Virtual Reality Recovery?

Virtual reality drug recovery testing is becoming more popular in the counselor certification community. Addicts will try out a scenario in a virtual reality and the study has found so far that it significantly reduces the cravings. 

"A feasibility study by Bordnick took 46 adult smokers and put them through a 10-week treatment program. One group used virtual reality treatment and nicotine replacement therapy (like gum and patches) while the other group got only the nicotine replacement therapy. The study found that, for the VR therapy group, "[s]moking rates and craving for nicotine were significantly lower."

But that's just one study. And the technique is still way too new--and the scientific literature way too sparse--to declare virtual reality some sort of junkie panacea.

Not that that's the point. Researchers prefer to think of virtual reality treatment as a complement to other, more traditional treatment methods, like counseling, medication and rehab. Rosenthal makes the point that even if virtual reality is only as reliable as reality-based cue reactivity, the method could still be useful--by acting as an alternative for people who don't react to the standard form of exposure to paraphernalia. (He has a study with crack addicts, but it's still underway, so he doesn't have complete data to present yet.) Traylor echoes that. She points out that virtual reality cue reactivity research into phobias makes otherwise unfeasible research feasible: someone with a fear of flying can be virtually put on a plane.

Bordnick summed up the process like this: "If I wanted to teach you to ride a bike, I could show you a video of a bike." That could work, "but wouldn't it be better if I could actually get you on a real bike?" It could be--it likely at least works in some way--but it'll take some more studies to prove how much better. Right now, after seeing success with smokers, Bordnick is moving on to an environment for heroin, which he says is the team's most realistic yet.

There are other advantages. Researchers can build an entire bar to simulate a drinking environment (and, in fact, they have), but it's more economical to use a virtual environment, where fake components get plopped into place--no moving parts necessary.

Until we find out exactly how effective virtual reality cue reactivity is for treating substance abuse, Rosenthal is supplementing his research with more traditional (but still novel) methods. Subjects in his virtual environment are played electronic blips after they start to come down, and later, when they get cravings in the real world, they can call a number to hear the tones again, assuaging the craving. That's a parallel for how virtual reality cue reactivity will likely be used: as a secondary world, not a replacement for the real one."

Source: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-04/addiction-therapy-and-virtual-r...

A Positive Outlook for Prescription Drugs

It's been a tough few years for the chemical dependency counseling community in the battle against prescription drugs, but things may be looking up. 

"In a major policy move, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that it would not approve generic versions of the powerful narcotic OxyContin, the painkiller that symbolized a decade-long epidemic of prescription drug abuse.

The move represents a victory for OxyContin’s manufacturer, Purdue Pharma, which in 2010 introduced a formulation of the drug that was less prone to tampering.

The original version of OxyContin, which was approved in late 1995, could be easily crushed, a step that released its entire narcotic payload at once rather than over time as intended. The new version turns into a jellylike mass when crushed.

Some state attorneys general and pain treatment experts had also urged the F.D.A. to block the release of generic versions of OxyContin, arguing that failing to do so would feed street demand for strong narcotics. But the decision is also likely to result in higher prices for OxyContin, a time-release form of a narcotic called oxycodone, because it will not face generic competition.

The decision by the F.D.A. came on the day when the patent for the original version of OxyContin was set to expire. That would have allowed generic producers to introduce their own version of the formulation. F.D.A. officials said that several producers had applications to sell a generic form of OxyContin pending before the agency.

As part of Tuesday’s decision, the F.D.A. also said it had approved a label for the new version of OxyContin stating that it was less prone to abuse through inhaling or injecting it.

The decision is the first time that the agency has allowed a manufacturer to state that a narcotic drug has tamper-resistant properties, said an agency official, Dr. Douglas C. Throckmorton.

Dr. Throckmorton said the F.D.A. had looked at data from several studies, some of it underwritten by Purdue Pharma, in arriving at its decision. He said that while the data was not perfect, the agency had concluded that it was enough to show that the new version of OxyContin was safer, in its abuse resistance, than the original version.

As a result, the efficacy of that original version — and by extension the efficacy of any generic version of it — no longer outweighed its risks, since the therapeutic value of older and new versions of the drug were the same, he added.

“We recognize that we are looking at new territory,” Dr. Throckmorton said, referring to the standards under which it would allow claims for abuse resistance.

The decision by the F.D.A. comes at a time when the efficacy of strong narcotics like OxyContin for the treatment of long-term pain has come under increasing scrutiny. Citing poor outcomes, some insurers are also seeking to limit how doctors use the drugs.

Along with Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of another long-acting narcotic painkiller, Endo Pharmaceuticals, has also petitioned the F.D.A. seeking a similar claim of abuse resistance for a newer version of one of its drugs, Opana. If that claim proves successful, generic versions of the original form of Opana would also be barred.

Over the last year, Purdue Pharma and Endo have pushed for federal legislation that would require many opioids to be tamper-resistant, and lobbied in favor of similar state laws.

