Welcome to Drug and Alcohol Treatment
| ||
Health Department Of Mental Health And Substance Abuse Article
This is a selection made from among articles on Health Department Of Mental Health And Substance Abuse. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for future reading, click here.
Drug addiction
from: When looking at drug use, drug abuse, drug dependency and drug addiction, one finds that there are many divergent opinions about these terms and how they identify the drug-using behaviors of the public. Dr. Alan Leshner, the Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse for the U.S. Government, states: "There is a unique disconnect between scientific facts and the public's perception of drug addiction,"From a lecture in March, 1998 at the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Leshner explained how brain function is modified by drug use and how that change persists after an individual stops taking drugs. Addiction also has to be recognized as a result of many bio-behavioral factors.
Dr. Leshner said a user does not have control over the change when voluntary drug use becomes a compulsive addiction. He likens the change to a flip of a switch, although the change may be a result of opponent processes where changes have accumulated over time. Regardless, Dr. Leshner believes it is important that people understand that once addicted, a person is literally in a different brain state.
Anyone that has known and witnessed the changes in behavior and ethics in a person caught in the thralls of addiction can see the declining spiral of personal care and ethics, work ethics, emotional stability and generally, a feeling that one hardly recognizes the addicted person as being the same individual as they were before the drug use.
One very important point to know is that any drug use may set off these destructive behaviors in an individual and that using drugs “recreationally” is playing Russian Roulette with one’s life. The effects of these “poisons” on the brain and nervous system are always destructive, but the timeline of when the effects will be obvious varies from immediately to, sometimes, after years of “casual” use.
The scientist’s say that one of the tasks of treatment is to revert the brain to its original state or repairing the damage that these poisons can do. Some scientist believe that this can be done by introducing other drugs, then called medicines, into the delicate brain chemistry of someone suffering from drug addiction. That is what National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) is doing now as it begins to design new medications. "We have molecular targets," Dr. Leshner said.” We don't need serendipity." Serendipity is defined as “a natural gift for making useful discoveries by accident.”
However, don’t be fooled by the scientist since they have yet to discover any medications that restore a person to full and, more importantly, enthusiastic living. These “medicines” are always a tradeoff in giving up some of the beauties of life to keep the addict from using a more destructive drug. For a total cure, one should pursue getting the original poisons out of the body and letting the body’s natural repair mechanism restore the person to his original, functional and loving self.
>Drug rehab centers services
About Author
William Kent McGregor, M.S.W., A.C.S.W.
Mr. McGregor received his B.S. degree in psychotropic pharmacology and drug interactions and his Masters of Social Work from the University of Houston. He has served for the State of New Mexico as Director for Drug Treatment and Prevention. He is currently a surveyor for the national Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.
>Drug rehab centers services
Source: ArticleTrader.com
Health Department Of Mental Health And Substance Abuse Specific links
Health Department Of Mental Health And Substance Abuse News
OptumHealth Awarded Empire Plan Mental Health and Substance Abuse ... - PR Inside
www.optumhealth.com - OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions and UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York today announced that the New York Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) has approved a single source contract to administer the Empire Plan ...
Read more...INSERTING and REPLACING OptumHealth Awarded Empire Plan Mental Health ... - PR Inside
Decision Focuses on Quality and Accessible Care for More Than One Million Members Effective Jan. 1, 2009 OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions and UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York today announced that the New York Office of the State ...
Read more...Testimony About Discrimination And Mental Illness Sought - Wyoming ... - Medical News Today
To help raise awareness about discrimination against people with mental illness, the Wyoming Department of Health is inviting residents with relevant personal experience to participate in a December 3 public hearing in Cheyenne. "We want people who ...
Read more...Helping veterans goal of substance abuse court - Tulsa World
A new therapeutic court program being developed in Tulsa to address the needs of military veterans is an opportunity to "give back to the people who have stood for us," Tulsa County Special District Judge Sarah Smith said. "I feel like it is an honor ...
Read more...Court to focus on vet substance issues - Air Force Times
TULSA, Okla. — A proposed new Veterans Treatment Court in Tulsa will focus on people with military backgrounds who are experiencing alcohol or drug addiction. The therapeutic court program represents an opportunity to “give back to the people who ...
Read more...Roberto confirmed as director of DPHSS: Several people speak in favor ... - Guam Pacific Daily News
Staff shortages, funding shortfalls and social programs that have fallen under federal scrutiny are among the challenges that J. Peter Roberto must deal with as the head of the Department of Public Health and Social Services. Roberto appeared before ...
Read more...Today is an historic milestone for the 46 million Americans who don't ... - Huffingtonpost.com
At the National Press Club, I just announced that San Francisco has enrolled 30,061 residents into the city's ground-breaking Healthy San Francisco universal health care program, more than half of the estimated 60,000 uninsured residents that the ...
Read more...Substance abuse treatment faces cuts in budget - Register-Guard
Government-funded substance abuse and mental health services in Lane County would dip dramatically under the budget the governor proposed Monday, local health officials said. Gov. Ted Kulongoski wants to extend health care to more than 100,000 ...
Read more...HEALTH KUDOS: Otolaryngologist Kosnik joins Sylva practice - Asheville Citizen-Times
SYLVA – Dr. Shawn Kosnik will join Mountain Ear, Nose & Throat Associates as an otolaryngologist in the summer of 2009. Kosnik is now on active duty with the Navy stationed at Camp Lejeune. Kosnik graduated from Michigan State University College of ...
Read more...Mental health center looks for Collier land donation - Naples Daily News
Island Coast AIDS Network selected to benefit from national coat drive campaign PARADE FLOATS: Bonita’s holiday event on the Imperial River kicks off boat parade season Collier County Commissioners to hold workshop with Transportation Services ...
Read more...