heads the alcohol program at the CDC, told The New York Times. “It was surprising that the number of deaths was so concentrated among middle-age adults.”

An average of 2,221 people died of alcohol poisoning each year between 2010 and 2012, the report found. The CDC noted researchers changed how they track alcohol poisoning data in recent years, making it impossible to determine whether the death rate had risen.

Alcohol poisoning occurs when a person drinks large quantities of alcohol in a short period. “Very high levels of alcohol in the body can shut down critical areas of the brain that control breathing, heart rate, and body temperature, resulting in death,” the report noted.

Binge drinking (having four or more drinks for women or five or more drinks for men in a short period of time) can lead to death from alcohol poisoning. About 38 million adults say they binge drink an average of four times a month.