In Canada, an effort last year by some doctors and local officials to deter sales of generic versions of OxyContin there fell flat. While companies like Purdue Pharma insist the public’s health is their main concern, others note that producers introduced tamper-resistant versions of their products just as the drugs were about to lose patent protection.

In court papers filed in response to a lawsuit filed by Endo, the F.D.A. described the company’s action as a “thinly veiled attempt to maintain its market share and block generic competition.”

At time of introduction in late 2010, the price of the new version of OxyContin was about $6 per 40 milligram tablet, the same then as the price that was not tamper resistant. Since then, the price of the new version has risen to about $6.80 for a tablet of that strength. Opana costs about the same amount for a pill of the same painkilling strength.

When the F.D.A. approved the original formulation of OxyContin in 1995, the agency allowed its maker to claim that the drug’s time-release formulation was “believed to reduce” its potential to be abused. That contention proved disastrously wrong."

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/business/fda-bars-generic-oxycontin.html

Eliminating Un-Needed Stress(AKA All Stress)

It's not suprising that those getting their counseling certification are often times undergoing stress. Here is an article from the chemical dependency counseling community that goes over ways to de-stress yourself. 

"In honor of National Stress Awareness Month, I’m focusing on changing the things I can and reacting more positively to the things I can’t. Here’s what this will look like in my daily life:

• Stop fueling frustration. When I feel a burst of work-related or personal frustration, I’m not going to waste emotional energy fuming about it. My goal is to think of one thing I can do right now to make the situation better, and do it. Fueling the fire of my irritation will only tie my hands to solve whatever problem I’m facing. This positive, action-oriented reaction will help me keep stress at bay.
• Keep things in perspective by writing them down. Lots of our problems aren’t even worth our stress and can seem especially silly when you actually articulate them. This month I will name my stressors on paper and gauge how worthy they are of distress. I’m willing to bet most of them aren’t worth worrying over.
• Spend time with positive people. I heard on the radio recently that if you are easily prone to stress and discouragement, you should intentionally surround yourself with people who are opposite. I’m going to make time in my busy schedule for quality time with the sunny souls in my life and soak in their positive reactions.

Writer and theologian Charles Swindoll has said “Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it.” With recent psychological studies showing the importance of how we react, it’s extremely important to be aware of our reactions and work on reacting more positively."

Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/04/15/putting-stress-in-its-place-...

How to get certified for counseling!

It's not as complex as it's often conceived, and almost anyone has the opportunity to do it! Getting a counseling certification is an essential part of becoming a counselor. Here is our guide on how to get certified! 

Be the seeds of change today! Spread the news about Alcohol Awareness April!

How to Beat the Weapons of Mass Distraction

It's not only important in the chemical dependency counselor field, but in every aspect of life! Beating distractions can be a tough job when it seems everything is built around us to distract us! Here a few tips that could help some of out counseling certification students in their studies!

"1. Work less.

“I have begun to really believe that the less time you work, the less you waste,” Rosalie said. Distractions seem to strike when we’ve reached our limit. People tend to be productive for 4.5 hours a day, she said, but many of us have to stretch it to 8 or 9. “As a result, our minds invent distractions as a way out, and also as a way to seem productive even when we’re not.” That’s when you start browsing the Web, emailing, texting, tweeting and seeing what everyone is up to on Facebook.

2. Use a kitchen timer.

Artist Jolie Guillebeau gets distracted by everything from social media sites to Hulu to her own ideas. “Basically, anything that isn’t me putting the paint on the canvas can be a distraction.” Her most valuable distraction-taming tool is a kitchen timer.

When I’m ready to paint, I light a candle, set out my paints, clean my brushes, and set a little kitchen timer that sits next to my easel for 20 minutes. As long as the timer is ticking, then I stay in front of the painting. It’s easy when I run into a problem to allow distractions to take over, but with the timer, I keep my focus until the bell rings.

3. Wear earplugs.

Many times it’s not just the noise on our computers that distracts us; it’s also the noise outside the office. For illustrator and painter Carla Sonheim, earplugs help to dim everything from her husband’s music to the traffic.

4. Have a daily quota.

“I work from home and have five children, so I have a cornucopia of distractions for the choosing,” said Miranda Hersey, a writer and editor, creativity coach, and host of the blog Studio Mothers. She also does social media work. “I haven’t yet figured out how to update my clients’ Facebook accounts without reading my personal notifications.”

And she focuses her energy on client work, which leaves little time for her own projects. “I tell myself that I can’t do my own creative projects until all of my other work—particularly the work where other people are depending on me—is done.”

That’s where her quota comes in. Hersey commits to writing at least 500 words of fiction every day. “I use a spreadsheet to log my daily word count: In the past six months, I’ve written nearly 90,00 words. A lot of those words won’t ever see the light of day, but that doesn’t matter. My novel is emerging through this daily practice.”

5. “Front-load” your creative practice.

Hersey works on her creative projects before 6 a.m. This gives her mind the entire day to percolate as she performs other tasks. “Then you’re ready to hit the ground running the next morning.”

