Drugs and Alcohol

This was an article I found on the Betty Ford Center all about the combination of drugs an alcohol. Those involed in the chemical dependency counseling community know how dangerous that combination can be. 

"The American Society of Addiction Medicine recently released an updated definition of addiction.  In part, it is described as “… a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.  It is characterized by inability to consistently abstain, impairment in behavioral control, craving, diminished recognition of significant problems with one’s behaviors and interpersonal relationships, and a dysfunctional emotional response.  Like other chronic diseases, addiction involves cycles of relapse and remission.”

The disease of addiction affects those in all walks of life.  For a variety of reasons, celebrities may be entitled, enabled and protected by family, friends, coworkers and colleagues.  They may represent a livelihood for many, and everything possible is done to assure that revenue is being generated.  Sadly, ‘everything’ may include looking the other way when substances are abused as well as actually providing drugs or alcohol to sustain abuse, thus leading to dependence.

If benzodiapines such as Valium or Xanax, both of which may be considered ‘alcohol in a pill,’ are combined with alcohol, the results are tantamount to pouring gasoline on a fire.  The parts of the brain that activate addiction are stimulated; dopamine is released, and the addict no longer has any choice but to continue using.  It’s important to note here that by the time the addict has reached this stage, the substance being abused no longer matters.  The alcohol-abuser may turn to heroin.  The cocaine addict may turn to club drugs.  That ‘inability to consistently abstain’ as noted in the definition has happened.  In fact, people deep into their addiction may do ‘doctor shopping’ – seeking prescriptions from many different sources.  This aberrant drug-taking behavior comes from the unchecked, drug-seeking mind.

How can prescription drug use become so deadly?  The answer lies in the brain; a prescription medication may activate the parts of the brain which are involved with addiction.  Addicted people with good recovery programs would be vigilant and forthcoming, letting doctors know about their addiction honestly in an effort to explore multiple treatment options so that these medications can be avoided.  These efforts would also include being under the care of physicians who are knowledgeable about the disease of addiction.

In recent years, the world has witnessed tragic losses due to untreated addiction.  It is important to remember that for every recognizable name, there are thousands of others who lose their lives to addiction every year.  Although alcoholism was acknowledged as a disease in 1954, millions still see it as an issue of moral turpitude.  Addiction – to alcohol, to drugs, to any mood-altering substance – is a brain disease that needs to be taken very seriously.  Chemical dependency treatment works."

Source: http://www.bettyfordcenter.org/recovery/featured-home/combination-of-alcohol-...

Today you can be the seeds of change by taking a look into the chemical dependency counseling field. Centaur University offers one of the fastest certification programs to help you become a chemical dependency counselor and start making a difference!