Alcohol

Effective Policies to Combat Drunk Driving

Posted on by Christy Weeks

Drunk driving is a serious problem in the United States, especially among young adults who are unaware of their limits. All 50 states have policies in place to deter drunk driving, such as DUI checkpoints on major holidays and stiff penalties – including jail time and harsh fines. While those measures are effective, new research suggests that policies designed to deter binge-drinking are equally effective, ScienceDaily reports. States that have implemented stricter alcohol policies have lower rates of self-reported drunk driving.

Researchers at the Boston University schools of public health and medicine and the University of Minnesota School of Public Health assigned each state an “alcohol policy score.” States that were found to have higher scores had a decreased likelihood of impaired driving. The states were scored using 29 different alcohol policies, such as alcohol taxation.

“Basically, our study supports two parallel mechanisms involved in addressing drunk driving: Drinking policies reduce the likelihood of getting drunk, and driving policies prevent drunk folks from getting behind the wheel,” said study lead author Ziming Xuan, ScD, an assistant professor of community health sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health.

The research showed that high alcohol taxes, safe serving laws, and retail sales restrictions were effective measures to combat drunk driving, according to the article. Despite stricter penalties and excessive drinking deterrents, for the last two decades the rate of drunk driving related accidents has stayed about the same – around 33 percent.

“It is clear that in order for states to comprehensively address drunk driving as a public health issue, more effective policies need to be put into place to address excessive alcohol consumption,” Xuan said.

The findings were published in the International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research. __________________________________________________

If you are currently struggling with an alcohol use disorder and are in need of help, please do not hesitate to contact Harmony Foundation to begin the journey of recovery. Harmony is a state-of-the-art, affordable, residential addiction treatment program located in the Rocky Mountains.

Addiction and recovery news provided by Harmony Foundation.

Blood Pressure Medication Affects Unconscious Addiction Memories

Posted on by Christy Weeks

There is still a lot that scientists do not understand about the complex nature of addiction. Nevertheless, researchers continue to tirelessly probe the human mind in order to decode the nature of addiction and the causes of relapse, with the hope that one day better treatments for the disease can be developed.

Over the last few years, addiction researchers have been testing the effects of a number pharmaceuticals developed for a series of medical conditions. The goal was to see if such drugs had an impact on the cycle of addiction. Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have been experimenting with the blood pressure medication isradipine, and if human trials prove successful, the drug could help prevent relapse, ScienceDaily reports.

The researchers gave high doses of the antihypertensive drug isradipine to rats addicted to cocaine or alcohol. Hitoshi Morikawa, an associate professor of neuroscience at The University of Texas at Austin, along with colleagues, trained rats to associate either a black or white room with the use of a drug, according to the article. Over time, the rats given isradipine no longer chose the room they associated with the addictive drug. The rats who didn’t receive the antihypertensive almost always choice the drug room. The findings suggest that the memories of addiction had disappeared entirely.

“The isradipine erased memories that led them to associate a certain room with cocaine or alcohol,” said Morikawa.

It may be possible to target the associations an addict has with the experience prior to the use of a drug. If isradipine can erase the unconscious memories that underlie addiction in humans, it would be a monumental advancement in addiction research.

“Addicts show up to the rehab center already addicted,” he said. “Many addicts want to quit, but their brains are already conditioned. This drug might help the addicted brain become de-addicted.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved isradipine, the article reports. Morikawa points out that clinical trials could begin in the near future.

The findings were published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

If you are or a love one are in the grips of a substance use disorder, please contact Harmony Foundation. We can help you build a foundation for recovery.
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Addiction and recovery news provided by Harmony Foundation

Prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders in America

Posted on by Christy Weeks

In the United States, alcohol use disorders (AUDs) affect millions of people each year, more than any other mental health disorder. While alcohol is the most commonly used mind altering substance, the number of people with an AUD who actually seek help is quite low. New research suggests the between 2012-13 there were approximately 32.6 million people with AUDs, but only 7.7 percent sought treatment for their illness, JAMA Psychiatry reports.

