Sunday, June 17, 2012
New Studies Shed Much-Needed Light on Alcohol-Induced Memory Blackouts
By Celia Vimont | June 15, 2012 | 1 Comment | Filed in Alcohol & Young Adults
National survey studies suggest that roughly one in four college students who drink will experience a blackout in a given year, making blackouts a surprisingly common outcome of excessive drinking.
Blackouts are periods of amnesia, caused by excessive consumption of alcohol, during which a person actively engages in behaviors but the brain is unable to create memories for what transpires. This leaves holes in a person’s memory that can range from spotty recall for the events of the previous night (known as fragmentary blackouts) to the utter absence of memory for large portions of an evening (known as en bloc blackouts).
Blackouts are very different from passing out, when a person falls asleep or is rendered unconscious from drinking too much. During blackouts, people can participate in events ranging from the mundane, like eating food, to the emotionally charged, like fights or intercourse, with little or no recall. According to Dr. Aaron White, Program Director for Underage and College Drinking Prevention Research at the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism(NIAAA), “It can be quite difficult for an outside observer to tell if someone is in a blackout. The person could seem aware and articulate, but without any memory being recorded.”
Dr. White found in a study he conducted in 2002 that half of the 800 college students surveyed experienced at least one alcohol-induced blackout, 40 percent experienced one in the previous year and nine percent reported a blackout in previous two weeks. In a 2009 study of 4,500 students about to enter their freshman year of college, Dr. White found 12 percent of males and females who drank in the previous two weeks experienced a blackout during that time.
In the first few months of 2012, three new studies were published about blackouts among college students. According to Dr. White, “We know that alcohol is capable of causing episodes of amnesia, but what takes place during those episodes, the consequences that follow and why some people are more susceptible to them than others are still unclear. That is why these recent studies are so important.”
Dr. Marlon Mundt and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health recently published two papers on blackouts. In the first study, they observed that college students who black out are more likely to experience alcohol-related injuries than those who do not. Those reporting a history of six or more blackouts at the beginning of the study were more than 2.5 times more likely to be injured in an alcohol-related event over the next two years. The second study estimated that emergency department costs due to injuries sustained during blackouts could total $500,000 or more per year on large campuses.
A study by Dr. Reagan Weatherill at the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues from the University of Texas, Austin, provides important insight into why some people are more likely to experience blackouts than others. Compared to subjects without a history of blackouts, those with a history of blackouts exhibited a significant decline in activity in the frontal lobe of the brain, measured using fMRI, during the completion of a memory task while intoxicated. The findings suggest that some people are more likely to experience alcohol-induced blackouts than others due to the way alcohol affects brain activity in areas involved in attention and memory. Dr. White adds that studies of twins have pointed to a genetic vulnerability to blackouts–if one twin tends to black out, so does the other one.
The way college students drink increases the odds of blackouts, says Dr. White. “Alcohol is more likely to cause a blackout when it gets into your body, and therefore your brain, fast. It catches the memory circuits off guard and shuts them down. Doing shots or chugging beer, and doing it on an empty stomach, gets the alcohol into your bloodstream quickly.”
He also notes that females are at particular risk for blackouts. They tend to weigh less than males and have less water in their bodies for the alcohol to get diluted into, which leads to higher levels of alcohol in the brain, he explains. They also have less of an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase in the gut that breaks down a small percentage of alcohol before it even gets into body. Females also are more likely to skip meals to save calories when they drink, so there is less food in the stomach to help absorb the alcohol. They are also more likely to drink beverages with higher alcohol concentrations, like wine and mixed drinks rather than beer.
In order to avoid blackouts, Dr. White advises drinkers not only to limit the total amount they consume, but to pace themselves, add in non-alcoholic beverages and eat food while they’re drinking. For more about safe drinking limits he refers readers to the NIAAA website, Rethinking Drinking.
Friday, June 15, 2012
THANK YOU FROM HOH RECOVERY SERVICES
Seth Showalter
My name is Seth and I have recently graduated from H.O.H. Recovery Services. I want to personally thank you for supporting their business. H.O.H. has genuine and caring individuals who sincerely want to help you; no matter what is going on in your life. I can say this because the individuals at H.O.H. have changed my life.