Overall, for Hersey, dealing with distractions isn’t about eliminating them. It’s about accomplishing the creative work first. “I’m just making sure that my creative work can’t get eaten up by Facebook and client work and triaging e-mail.”

Read more at Psych Central below

Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/04/04/15-tips-for-taming-distracti...

Beating Social Media Addiction

Social media can be one of the most addiction things on the internet and there's thousands of people who don't know they are addicted. While the internet can be good for things like education and counseling certification, it can be the source of a deep addiction. Here's what a cognative psychologist would tell you about a Twitter addiction

"Here’s what Dr. M. advised:

1. Give yourself a daily limit for checking Twitter. You can have a chart next to the computer in order to track the frequency. You can also print the word STOPin bold red at the bottom of the chart to serve as a reminder to stop.
2. Track what increases this particular checking behavior. Like any other habit-related or addictive behavior, it is important to understand what brings it on. What emotions, thoughts, or behaviors activate your desire to check Twitter? For instance:
   • Do you begin to feel anxious and then check?
   • Do you begin to feel bored and then check?
   • Do you begin surfing the Net and then find yourself having an increased urge to check?

   Find out what elicits the behavior and begin to modify them to decrease the likelihood of the behavior occurring.

3. Give yourself a reward for not engaging in the behavior. Remember that checking Twitter may be intrinsically rewarding; therefore, every time you check, you reinforce the behavior. Replace the reward of checking with another reward."

Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/03/31/twitter-addiction-advice-fro...

Can Depression Spread?

Depression is a common theme in addiction and those with a counseling certification will see this a lot in sessions. Can depression spread though? Here's what Psych Central has to say

1. The “negative cognitive triad.”

"Psychologist Aaron Beck coined the term “negative cognitive triad” to describe three arenas in which depressive thinking is negative. Depressed folks see themselves, others and their futures through dark-colored glasses. For example, Owen was depressed for several months after losing his job. Julie, his wife, felt dragged down by Owen’s constant, negative comments. Owen tried to be more upbeat, but his dialogue was always peppered with self-reproach.

 

2. Negative energy. Owen had also become uncharacteristically critical of his wife. As she headed to work feeling good about the way she looked, Owen ended his goodbyes with, “Do you really have to wear so much makeup?” As to his future, Owen would say, “I’m sure I’ll never get another job I love as much as the one I lost.” Eventually, Julie began to agree with him. His bad mood brought her down to his emotional level.

Just walking into a room where Owen was sitting was enough for Julie to feel her energy level sink. Sometimes she avoided talking to him. Even being in the same room with him seemed to let the air out of her proverbial balloon.

3.  Social isolation.

Owen seldom left the house. When the family was home, he’d stay in his room, alone with the TV.

Soon, Julie followed suit and became a virtual shut-in. Bringing Owen with her to social gatherings was too painful. She could see that their friends, who used to love Owen, now avoided him. His dark cloud must have appeared contagious to them as well.

For years, Julie and Owen exercised together. When it became too difficult for Julie to convince Owen to run with her anymore, Julie also stopped running. Running was once a way for Julie and Owen to stay in touch with their neighbors, who also were runners.Increasingly, Julie felt cut off, depressed at the loss of her old, fun, casual friendships."

Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/03/22/is-depression-contagious/

 

Depression: Can it Spread?

Depression is a common theme in addiction and those with a counseling certification will see this a lot in sessions. Can depression spread though? Here's what Psych Central has to say

1. The “negative cognitive triad.”

"Psychologist Aaron Beck coined the term “negative cognitive triad” to describe three arenas in which depressive thinking is negative. Depressed folks see themselves, others and their futures through dark-colored glasses. For example, Owen was depressed for several months after losing his job. Julie, his wife, felt dragged down by Owen’s constant, negative comments. Owen tried to be more upbeat, but his dialogue was always peppered with self-reproach.

 

2. Negative energy. Owen had also become uncharacteristically critical of his wife. As she headed to work feeling good about the way she looked, Owen ended his goodbyes with, “Do you really have to wear so much makeup?” As to his future, Owen would say, “I’m sure I’ll never get another job I love as much as the one I lost.” Eventually, Julie began to agree with him. His bad mood brought her down to his emotional level.

Just walking into a room where Owen was sitting was enough for Julie to feel her energy level sink. Sometimes she avoided talking to him. Even being in the same room with him seemed to let the air out of her proverbial balloon.

3.  Social isolation.

Owen seldom left the house. When the family was home, he’d stay in his room, alone with the TV.

Soon, Julie followed suit and became a virtual shut-in. Bringing Owen with her to social gatherings was too painful. She could see that their friends, who used to love Owen, now avoided him. His dark cloud must have appeared contagious to them as well.

For years, Julie and Owen exercised together. When it became too difficult for Julie to convince Owen to run with her anymore, Julie also stopped running. Running was once a way for Julie and Owen to stay in touch with their neighbors, who also were runners.Increasingly, Julie felt cut off, depressed at the loss of her old, fun, casual friendships."

Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/03/22/is-depression-contagious/

 

Depression: Can it Spread?

Depression is a common theme in addiction and those with a counseling certification will see this a lot in sessions. 

1. The “negative cognitive triad.”

"Psychologist Aaron Beck coined the term “negative cognitive triad” to describe three arenas in which depressive thinking is negative. Depressed folks see themselves, others and their futures through dark-colored glasses. For example, Owen was depressed for several months after losing his job. Julie, his wife, felt dragged down by Owen’s constant, negative comments. Owen tried to be more upbeat, but his dialogue was always peppered with self-reproach.

 

2. Negative energy. Owen had also become uncharacteristically critical of his wife. As she headed to work feeling good about the way she looked, Owen ended his goodbyes with, “Do you really have to wear so much makeup?” As to his future, Owen would say, “I’m sure I’ll never get another job I love as much as the one I lost.” Eventually, Julie began to agree with him. His bad mood brought her down to his emotional level.

Just walking into a room where Owen was sitting was enough for Julie to feel her energy level sink. Sometimes she avoided talking to him. Even being in the same room with him seemed to let the air out of her proverbial balloon.

3.  Social isolation.

Owen seldom left the house. When the family was home, he’d stay in his room, alone with the TV.

Soon, Julie followed suit and became a virtual shut-in. Bringing Owen with her to social gatherings was too painful. She could see that their friends, who used to love Owen, now avoided him. His dark cloud must have appeared contagious to them as well.

For years, Julie and Owen exercised together. When it became too difficult for Julie to convince Owen to run with her anymore, Julie also stopped running. Running was once a way for Julie and Owen to stay in touch with their neighbors, who also were runners.Increasingly, Julie felt cut off, depressed at the loss of her old, fun, casual friendships."

Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/03/22/is-depression-contagious/

Not really okay

Sometimes it's just not enough to fake feeling fine. The chemical dependency counseling and counseling certification communities have seen patients that pretend like things are getting better, but they really arent. 

"The trick is to expose yourself to a variety of possibilities and numerous methods and hone in on those treatment[s] or coping techniques that work best for you in your particular situation.

The more determined you become to manage your symptoms and not allow them to manage you, the better your quality of life will be. Playing an active role in your treatment and taking care of yourself and your needs helps enormously, whether it’s doing regular meditation, exercise or educating yourself on various treatment options. When you become an expert in your disease, you manage it better. Meshing acceptance of your mood or anxiety disorder with determination to do the best you can, when you can, is a winning combination.

Many who suffer from mood or anxiety disorders tend to feel guilty when they are unable to participate in social activities or work, or they berate themselves if they are too fatigued to accomplish what they originally set out to do.

But guilt is a wasted emotion. Learning to honor your limitations instead of playing the blame game and generating self-destructive thoughts that chronicle your shortcomings can be an extremely difficult skill to master.

For instance, you have to learn to say ‘no’ to some things that pushed you too far too fast. But, by doing so, it can assist you in regaining a sense of control rather than being at the mercy of your symptoms and setbacks.

One of the most beneficial coping tools is to take goals and break them into a series of small steps. This is quite difficult for those of us with Type A personalities! However, it truly helps to pace yourself and not bite off more than you can chew.

Learning to be compassionate toward oneself is another important tool, especially for women. We are taught to be caregivers, always watching out for those around us. We are not accustomed to taking care of ourselves or making ourselves the priority."

Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/03/17/faking-feeling-fine/

Baby Withdrawal, a Rising Problem.

Drug use is still a major problem in the United States and it's one of the Top Ten causes of death here. Now the rising problem that the counseling certification community has been seeing is baby's going through withdrawal. This isn't something that can be solved by chemical dependency counseling unless the mother comes in before she is pregnant. More on the story..

"MUNCIE, Ind. - The cry of a baby in withdrawal isn't quite the same as the whimpers mothers are accustomed to when welcoming their bundle of joy.

These are shrieks -- never ending calls for help -- as these babies withdraw from the narcotics that ran through their bloodstreams for months inside their mothers' wombs. Those yells often become seizures, tremors, sweating battles and high fevers.

These sounds aren't caused only by illegal "street drugs" used by the mother, but more often in recent years from prescription medications. And the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs by pregnant women -- whether intentional or unknowingly -- is on the rise in East Central Indiana."

 

""This is a problem that certainly isn't going away. Just last week, four of the 14 babies born in the hospital were going through drug withdrawals," said Donna Wilkins, the Delaware County Health Department medical officer and a neonatologist for Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital. "Sometimes I feel like we're never going to stop this, not without the whole community getting involved. This is a problem not only for us, but the whole country."

On April 6, Prevent Child Abuse of Delaware County -- of which Wilkins is a part -- will hold a free conference open to the public, "Mom & baby: Addiction, trauma and hope."

The group organized an initial conference in 2012 to spread awareness regarding prescription drug addiction and pregnant women specifically for the local medical community, inviting nurses, doctors, pharmacists and hospital administrators to the event.

