Nootropics Pose Danger to Addicts in Recovery
An important question to consider in addiction treatment programs is how safe are supplements? While multivitamins are generally safe, the rise of supplements to enhance physical and mental performance may be risky for the general population and especially those in addiction recovery.
A recent class of supplements known as nootropics have been marketed online, especially through social media sources like Facebook. They promise to help with concentration, attention span and overall cognitive function - boosting memory, alertness and mental performance.
The target audience for these supplements are young college age adults and young working professionals and the demand is growing. Take, “Alleradd” for example, a play on the word for the drug “Adderall” that uses this marketing statement: "Alleradd elevates your energy, enhances your memory, and helps you find your focus, even if you are tired or stressed out.” AlternaScript says that among those who use their product are students, entrepreneurs, athletes and business executives.
They also say they can deliver these benefits without the side effects of prescription drugs. Such marketing tactics make the unsuspecting believe they must be safe and even beneficial for use.
Unfortunately, these supplements may provide a “gray area” for addicts in recovery who don’t consider supplements mood altering and aren’t considered controlled substances.
However, if drugs like Alleradd deliver similar effects to drugs like Adderall, then these pose a risky slippery slope for addicts. They certainly qualify as mood or mind altering, according to their marketing slogans, and may give an addict a "taste" of a high that could lead to a full-blown relapse. The commonly used phrase in Narcotics Anonymous that “one is too many and a thousand is never enough” is highly applicable to these supplements. They likely provide the former stimulant abuser, for example, with a feeling of the high, but not quite enough - which may influence them to seek the real thing.
While addiction treatment programs should educate clients on these supplements, the general population should be cautioned as well. Just like with synthetic drugs, little is known about the physical and mental effects of the combination of supplements like piracetam and tyrosine in nootropics even if they are “natural.” Unfortunately it usually takes a few adverse events for the FDA or other government agencies to ban such products. Until then, education and caution should be used - especially for addicts in recovery who may be vulnerable to the marketing tactics of AlternaScript, the makers of Alleradd.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
DHA May Combat "Wet Brain"
Omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid or DHA has grown in popularity as a supplement that supports brain health. Several studies have shown that that omega-3s help combat cancer, depression, asthma, cardiovascular disease, ADHD, and autoimmune diseases. DHA is beneficial for a magnitude of conditions because it targets inflammation, the root of many diseases. And just last week a study revealed that DHA can mitigate the side effects of alcohol abuse - namely, inflammation in the brain.
Long-term alcohol abuse can cause what is known as “wet brain” or alcoholic brain damage and dementia. To determine if DHA could help these negative effects of alcohol, scientists from Loyola University gave rats large quantities of alcohol for several days. They then gave some of the rats fish oil containing DHA and found that they had 90% lower brain cell death and inflammation of the brain than those not given DHA.
According to the study lead, Michael Collins, "Fish oil has the potential of helping preserve brain integrity in chronic alcohol abusers.” Obviously further research is needed to see if the same outcomes will persist in human trials. But at the very least, alcoholics in recovery have nothing to lose consuming DHA because of the many aforementioned benefits. Our Colorado addiction treatment center encourages healthy eating in early recovery to restore lost nutrients during active addiction. Several supplements, such as B complex vitamins, can support brain function and mood, and this study may motivate adding fish oil to a vitamin or diet regimen for all recovering addicts - not just those suffering the consequences of long term alcohol abuse.
Long-term alcohol abuse can cause what is known as “wet brain” or alcoholic brain damage and dementia. To determine if DHA could help these negative effects of alcohol, scientists from Loyola University gave rats large quantities of alcohol for several days. They then gave some of the rats fish oil containing DHA and found that they had 90% lower brain cell death and inflammation of the brain than those not given DHA.
According to the study lead, Michael Collins, "Fish oil has the potential of helping preserve brain integrity in chronic alcohol abusers.” Obviously further research is needed to see if the same outcomes will persist in human trials. But at the very least, alcoholics in recovery have nothing to lose consuming DHA because of the many aforementioned benefits. Our Colorado addiction treatment center encourages healthy eating in early recovery to restore lost nutrients during active addiction. Several supplements, such as B complex vitamins, can support brain function and mood, and this study may motivate adding fish oil to a vitamin or diet regimen for all recovering addicts - not just those suffering the consequences of long term alcohol abuse.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Marijuana Abuse & Depression
A recent study revealed that marijuana abuse could inhibit the brain’s reaction to dopamine - revealing that marijuana abusers may be more prone to depression.
The U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse conducted the study by looking at the brains of 24 marijuana abusers after giving them Ritalin, which increases the amount of dopamine in the brain. The 24 subjects in the study smoked an average of 5 joints per day, 5 days a week for 10 years. Compared to the control group, they had a significantly dulled behavioral, cardiovascular and brain responses to dopamine - the “feel good” chemical of the brain. Overall their heart rate and blood pressure were lower and they reported feeling anxious and restless rather than elated.