I am unsure of your personal situation, but I want to encourage you to give them phone call or send them an e-mail. It’s possible that you are in need of some help and I promise you that H.O.H. Recovery Services is a safe place to receive it. It is also possible that you have a family member or friend who has found themselves trapped in an addiction and don’t know how to get out. If that is the case, encourage them to seek out help.
Addictions are not limited to drugs and alcohol but can span all arenas of life. So if you are struggling with something other than drugs and alcohol, do not feel like help is not available to you. It is available! In fact, I did not seek treatment for drugs and alcohol but sought it for a more personal issue. As someone who hid in the darkness for many years, I want to encourage you that there is hope and you can overcome, but you must first have the courage to own up to it. Take the first step: give H.O.H. Recovery Services a call.
A phone call or e-mail does not equal you entering treatment. The people at H.O.H. genuinely want to help you and would love to speak with you. Give them a call; at the very least, they may be able to point you in the right direction.
Phone:
1-760-701-0175
Email: rhouseofhope@gmail.com
Website: http://www.christiandrugandalcoholtreatmentrecovery.com/
It is my hope that you find the freedom that is available to you.
Sincerely,
Seth Showalter
Christian Treatment Centers | Affordable Alcohol Treatment | Drug Rehabwww.christiandrugandalcoholtreatmentrecovery.com
H.O.H. Recovery Services provides affordable alcohol treatment and addiction recovery programs that are unique among Christian treatment centers.
My name is Seth and I have recently graduated from H.O.H. Recovery Services. I want to personally thank you for supporting their business. H.O.H. has genuine and caring individuals who sincerely want to help you; no matter what is going on in your life. I can say this because the individuals at H.O.H. have changed my life.
I am unsure of your personal situation, but I want to encourage you to give them phone call or send them an e-mail. It’s possible that you are in need of some help and I promise you that H.O.H. Recovery Services is a safe place to receive it. It is also possible that you have a family member or friend who has found themselves trapped in an addiction and don’t know how to get out. If that is the case, encourage them to seek out help.
Addictions are not limited to drugs and alcohol but can span all arenas of life. So if you are struggling with something other than drugs and alcohol, do not feel like help is not available to you. It is available! In fact, I did not seek treatment for drugs and alcohol but sought it for a more personal issue. As someone who hid in the darkness for many years, I want to encourage you that there is hope and you can overcome, but you must first have the courage to own up to it. Take the first step: give H.O.H. Recovery Services a call.
A phone call or e-mail does not equal you entering treatment. The people at H.O.H. genuinely want to help you and would love to speak with you. Give them a call; at the very least, they may be able to point you in the right direction.
Phone:
1-760-701-0175Email: rhouseofhope@gmail.com
Website: http://www.christiandrugandalcoholtreatmentrecovery.com/
It is my hope that you find the freedom that is available to you.
Sincerely,
Seth Showalter
Christian Treatment Centers | Affordable Alcohol Treatment | Drug Rehabwww.christiandrugandalcoholtreatmentrecovery.com
H.O.H. Recovery Services provides affordable alcohol treatment and addiction recovery programs that are unique among Christian treatment centers.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Study Links Prescription Drug Abuse and Depression, Suicidal Thoughts in College Students
By Join Together Staff | June 13, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Mental Health, Prescription Drugs, Research, Young Adults & Youth
A new study finds college students who use prescription drugs for non-medical purposes are at increased risk of depression and thoughts of suicide.
The researchers analyzed the answers of 26,600 college students who participated in a national research survey by the American College Health Association. They were asked about their non-medical prescription drug use, including painkillers, antidepressants, sedatives and stimulants, as well as their mental health symptoms in the past year.
About 13 percent of students reported non-medical prescription drug use, Science Daily reports. Those who reported feeling sad, hopeless, depressed or considered suicide were significantly more likely to report non-medical use of any prescription drug. The link between these feelings and prescription drug abuse was more pronounced in females, the researchers report in Addictive Behaviors. The researchers conclude that students may be inappropriately self-medicating psychological distress with prescription medications.
“Because prescription drugs are tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and prescribed by a doctor, most people perceive them as ‘safe’ and don’t see the harm in sharing with friends or family if they have a few extra pills left over,” researcher Amanda Divin of Western Illinois University said in a news release. “Unfortunately, all drugs potentially have dangerous side effects. As our study demonstrates, use of prescription drugs — particularly painkillers like Vicodin and OxyContin — is related to depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts and behaviors in college students. This is why use of such drugs need to be monitored by a doctor and why mental health outreach on college campuses is particularly important.