This year, with the call for community action on the subject, everyone is invited to learn more, as well as offer suggestions to assist women with addictions and their children.

"Whether people realize it or not, this issue affects the entire community," said Pat Garofolo, president of the local PCA. "Educators are affected because we don't yet know how this will effect these children and how they'll perform in school. Employers need to understand how this affects their workers. Young people need to know how these medications can affect them when they get pregnant. This is a community issue."

It's also a growing national issue."

Source: http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/babies-born-hooked-on-moms-pres...

Second Chance for Addicts in Court

Judges are starting a program that could prove to be much more useful than just sending an addict to jail. Treatment programs for addicts in court are a great solution to solving the real problem. This will also require the aid of mainly who know chemical dependency counseling and have a counselor certification, it's not only good for counselor jobs, but also providing new hope. 

"Federal judges around the country are teaming up with prosecutors to create special treatment programs for drug-addicted defendants who would otherwise face significant prison time, an effort intended to sidestep drug laws widely seen as inflexible and overly punitive.

John Gleeson, a federal judge in Brooklyn, helped establish a “drug court” as an alternative to some long prison sentences.

The Justice Department has tentatively embraced the new approach, allowing United States attorneys to reduce or even dismiss charges in some drug cases.

The effort follows decades of success for “drug courts” at the state level, which legal experts have long cited as a less expensive and more effective alternative to prison for dealing with many low-level repeat offenders.

But it is striking that the model is spreading at the federal level, where judges have increasingly pushed back against rules that restrict their ability to make their own determination of appropriate sentences.

So far, federal judges have instituted programs in California, Connecticut, Illinois, New Hampshire, New York, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington. About 400 defendants have been involved nationwide.

In Federal District Court in Brooklyn on Thursday, Judge John Gleeson issued an opinion praising the new approach as a way to address swelling prison costs and disproportionate sentences for drug trafficking.

“Presentence programs like ours and those in other districts mean that a growing number of courts are no longer reflexively sentencing federal defendants who do not belong in prison to the costly prison terms recommended by the sentencing guidelines,” Judge Gleeson wrote.

The opinion came a year after Judge Gleeson, with the federal agency known as Pretrial Services, started a program that made achieving sobriety an incentive for drug-addicted defendants to avoid prison. The program had its first graduate this year: Emily Leitch, a Brooklyn woman with a long history of substance abuse who was arrested entering the country at Kennedy International Airport with over 13 kilograms of cocaine, about 30 pounds, in her luggage.

“I want to thank the federal government for giving me a chance,” Ms. Leitch said. “I always wanted to stand up as a sober person.”

The new approach is being prompted in part by the Obama administration, which previously supported legislation that scaled back sentences for crimes involving crack cocaine. The Justice Department has supported additional changes to the federal sentencing guidelines to permit the use of drug or mental health treatment as an alternative to incarceration for certain low-level offenders and changed its own policies to make those options more available.

“We recognize that imprisonment alone is not a complete strategy for reducing crime,” James M. Cole, the deputy attorney general, said in a statement. “Drug courts, re-entry courts and other related programs along with enforcement are all part of the solution.”

For nearly 30 years, the United States Sentencing Commission has established guidelines for sentencing, a role it was given in 1984 after studies found that federal judges were giving defendants widely varying sentences for similar crimes. The commission’s recommendations are approved by Congress, causing judges to bristle at what they consider interference with their judicial independence.

“When you impose a sentence that you believe is unjust, it is a very difficult thing to do,” Stefan R. Underhill, a federal judge in Connecticut, said in an interview. “It feels wrong.”

The development of drug courts may meet resistance from some Republicans in Congress.

“It is important that courts give deference to Congressional authority over sentencing,” Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., Republican of Wisconsin, a member and former chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. He said sentencing should not depend “on what judge happens to decide the case or what judicial circuit the defendant happens to be in.”

At the state level, pretrial drug courts have benefited from bipartisan support, with liberals supporting the programs as more focused on rehabilitation, and conservatives supporting them as a way to cut spending.

Under the model being used in state and federal courts, defendants must accept responsibility for their crimes and agree to receive drug treatment and other social services and attend regular meetings with judges who monitor their progress. In return for successful participation, they receive a reduced sentence or no jail time at all. If they fail, they are sent to prison.

The drug court option is not available to those facing more serious charges, like people accused of being high-level dealers or traffickers, or accused of a violent crime. (These programs differ from re-entry drug courts, which federal judges have long used to help offenders integrate into society after prison.)

In interviews, the federal judges who run the other programs pointed to a mix of reasons for their involvement. 
Judge Ricardo S. Martinez ran a state drug court in Seattle before he was appointed to 
the federal bench. “People that have a serious addiction, you can put them in custody, but the minute you put them back in the community, they go back to the same thing and lo and behold you see them again,” Judge Martinez said in an interview.

