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Sunday, January 11, 2015
Friday, January 9, 2015
January 9 CHAP 55 v 17 v 18 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS
Morning , noon , and night I cry out in my distress 'and the Lord hears my voice .
He ransom's me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me ,though many still oppose.
(GODS BIG BOOK )
STEP 3 Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God .
Your latest relapse was not my fault ! What " I don't get to have a life" , because I am your sponsor ,your out of your mind and this is not how this works .Does this sound familiar ? Well if it does you know where I am going with this one ! This one is for all of us in recovery ! The only one who can truly be with you 24 / 7 is God .The Psalm says it all but here's the problem , frustration , fear , anxiety , and worry will silence the small still voice that is always warning you or comforting you . Come on , you know what I am talking about ,some call it intuition , street smarts ,or that gut feeling that when ignored can get you caught up in some dumb stuff. I wish I had a dollar for all the times I ignored that voice and wound up in trouble. Whatever you want to call it does not matter ! What you need to know is ,that is Gods voice and he is constantly speaking to us but we cant sit still and calm down long enough to hear HIM . When trouble comes we run to our sponsor or friends ignore that voice get the wrong advice and just make things worse .When life is hitting the fan , the best thing we can do is STOP ! Find a quiet place , get on your knees and be as still and quiet as possible and wait .You heard me WAIT .God is so awesome HE already knows what you need He is just waiting for you to sit still long enough to receive it. (GODS BIG BOOK )
Proverbs 19;21 - [There are] many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.(GODS BIG BOOK) By Joseph Dickerson
Drug Overdose Deaths May Peak in 2017: Study
January 8th, 2015/
Drug overdose deaths may peak in 2017, experts at Columbia University predict. By 2034 the overdose rate could fall back to rates last seen in the early 1980s, they say.
The experts predict the projected drug overdose death rate will peak in 2017 at 16.1 deaths per 100,000 population, The Wall Street Journal reports. They note that from 1980–2011, annual drug overdose deaths increased from 2.7 to 13.2 deaths per 100,000 population. In 2035, the death rate would reach 1.9 deaths per 100,000 population, the researchers write in Injury Epidemiology.
The Columbia professors made the predictions based on a theory called Farr’s Law, which states that an epidemic usually follows a symmetrical curve that rises before subsiding. The curve has been applied to mapping the AIDS epidemic, smallpox outbreaks and cattle disease, with mixed results, the authors say.
They note that when access to prescription medication becomes more difficult with enforcement of prescription drug monitoring programs, there is a danger that people will shift to alternative substances such as heroin. “To avoid this substitution effect would require multifaceted interventions such as the expansion of prescription limits, increased drug screening, requiring pain contracts, and the distribution of naloxone to first responders,” they wrote.
If the overdose epidemic does decrease as they predict, it will add to evidence that efforts such as enhanced prescription drug monitoring are working and should be continued, they noted.
Researchers Use Replica of Bar to Test Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorders
January 8th, 2015/
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are using a replica of a fully stocked bar to test an experimental treatment for alcohol use disorders, ABC News reports.
“The goal is to create almost a real-world environment, but to control it very strictly,” said lead researcher Dr. Lorenzo Leggio. Sitting in the fake bar, which is dimly lit, should cue participants’ brains to crave alcohol. Researchers are studying whether an experimental drug will counter their urge to drink.
Leggio is testing how a hormone called ghrelin, which increases a person’s appetite for food, also affects the desire to drink, and whether blocking ghrelin can reduce the urge for alcohol.
The bottles in the fake bar are filled with colored water. Real alcohol is locked away. The researchers use it to add the temptation of smell, and to test the safety of mixing the ghrelin-blocking drug with alcohol. The researchers measure cravings by hooking volunteers up to a blood pressure monitor as they smell their favorite drink. Initial safety results are expected this spring, the article notes.
The drug was originally developed by Pfizer for diabetes but never sold.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved three drugs to treat alcohol abuse: naltrexone, acamprosate and Antabuse. No one drug helps all people with alcohol use disorders, notes Dr. George Koob, Director of the NIH’s National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. “Alcoholics come in many forms,” he said. “Our hope is that down the line, we might be able to do a simple blood test that tells if you will be a naltrexone person, an acamprosate person, a ghrelin person,” he added.
Other drugs being studied to treat alcohol use disorders include the epilepsy drugs gabapentin and topiramate and the anti-smoking drug Chantix.
Teens With ADHD or Conduct Disorder May be More Likely to Drink or Smoke
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
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.
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Wednesday, January 7, 2015
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January 7, 2015
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.
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.
NAADAC,
The Association for Addiction Professionals
1001 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 201,
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703.741.7686 / 800.548.0497
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