 What is an Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)?

The medical diagnosis of “alcohol use disorder” is given when problem drinking becomes severe. In order to be diagnosed as having AUD, individuals must meet certain criteria outlined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5). In the 5th edition some changes were made to the criteria of AUDs, including:

  • The elimination of separate abuse and dependence diagnoses.
  • The combination of the criteria into a single alcohol use disorder diagnosis.
  • The elimination of legal problems as an indicator.
  • The addition of craving to the criteria.
  • A diagnostic threshold of at least two criteria.
  • The establishment of a severity metric based on the criteria count, i.e. mild, moderate, or severe.

The Prevalence of AUDs in America

Researcher Bridget F. Grant, Ph.D., of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD., and coauthors analyzed data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC)-III, according to the article. The total sample size was 36,309 adults.

The researchers found that, under the DSM-5, the 12-month prevalence of AUDs was 13.9 percent and the lifetime prevalence was 29.1 percent. The finding represents approximately 32.6 million and 68.5 million adults, respectively. Only 7.7 percent of people with an AUD over a 12-month period sought treatment, and only 19.8 percent of adults with lifetime AUDs sought help.

Young Adults With AUDs

The study showed that the prevalence of AUDs was highest among male respondents (17.6 percent 12-month prevalence, 36 percent lifetime prevalence), as well as who those who were younger (26.7 percent 12-month prevalence, 37 percent lifetime prevalence).

“Most importantly, this study highlighted the urgency of educating the public and policy makers about AUD [alcohol use disorder] and its treatments, destigmatizing the disorder and encouraging among those who cannot reduce their alcohol consumption on their own, despite substantial harm to themselves and others, to seek treatment,” the study concludes.

Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment

If you are a young adult struggling with alcohol, and potentially meet the criteria of an alcohol use disorder, we encourage you to take a look at our Young Adult Recovery Track. Our program focuses on the specific needs of young people looking to find a new way of life through recovery.
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Addiction and recovery news provided by Harmony Foundation

Mixing Alcohol and Marijuana Increases THC Levels

Posted on by Christy Weeks

The legalization of recreational marijuana use in a number of states, including Colorado, has created a need for more research on the drug. Up until recently, there had been little research conducted on the effects of marijuana use, let alone on the effects of mixing alcohol and marijuana together – the two mind altering substances that are used together the most frequently.

New research suggests that when a person mixes alcohol and pot they show an increased amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in their blood, TIME reports. THC is the active ingredient in marijuana that is responsible for the euphoria that users experience.

The new study involved 19 people who drank alcohol or a placebo in low doses 10 minutes before they used marijuana in either a low or high dose. The researchers found that when a person drank alcohol, their blood concentration of THC was much higher, compared to when marijuana was smoked on its own, according to the article.

Previous research has shown that when alcohol and marijuana are mixed together, users are far more likely to get into a car accident. Teenagers who mixed the two substances were about 50 to 90 percent more likely to admit to unsafe driving, and they had higher rates of traffic tickets/warnings and car accidents. The new research may explain why that tends to be the case.

Mixing alcohol and marijuana is quite common among teenagers and young adults. In most cases, people are unaware that combining any two mind altering substances increases both intoxication and the risk of injury. While alcohol, and now marijuana in some states, are legal – it does not mean that they are always safe; both can lead to addiction.

The new research was published in Clinical Chemistry.
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If you are a young adult struggling with alcohol and marijuana use, we encourage you to take a look at our Young Adult Recovery Track. Our program focuses on the specific needs of young people looking to find a new way of life through recovery.

Addiction and recovery news provided by Harmony Foundation.

Dartmouth College Takes a Hard Stance Against Hard Alcohol

Posted on by Christy Weeks

Beginning March 30th students will not be allowed to consume liquor with greater than 15% alcohol on campus or at campus sponsored events. Pledging into fraternities will also be banned.