Some of the most pointed criticism of the status quo has come from Judge Gleeson, a former federal prosecutor. The drug court he helped set up is open to defendants who committed a range of nonviolent crimes, like fraud and selling prescription pills, and whose addictions fueled their actions.

In a 35-page opinion he issued this week, he criticized the Justice Department for charging defendants with drug offenses that carry mandatory minimum sentences, urged the Sentencing Commission to reduce the guideline range for many drug offenses and called for more programs that divert defendants from prison time.

The opinion chronicled the case of three graduates of the drug court, including Ms. Leitch, 29. The daughter of two addicted parents, she began smoking marijuana daily and later snorting cocaine at a young age, stealing to pay for her drug habit.

After a visit with her children to Guyana, where her father lives, she was paid over $30,000 to transport drugs back to the United States. Customs agents at Kennedy found the cocaine and charged her with importing and possessing the drug, which carried a three-year sentence under federal guidelines.

Though she showed up high at a court hearing, causing her to be jailed for a time, Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold offered her a slot a year ago in the district’s new drug court. She later took parenting courses, earned a general equivalency diploma and got a commercial bus driver’s license — with government subsidies for some of those efforts. She now drives a bus in Nassau County.

Loretta E. Lynch, the United States attorney in Brooklyn, said she backed the program because drug courts elsewhere had lowered recidivism rates. “Our overall strategy of law enforcement and crime prevention isn’t just incarceration,” Ms. Lynch said.

At a sentencing hearing for Ms. Leitch last month, a prosecutor vacated her guilty plea and agreed to dismiss the charges if she did not use drugs or get arrested for 18 months. After the hearing, Judge Gleeson offered some encouraging words for the defendant, and then a hug.

“I don’t know them as just the judge,” Ms. Leitch said later. “People see judges as the bad guy. They get deeper. They get to know who you are.” "

By MOSI SECRET
Published: March 1, 2013 
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/02/ny...id-prison.html

 

Future Bans on Caffeine - Counseling Certification Community

"Noting the rise of caffeine-related deaths in recent years, the editor-in-chief of Journal of Caffeine Research has condemned the “regulatory vacuum” in the United States.

This has been an interesting article and it's also been a large debate within the counseling certification community. For years chemical dependency counselors have said that caffeine should be a regulated substance, but it's been too mainstream. Here's more: 

Jack E. James, a professor at Reykjavik University in Iceland and the National University of Ireland, argued in an editorial published Monday that researchers and lawmakers alike need to take a look at caffeine-related deaths and near-deaths.

“In 1911, acting on authority vested by the recently enacted Food and Drug Act, agents in the United States seized quantities of Coca-Cola syrup because they considered the caffeine content to be a significant threat to public health,” he wrote. “Following lengthy legal proceedings, Coca-Cola agreed to decrease the caffeine content of the drink, and further legal action ceased.”

“Armed with improved knowledge of caffeine toxicity and faced with extensive evidence of substantial harm to public health, today’s authorities appear more perplexed and less decisive than their counterparts of more than a century earlier,” James continued. “In light of current international befuddlement and inaction, legislators, policy makers, and regulators of today confront a stark question — how many caffeine-related fatalities and near-misses must there be before we regulate?”

Energy drinks in particular have received attention in recent years for their high caffeine content. The Food and Drug Administration has opened an investigation of deaths that may be linked to consumption of 5-hour Energy and Monster, two popular energy drinks. In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has reported that energy drink-related emergency room visits doubled over four years, rising from 10,068 in 2007 to 20,783 in 2011.

James said the high caffeine content of energy drinks and the fatalities were not a “mere coincidence.” The established lethal dose of caffeine is quite high at 10 grams, but the common stimulant can be fatal at lower doses under certain circumstances. Anecdotal reports suggest those with heart conditions are particularly vulnerable.

“Risk of fatal and non-fatal harm due to caffeine poisoning is increased by several characteristics of the drug and the circumstances surrounding its use, including its generally unregulated availability to children and adults alike,” James wrote."

FEB 25, 2013

Source: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/02/2...ted-substance/

Update on Prescription Drugs

Prescription drugs continue to be one of America's biggest killers, according to the chemical dependency counseling community. 

"Fatal drug overdoses rose for the 11th straight year, federal data show, and most of them were accidents involving addictive painkillers despite growing attention to their risks. 

"The big picture is that this is a big problem that has gotten much worse quickly," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, head of the CDC. In 2010, the CDC reported, there were 38,329 drug overdose deaths nationwide. Medicines, mostly prescription drugs, were involved in nearly 60% of overdose deaths that year, overshadowing deaths from illicit narcotics.

As in previous recent years, opioid drugs—which include OxyContin and Vicodin—were the biggest problem, contributing to three of four medication overdose deaths. Frieden said many doctors and patients don't realize how addictive these drugs can be, and that they're too often prescribed for pain that can be managed with less risky drugs. They're useful for cancer, "but if you've got terrible back pain or terrible migraines," using these addictive drugs can be dangerous, he said. Anti-anxiety drugs including Valium were among common causes of medication-related deaths, involved in almost 30% of them.