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THE RIR MUSIC FESTIVAL NOVEMBER 2-4,2012
THE RIR MUSIC FESTIVAL NOVEMBER 2-4,2012
Venue Location: C.B. Smith Park 900 N. Flamingo Rd. Pembroke Pines, FL 33028
It's a Recovery Palooza , minus the drugs and alcohol, but add meetings and fellowship! RIR Music Fest is a campout for ALL people in recovery or supporters of recovery.
15 bands over 3 days along with:
The RIR Band - Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge), Liberty Devitto (Billy Joel) , Christine Ohlman(Saturday Night Live Band), Ricky Byrd(Joan Jett and the Blackhearts),Kasim Sulton(Todd Rundgren and Utopia), Richie Supa (Aerosmith and Richie Sambora) and Woody Giessmann (The Del Fuegos). Along with some very special guests to be announced.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Early Bird Ticket Sales
No Tickets Will Be Sold At Gate
You Must Have A Ticket To Enter
To Buy Tickets Just Click On Link
Three Day Ticket Click Link
$60.00 Click To Order 3 Day Ticket
Two Day Ticket Click Link
$40.00 Click To Order 2 Day Ticket
RIR Music Festival November 2-4, 2012.
If your planning on RV camping or camping at CB Smith Park. There is only a limited amount of spots. Book them now by calling Phone: 954-357-5170.
3 Days of Sober and Clean Fun
RIR Band-Mark Stein, Liberty Devitto ,Christine Ohlman,Ricky Byrd, Kasim Sulton, and Richie Supa
RIR Music Festival Schedule
9AM- 10PM Friday November 2, 2012:
9 AM- Recovery Speaker
10:00 AM -Full Range
12:00 PM- Jimmy Stowe & the Stowaways
2:00 PM -Johnny B. and The Road Dogs
4:00 PM - Sooner or Later
7:00 PM - Keep Coming Bac
9:00 PM - Recovery Speaker
9AM- 10PM Saturday November 3, 2012:
8AM -Recovery Speaker
9:00 AM- Thrown Alive
11:00 PM - Black Finger
1:00 PM -The Chillbillies
3:00 PM- Selfish Steam
5:30 PM- Recovery Speaker
7:00 PM RIR Band Featuring -
Mark Stein(Vanilla Fudge)
Liberty Devitto(Billy Joel)
Christine Ohlman(Saturday Night Live Band)
Ricky Byrd (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts)
Kasim Sulton(Todd Rundgren and Utopia)
Richie Supa(Aerosmith and Richie Sambora)
9AM - 2PM - Sunday November 4, 2012:
8AM- Recovery Speaker -
9:30 -Open Mic Talent Show
Solo Acoustic Sets By:
12:PM - Richie Supa
12:30 PM- Ricky Byrd
1PM -Kasim Sulton
1:30 PM Count Down and Closing Ceremonies
Kerlikowske: Addiction is a Disease, Not a Moral Failure
By Join Together Staff | June 11, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Addiction,Alcohol, Drugs, Government, Recovery & Treatment
Addiction is a disease, not a moral failure, according to Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. He is scheduled to speak about addiction and drug control policy Monday at the Betty Ford Center in California.
He will call for more alternatives to current drug policy, including early intervention through health care, better access to treatment, more support during recovery, and effective public education, The Desert Sun reports. “Recovery is this long-term, lifelong process, with its own set of challenges and its own needs — and yet we fail to highlight that process,” he told the newspaper in an interview.
In 2010, 23 million people aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Of these, 2.6 million received treatment at a specialty facility.
Kerlikowske also will call for a review of laws that can add to the challenges of recovery, such as barriers that prevent many minor drug offenders from obtaining housing and federal student aid. His goal is to curb the growing number of prison inmates, many of whom are coping with drug abuse, while reducing the $50 billion cost of incarcerating them.
Kerlikowske will be joined by U.S. House Representative Mary Bono Mack of Palm Springs, who has been raising awareness about prescription drug abuse. Bono Mack, who co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse, has introduced legislation that would revise Food and Drug Administration drug classifications to ensure that drugs containing controlled-release oxycodone hydrochloride would be prescribed only for sever
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