The motivation behind the Ivy League’s new policy is to cut down on student binge drinking and alcohol related hospital visits. The college’s president, Phil Hanlon stated in a speech on Tuesday that “The Steering Committee found that high-risk drinking is far too prevalent on our campus,” and that “the vast majority of alcohol-induced medical transports, it is hard alcohol—rather than beer or wine—that lands students on a hospital gurney.”

The ban on fraternity pledges came as no surprise after an article in Dartmouth’s student newspaper reached national headlines in 2012 when a student wrote about the hazing practices that occur with fraternity pledges. As an alternative to pledging fraternities, Dartmouth promised to create new opportunities and spaces on campus for social activities. Although he didn’t ban Greek Life on campus, Hanlon warned, “If the Greek system as a whole does not engage in meaningful, lasting reform, we will revisit its continuation on campus.”

Banning hard alcohol on campus echoes similar attempts by college campus to cut down on binge drinking, like Penn State University who pays local bars upwards of 170K every year to not serve liquor on St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

Binge drinking among college students can have immediate health consequences and for a certain percentage, long term consequences. When the binge drinking episodes become more frequent they can lead to alcoholism. Many young adults who have sought treatment for alcoholism recall the start of their binge drinking while in college that persisted and quickly lead to negative consequences. Dartmouth’s new policy may deter many from drinking hard alcohol, but if a student has a problem greater than occasional alcohol abuse, they will find a way to abuse their drink of choice. For those that find themselves ignoring the ban or going off campus just to drink hard alcohol, may want to take a closer look at the precedence they give to alcohol in their lives and seek out help.

Alcohol Impacts Women Differently

Posted on by Christy Weeks

The gap between the number of male alcoholics and female alcoholics is closing quickly. Of the estimated 15 million Americans that abuse alcohol, around 1/3 of these individuals are women and this number is quickly rising.

Alcohol affects women differently than their male counterparts. Alcohol is more soluble in water than it is in fat. A woman’s body contains more fatty tissue than a male of the same size. Women also tend to have less muscle than men. Muscle contains more water than fat, and therefore men tend to have more water in their bodies than a woman of the same size. Finally, women produce less of the liver enzyme that breaks down alcohol than men.

All of these aspects of the biological makeup of women contribute to alcohol being more potent to woman than it is to men. Since less of the alcohol is absorbed or broken down in a woman’s body, more of that alcohol reaches the brain. If a man and woman of the same size drink the same amount, the woman will feel stronger effects than the man. This can lead to women developing dependence to alcohol faster than men. It also can result in negative physical, mental, and emotional consequences being experienced at a quicker rate in women than in men.

Adding to this is the fact that women have death rates 50-100% higher than men, with many women dying from alcohol related suicides, accidents, and circulatory disorders. And studies have revealed that even when women don’t drink as much or for as long as men, they have the same amount of damage.

Overall, alcohol abuse can be much different experiences for women and men and often the path leading to addiction is different. Therefore, treatment for women should be different. Unfortunately, there are few women’s programs that are geared towards recovery for women. Being a gender specific program is typically not sufficient.

That is why Harmony Foundation’s Colorado alcohol rehab offers an individualized treatment program for women. The program is not only gender specific, but specific to each woman. We believe that treating addiction in men and women requires a very different approach in each case. Learn more about our individualized addiction treatment program for women here.

Staying Sober During the Holidays – For the Newly Sober

Posted on by Christy Weeks

In our previous blog post we wrote about how the holiday season can be stressful for those in active addiction who may isolate from family or, alternatively, may regret their actions during family get togethers while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

This time of year can also bring extra stresses for those in early recovery. Examples of this stress include being emotionally triggered from unresolved family issues or from the presence of alcohol at holiday parties. Family members and closed loved ones elicit deep emotions, which are likely to come out during the holidays because of the frequency or duration of family time. These emotions can become further complicated when experienced in the presence of alcohol. Holidays often provide the first big test to those in recovery- testing their resolve to stay sober while experiencing strong emotions. This becomes an even bigger test when access to alcohol is thrown into the mix.