Feb 20 2013"

Source: http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=206858#ixzz2LThuM5gs

If you want to play a part in ending this epidemic them think about getting your counseling certification. 

How to tell if someone is on Heroin

The Freedom Treatment Center has put together a great list of physical signs you can look for to see if someone might be on Heroin. The counseling certification community knows these signs very well and it's good to pass this information on to those who might know someone taking Heroin.

"

1. Paraphernalia indicating heroin use is found – belts or shoelaces, foil or gum wrappers, needles (new or used), spoons, and syringes are examples of paraphernalia to look for if you suspect that a person has a heroin problem. Additionally, if they are smoking or snorting it, you will notice glass pipes, razor blades, and straws lying around.
2. Body mutilation – “tracks” from injecting heroin will start showing up over time and can be seen all over the person’s body and eventually become increasingly harder to hide.
3. Changes in peer groups – heroin addiction causes the user to seek out other people who use the drug and eventually they will walk away from long-term, trusted friendships.
4. Sudden changes in behavior – the individual is angry and sad all the time instead of being the fun-loving individual they once were. Getting professional help is a phone call away
5. Poor performance on the job or in school – a person’s focus and their priorities start to shift from schoolwork or work until maintaining a supply of the drug is their only concern, meaning that their performance in school or at work is most likely suffering.
6. Possessions come up missing – you’ll start to notice that numerous possessions start disappearing from the addict’s home because these valuables were sold in order to support their habit.
7. Financial problems – heroin addiction is expensive and can cost up to $200 a day, so the addict will eventually begin borrowing money from family members and friends until that option is no longer possible and they may start stealing to pay for their habit"

 Source: http://www.freedomdrugrehab.com/drug-rehab-blog/physical-signs-of-heroin-use/

If you or anyone you know is looking to help others by getting a counselor certification then please feel free to visit our Chemical Dependency Counseling Certificaiton website. 

 

Regulating Prescription Drugs

Finally we are starting to see some reccomendations for regulations on prescription drugs. This is good news for the chemical dependency counseling community 

"Trying to stem the scourge of prescription drug abuse, an advisory panel of experts to the Food and Drug Administration voted on Friday to toughen the restrictions on painkillers like Vicodin that contain hydrocodone, the most widely prescribed drugs in the country. 

The recommendation, which the drug agency is likely to follow, would limit access to the drugs by making them harder to prescribe, a major policy change that advocates said could help ease the growing problem of addiction to painkillers, which exploded in the late 1990s and continues to strike hard in communities from Appalachia and the Midwest to New England. 

But at 19 to 10, the vote was far from unanimous, with some opponents expressing skepticism that the change would do much to combat abuse. Oxycodone, another highly abused painkiller and the main ingredient in OxyContin, has been in the more restrictive category since it first came on the market, they pointed out in testimony at a public hearing. They also said the change could create unfair obstacles for patients in chronic pain. 

Painkillers now take the lives of more Americans than heroin and cocaine combined, and since 2008, drug-induced deaths have outstripped those from traffic accidents. Prescription drugs account for about three-quarters of all drug overdose deaths in the United States, with the number of deaths from painkillers quadrupling since 1999, according to federal data.

The change would have sweeping consequences for doctors, pharmacists and patients. Refills without a new prescription would be forbidden, as would faxed prescriptions and those called in by phone. Only written prescriptions from a doctor would be allowed. Distributors would be required to store the drugs in special vaults.

The vote comes after similar legislation in Congress failed last year, after aggressive lobbying by pharmacists and drugstores.

“This is the federal government saying, ‘We need to tighten the reins on this drug,’ ” said Scott R. Drab, associate professor of pharmacy and therapeutics at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Pharmacy. “Pulling in the rope is a way to rein in abuse, and, consequently, addiction.”

But at the panel’s two-day hearing at F.D.A. headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., many spoke against the change, including advocates for nursing home patients, who said frail residents with chronic pain would have to make the trip to a doctor’s office. The change would also ban nurse practitioners and physician assistants from prescribing the drugs, making it harder for people in underserved rural areas.

Panelists also cautioned that the change would produce a whack-a-mole effect, pushing up abuse of other drugs, like heroin, which has declined in recent years.

“Many of us are concerned that the more stringent controls will eventually lead to different problems, which may be worse,” said Dr. John Mendelson, a senior scientist at the Addiction and Pharmacology Research Laboratory at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute in San Francisco.

The F.D.A. convened the panel, made up of scientists, pain doctors and other experts, after a request by the Drug Enforcement Administration, which contends that the drugs are among the most frequently abused painkillers and should be more tightly controlled.

If the F.D.A. accepts the panel’s recommendation, it will be sent to officials at the Department of Health and Human Services, who will make the final determination. The F.D.A. denied a similar request by the D.E.A. in 2008, but the law enforcement agency requested that the F.D.A. reconsider its position in light of new research and data.