The study concluded that marijuana abuse can diminish one’s reaction to dopamine and can impact the brain’s reward processing. In short, what normally causes feelings of euphoria in people may not for the marijuana abuser. The study suggests that their weaker response to dopamine may indicate that the area of the brain responsible for processing reward may be damaged; “Cannabis users may experience less reward from things others generally find pleasurable and, contrary to popular stereotypes, that they generally feel more irritable, stressed, and just plain crummy,” says Raul Gonzalez a neuropsychologist at Florida International University.
Often, those that are vulnerable to addiction feel “crummy” before abusing drugs anyway and often overindulge in order to self medicate. The study may not have accounted for the fact that the 24 abusers may have been prone to depression before abusing marijuana. This study also reveals information about marijuana abusers rather that the recreational marijuana user. However, now that marijuana is legal in Colorado, recreational use may lead to higher rates of abuse.
The U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse conducted the study by looking at the brains of 24 marijuana abusers after giving them Ritalin, which increases the amount of dopamine in the brain. The 24 subjects in the study smoked an average of 5 joints per day, 5 days a week for 10 years. Compared to the control group, they had a significantly dulled behavioral, cardiovascular and brain responses to dopamine - the “feel good” chemical of the brain. Overall their heart rate and blood pressure were lower and they reported feeling anxious and restless rather than elated.
The study concluded that marijuana abuse can diminish one’s reaction to dopamine and can impact the brain’s reward processing. In short, what normally causes feelings of euphoria in people may not for the marijuana abuser. The study suggests that their weaker response to dopamine may indicate that the area of the brain responsible for processing reward may be damaged; “Cannabis users may experience less reward from things others generally find pleasurable and, contrary to popular stereotypes, that they generally feel more irritable, stressed, and just plain crummy,” says Raul Gonzalez a neuropsychologist at Florida International University.
Often, those that are vulnerable to addiction feel “crummy” before abusing drugs anyway and often overindulge in order to self medicate. The study may not have accounted for the fact that the 24 abusers may have been prone to depression before abusing marijuana. This study also reveals information about marijuana abusers rather that the recreational marijuana user. However, now that marijuana is legal in Colorado, recreational use may lead to higher rates of abuse.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Groundbreaking for Our New Medical Detox Building
In almost one week from today - on Friday July 18th, Harmony Foundation will host a groundbreaking ceremony for our new medical and admissions building.
The Howie Madigan Admissions/Medical Building will be the first of several new buildings slated to improve our 45-acre campus in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The medical building is made possible by our Support and Renew Capital Campaign. This campaign and our non-profit status allows us to put our excess revenues back into the development of treatment facilities and services for our Colorado rehab center.
As such, we have decided to build a state of the art medical building to help treat those most in need - those requiring intensive medical detoxification. Currently, many of our buildings are 80 years old and can't be remodeled due to building code restrictions. Our health center is only able to accommodate 7 clients at a time, when many more in the area seek our services. Considering that we are the only detox facility in Larimer County, being able to accommodate more clients is tantamount to living up to our mission to provide the foundation for sustained recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.
Those that require detox are often those addicted to dangerous drugs that have high overdose potential, such as heroin and prescription opiates and benzodiazepines. Unfortunately, our current capacity causes us to have to delay client admission, which is risky for those heavily addicted. By the time bed space becomes available they may have decided against treatment, as the decision to enter treatment is often vulnerable to begin with.
The volume of those seeking detox and addiction treatment for these drugs doesn’t seem to be waning either, as Dot Dorman, our CEO explains, "Regrettably, addiction to drugs and alcohol is not getting better in our society, it is getting worse…We must meet this challenge head-on with state-of-the-art facilities and programs." The new health center will do this by offering 20 detox beds - more than doubling its current capacity.
The groundbreaking ceremony is open to the public and will begin at 10am next Friday on our campus at 1600 Fish Hatchery rd. Estes Park, CO 80517.
The Howie Madigan Admissions/Medical Building will be the first of several new buildings slated to improve our 45-acre campus in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The medical building is made possible by our Support and Renew Capital Campaign. This campaign and our non-profit status allows us to put our excess revenues back into the development of treatment facilities and services for our Colorado rehab center.
As such, we have decided to build a state of the art medical building to help treat those most in need - those requiring intensive medical detoxification. Currently, many of our buildings are 80 years old and can't be remodeled due to building code restrictions. Our health center is only able to accommodate 7 clients at a time, when many more in the area seek our services. Considering that we are the only detox facility in Larimer County, being able to accommodate more clients is tantamount to living up to our mission to provide the foundation for sustained recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.
Those that require detox are often those addicted to dangerous drugs that have high overdose potential, such as heroin and prescription opiates and benzodiazepines. Unfortunately, our current capacity causes us to have to delay client admission, which is risky for those heavily addicted. By the time bed space becomes available they may have decided against treatment, as the decision to enter treatment is often vulnerable to begin with.
The volume of those seeking detox and addiction treatment for these drugs doesn’t seem to be waning either, as Dot Dorman, our CEO explains, "Regrettably, addiction to drugs and alcohol is not getting better in our society, it is getting worse…We must meet this challenge head-on with state-of-the-art facilities and programs." The new health center will do this by offering 20 detox beds - more than doubling its current capacity.
The groundbreaking ceremony is open to the public and will begin at 10am next Friday on our campus at 1600 Fish Hatchery rd. Estes Park, CO 80517.
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