Another stress faced by those in early recovery are the expectations that abound, beginning with self-imposed expectations. Some may experience negative emotions and may get into their character defects when with family. This may be a departure from their normal sense of elation and being on the “pink cloud” of early recovery, so they may feel they have failed somewhat in their recovery process.

There are also the expectations of close family members and friends. Those newly sober feel that their parents or spouses expect them to be healed after addiction treatment and they grow worrisome at any sign of imperfection, like being in a bad mood. Their auto response is often concern that the recovering addict may be using again. Others may expect those in early recovery to apologize for their past actions because they have seen on TV, for example, that amends is part of recovery, even if the person is not ready to do the 9th step.

These are all variations on the same theme, that holidays provide challenges for those in early recovery in many forms. The positive element is that they are healthy challenges and getting through them sober strengthens one’s recovery and faith in the recovery process.

This is where true recovery begins, and the newly sober need to harness the tools they learned in treatment, including relapse prevention techniques and 12 step principals and fellowship to face their emotions and situations in stride with grace – realizing that is it progress, not perfection.

Alcohol is Still the Deadliest Drug

Posted on by Christy Weeks
Statistically Alcohol is still the most deadly drug in existence. Surveys polling incarcerated criminal offenders confirmed that alcohol was the mind altering substance most associated with violent crimes. TV shows and movies may indicate that cocaine, methamphetamine or heroin intoxication lead to more acts of violence, but alcohol has been shown to be the real killer.

The survey showed that among individuals incarcerated for violent crimes, around 40% had been drinking at the time they committed the crime. Alcohol consumption was most common in people committing certain crimes like murder and sexual assault. Alcohol affects everyone differently, but it generally lowers inhibitions for people across the board. Some drink and experience feelings of elation while others drink and get sad. There is also a group of people who drink and get violent. Unfortunately, this type of reaction to intoxication seems to be common, as 40% of those who have committed violent crimes were drinking and there are a lot of individuals – incarcerated or not – who have committed violent crimes.

Analysis of the survey showed that being under the influence of alcohol didn’t just make people more likely to be the perpetrator in a crime; it also made them more likely to be a victim. Almost 40% of homicide victims had alcohol in their system at the time they were murdered.

Many believe that alcohol is present in more victims and perpetrators because it is more widely available. That is true, alcohol is legal and can be bought legitimately in a wide variety of locations. However, the people who committed these violent crimes typically didn’t just have a beer with dinner. The study showed that among these perpetrators, the average blood alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit.

Alcohol intoxication isn’t just dangerous behind the wheel. Many people, with or without an alcohol addiction, go out drinking with good intentions. They want to go out and have a good time or relax. However, as the survey showed, the road to jail is paved with good intentions.

Good intentions also keep alcoholics in denial and may delay their path to alcoholism treatment. No matter how many times the alcoholic’s binge with good intentions – believing they’ll just go out and have a good time – they keep having the same ending which includes but is not limited to being violent, blacking out, promiscuity, fighting or becoming a victim.

 

What Lies Beneath: Depression and Substance Abuse

Posted on by Christy Weeks
What Lies Beneath
 
 
In the darkest hours of addiction addicts often question what led them to spin out of control – to be completely powerless over drugs or alcohol. Many have felt something deeper attributed to their addictions other than poor choices or bad luck.

In most people’s first 12 step recovery meeting they get a glimpse of who an addict really is; who they really are. They hear their fellows describe their feelings and thought processes around not only drinking or drug abuse but also everyday situations and life in general. Through this process many find they share that others have had some form of depression prior to alcohol or drug abuse.

