Imagine that something takes hold of your child’s mind so forcefully that you can’t get through to them any more. Some kids suffer from addiction so severe they don’t want to do anything else all day. Many parents go through this with their child who is a drug addict, but it’s not just drugs that pull kids in so tightly. Today we are talking about computers and kids who are addicted to video games and the Internet.

Losing Control because of a Video Game

The stories may surprise us. Parents seem to lose all control over their child who is addicted to the Internet. The kids will skip school, stay up all night to play, and become violent when their parents try to turn off the computer. While these parents would benefit from learning some parenting techniques to keep from getting to that point, the fact is that the Internet and, in particular, online games are so addicting many people find it hard to stop.

It does not just affect kids and young adults; parents themselves and others have been known to neglect their duties because of Internet addiction. “The Internet and its functions have proved to be overwhelmingly positive, empowering and enjoyable allowing millions to connect, be informed, and entertained like no other technology before,” psychiatrist Philip Tam said. “However, for a small but significant minority this … can lead to social, educational and behavioral difficulties. This particularly seems to appear in young people and in those with predisposing mental/behavioral vulnerabilities.”

Help from the Mental Health Community

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Marchman Act Information…IMPORTANT NOTICE: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION APPLIES TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA ONLY.*What is a Marchman Act?

How are voluntary and involuntary Marchman Act admissions different?

A voluntary admission is when a person who wishes to enter treatment for substance abuse applies to a service provider for voluntary admission. (continue reading…)

Obesity in America has reached what might be considered epidemic proportions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of people who meet the definition of obesity has more than doubled over the past two decades. Approximately 65 million American adults could be considered to be clinically obese.Acupuncture is being researched for its benefits in aiding weight loss. Previous studies have shown mixed results. A 2003 study found Acupuncture to be effective in weight loss treatment. In that sample, weekly ear acupuncture helped women loss weight more effectively.

An Australian trial has added credibility:

To the idea that Acupuncture can help in the fight against obesity. The results of the trial, published in a recent issue of MedicalAcupuncture, suggest that Acupuncture can be effective when used in conjunction with a diet and exercise program in helping obese people lose weight. It produces benefits beyond those experienced by diet and exercise alone. (continue reading…)

By Dawn Maslar

Sometimes after we have been hurt in a relationship we develop negative beliefs. Those negative beliefs both spring from and reinforce an unhealthy GPS (Guy/Girl Picking System). Although it may have been only one bad experience, we sometimes find comfort in sweeping generalities. If we have been cheated on, it is tempting to believe that everyone cheats. We don’t want to be the only one ever hurt by cheating, so it is comforting to think that everyone cheats. In other words, since it happens to everyone, we are not alone.

We know it is important to identify and get help to people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. But as a new survey suggests, putting this into practical methods is often difficult to do.

Substance Abuse and Health Screens

The study was done by researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM). They found that people who abuse unhealthy substances are less likely to take part in preventative health services. This study looked at the number of patients that went in for services such as mammograms and vaccinations, and found that those with substance abuse problems were less likely to use these services than the general public. Researchers concluded that, “We speculate that persons with unhealthy substance use who are not engaged in primary care at the high thresholds used in these analyses may have substantially lower receipt of preventive services.” (1)

Lack of Substance Abuse Screening

It is important for a person’s overall health that they get these regular screens and preventative services. But if we apply the same logic to screening for substance abuse disorders, we find a larger problem. Someone with a drug or alcohol addiction is less likely to have a primary physician who would recommend these tests but who would also screen for substance abuse disorders. Therefore, substance abuse screenings done only in doctor’s offices are not effective in reaching a large proportion of people with substance abuse problems.

This relationship can work both ways. We need to either find a way to get these people in to doctors offices to be screened for substance abuse and preventative health services, or we need to find another way to get substance abuse treatment to these people so they are more likely to take care of their overall health also.  (continue reading…)

We want to thank Dr. James DiReda for offering another excellent guest post for us! Dr. DiReda has over twenty years experience working with individuals, families, and organizations to address alcohol, drug, and mental health issues. He holds a dual Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Work from Boston University. He is currently Director of Counseling and teaches at Clark University in Worcester, MA.

The Beast We Call Progression

Within the self-help network, the treatment delivery system, and prevention world, addiction is known as a “life-threatening progressive condition” that worsens if it goes untreated. We hear about it, and read about it all the time. However, when it looks you in the eye it becomes so much more real. I attended a function last night, and while there, saw a former client of mine who had “dropped out” of treatment somewhat abruptly about a year ago. When I met him he was employed at a long-held job, had a very charming young wife, and a newborn baby son.

Nick’s story

I’ll call this client “Nick,” although not his real name. So Nick came to see me because he was struggling with a Percodan habit that he just couldn’t manage any longer. It was starting to cause real problems for him at his job, at home, financially, and internally. He was caught up in the obsessive aspect of addiction, and couldn’t seem to break free from it.

It clouded and tainted everything good in his life, and he wanted to stop. Ironically, he was one of those individuals that didn’t present with a long history of drug use that grew into a dependence on prescription pain meds. He had injured his back and was prescribed Percodan to alleviate his pain. It doesn’t take long to become addicted to a drug as strong as Percodan, and he was no exception. It soon consumed him and every waking moment of his life was spent thinking about getting more. He was addicted. So I saw him for about six months, and tried to help him to stop using the drug, which he could never seem to do. He could “white-knuckle” out a day or possibly two, but he always relapsed, until he finally disappeared.

Seeing him last night was a total surprise, but felt good. During our conversation he laid out his “progression,” which sounded almost textbook to me. We went right down the line as I asked him about work, he lost the job; wife, she had thrown him out; newborn, he sees him as his former wife allows; living arrangement, he’s back living with Mom and broke. So, that sums up the “progression” of addiction for anyone wondering what that term means.

A person’s drug or alcohol use will wipe out anything good or positive

Basically, it means that a person’s drug or alcohol use will wipe out anything good or positive in that person’s life if their condition goes untreated. Interestingly enough though, Nick had never told me about alcohol being a problem for him while I was seeing him, but last night he told me that he had pretty much stopped using the Percodan but couldn’t stop drinking and relapsing with alcohol. He also said that alcohol had pretty much always been a problem for him, but he never realized it until he quit the prescription drugs and went “crazy” with the drinking.

Nick’s story emphasizes the importance of us being aware that addiction is addiction, and whether it’s addiction to alcohol or Percodan or Cocaine, it is still a “life-threatening, progressive condition” that, if goes untreated, will worsen and take everything a person is willing to give, including their life.

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