A recent study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that depression typically precedes alcoholism. The study indicates that people who are depressed as children are more likely to develop addictions when they reach adulthood. It found that those depressed in their teen years are twice as likely to start drinking alcohol than those without depression.

Other studies have shown that alcoholism causes depression – raising the classic “what came first the chicken or the egg?” question. In many cases, the two are present concurrently and when one is worked on, the other improves. Often it is the substance abuse that gets attention first and depressive symptoms improve. That is because most drugs are depressants and it is hard to clinically diagnosis someone with substances present because they skew an accurate portrayal of that person’s well being.

Here are Harmony Foundation’s residential treatment program, our clients find that their depression, anxiety or other co-occurring disorders are more manageable, improve or disappear altogether when they put down substances. By detoxing from substances and allowing the body and mind to heal through long-term recovery, addicts give themselves a fighting chance against what lies beneath their addiction, like depression.

Importance Of Meditation

Posted on by Christy Weeks
Lotus Flower

Meditation is one of the most important tools in recovery, but many people skip this step, or feel they don’t have time for it.

When we meditate, we can relieve some of the stresses in our lives. Stress negatively affects our health, bodies, and minds. We become frustrated, unhappy, and impatient. Stress is also one of the main reasons people turn back to drugs or alcohol.

Taking time to meditate can save us from making a disastrous mistake. Meditation can give us balance and calm our minds. We can transform our thinking from negative to positive, disturbed to serene.

It takes practice to meditate. When I entered rehab and participated in meditation, I felt like my head was going to pop off my body. The silence and sitting still almost drove me crazy. However, after a couple of days of practice, I actually felt better and more comfortable.

When our minds are not at peace, finding happiness is almost impossible. If we train our minds to meditate, we can learn how to quiet our heads, and eventually know peace even in the most challenging times.

Many times it is hard to control our minds. Our mind is like a sheet blowing in the wind, blowing everywhere from external situations. If things go as planned for us, we are happy. If a wrench is thrown into our plans, we are instantly unhappy. Our mood fluctuates because many of us are tied to external situations.

When we train to meditate, we create inner peace, so we can eventually control our minds no matter how bad the external situation becomes. Eventually, we will become balanced, instead of constantly being pulled from happiness to sadness.

There are a plethora of ways to meditate to find peace. Of course there are the more traditional ways to meditate with breathing exercises and meditating on compassion, peace, and love, but there are also other ways to clear your mind.

I like to take a long drive. There’s something about taking a long drive that clears my head. I can just focus on the road, and clear my mind. I don’t have to talk to anyone, listen to anyone, or do anything except drive. It’s cleansing for me.

Some people recommend taking walks. Getting outside the office or house and into fresh air has healing properties.

Many people pray to their Higher Power when they meditate. The power of prayer can be extremely healing.

Journaling is an excellent way to meditate. Putting thoughts and emotions onto paper gives you more perspective. If something is bothering you, writing it down and actually seeing it in front of you can help you work it out. Writing a gratitude list is also helpful. Focusing on positive things can also change your perspective.

Yoga or exercise is also a great way to rid yourself of negative feelings. Exercising produces serotonin, a chemical responsible for mood balance.

I also meditate through cleaning. I always feel better after spending a few hours cleaning my home. I feel like my mind is cleansed as well as my home. There’s something about sitting in a clean house that is especially healing for me.

Meditation and prayer ties into the 11th step in Alcoholics Anonymous. The step tells us, “sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.”

Prayer can take many forms. If you are not comfortable with “God” in the dominant religious sense, don’t let that throw you off. “God” can be defined as your Higher Power, whatever you choose that to be.

You can pray to your Higher Power by asking for guidance, speaking out loud to Him or Her, or just expressing gratitude for living today.

Here at Harmony Foundation, we believe in the 12 Steps of recovery. If you are ready to start a new life and find peace in a life of sobriety, our treatment center is the perfect place for you. We have been successful in helping many people live 100% addiction free lives.