While hydrocodone products are the most widely prescribed painkillers, they make up a minority of deaths, because there is less medication in each tablet than some of the other more restricted drugs, like extended-release oxycodone products, said Dr. Nathaniel Katz, assistant professor of anesthesia at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. Oxycodone and methadone products account for about two-thirds of drug overdose deaths, he said, despite accounting for only a fraction of hydrocodone prescriptions.

The importance of Friday’s vote was more symbolic, he said, a message to doctors that they will need to think twice before prescribing hydrocodone, and to patients that the days of “unbridled access” are coming to an end. The tide has been turning against easy opioid prescriptions, as the medical system and federal regulators slowly make adjustments to reduce the potential for abuse.

“It will help shape thinking,” said Dr. Katz, whose clinical research company, Analgesic Solutions, is trying to develop other treatments for pain. “It’s an important marker in the progressively more conservative swing of the pendulum in opioid prescribing.”

He cautioned that patients who need the medications for pain should not suffer inappropriate barriers to access because of the change, a concern that the dissenters shared. Medical professionals battling the prescription drug abuse epidemic applauded the change.

“This may be the single most important intervention undertaken at the federal level to bring the epidemic under control,” said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, chairman of psychiatry at Maimonides Medical Center in New York and president of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing, a New York-based advocacy group. “This is about correcting a mistake made 40 years ago that’s had disastrous consequences.”

Testimony at the hearing included emotional appeals from parents who had lost their children to painkiller addiction. Senator Joe Manchin III, a Democrat from West Virginia, a state that has been hit hard by the prescription drug epidemic, pleaded for tougher restrictions.

“When I go back to West Virginia, I hear how easy it is for anybody to get their hands on hydrocodone drugs,” Mr. Manchin said. “For under-age children, these drugs are easier to get than beer or cigarettes.”"

NYTimes
By SABRINA TAVERNISE
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/26/he...s-vicodin.html

Age 11-14 Drug Ring, Busted

Wow, I've been writing these articles for over two years and these stories still suprise me! A drug ring run by a middle-school gang has been busted and it's not looking good for the children involved. The chemical dependency counseling community will need to work in the area as well as the police to clean up the aftermath, which may be addiction and more rings.

It's honestly, very sad to see this going on with kids so young, they have their entire life ahead of them. 

"Provo police have busted an elaborate drug ring spearheaded by an eighth-grade middle school student, who allegedly recruited sixth-graders to obtain the dope for him. 

Provo Lt. Mathew Siufanua said Monday that eight 11-year-olds would leave Franklin Elementary and a 14-year-old boy, who attended Centennial Middle School, would hand them money and send them to a drug house near the school.

The kids would buy the drugs and bring them back to the teen. The teen would then use some of the drugs and sell the rest, Siufanua said.

"As payment for doing this, he’d get [the sixth-graders] high," Siufanua said, noting that the kids all knew one another through gang associations. He said the sixth-graders would get high using marijuana and spice.

Police suspect the ring has been operating since at least October, he said.

"We’re glad we caught them, and we’re glad we put an end to it," Siufanua said. "Basically this is organized crime on an elementary level."

Siufanua said that Centennial Middle School Resource Officer Dan Smith received information on Jan. 7 that the 14-year-old was allegedly engaged in drug trafficking.

Siufanua, who sent a news release Monday about the case, said police are searching for the drug house and the people who were selling drugs to the sixth-graders.

The 14-year-old was arrested on suspicion of felony drug distribution and child endangerment. He could potentially face as many as 150 counts of child endangerment because of the number of times he sent the sixth-graders to drug houses, Siufanua said.

"[The drug houses] are putrid," he said. "They’re dangerous, usually with weapons and drugs."
Greg Hudnall, associate superintendent of the Provo City School District, called the drug ring an "isolated incident," since the students involved all knew one another.

The children involved in the drug ring will be suspended for breaking school policy, but the district also will arrange for them to get some professional help and counseling, Hudnall said. He did not say exactly how many students were suspended but said that it was "less than a dozen." The district also sent a letter home to the parents of all children at Franklin Elementary.

"Our goal is now to help the kids," Hudnall said.

Authorities plan to work closely with the courts to determine what should happen to them and to make sure they get the appropriate treatment."

By Janelle SteckleinAnd Kimball Bennion | The Salt Lake Tribune | January 14, 2013
Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/55...sixth.html.csp

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! 

Candy Store Worker Charged for Selling Drugs

It's been a while since I've updated our page with Drug News for the chemical dependency counseling community. Each day it seems is a little bit crazier than the last with drug news. 

"A candy store worker has been charged after Chicago police found illegal drugs were being sold out of the South Side store.

The employee, Gloria Estrada, 46, of the 8200 block of South Houston Avenue, was charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of cannabis, according to a statement from the Chicago Police Department. She is expected in court Sunday.

South Chicago District tactical officers executed a search warrant at the store Saturday in the 3000 block of East 83rd Street in the South Chicago neighborhood and Estrada was arrested, according to the statement."

This news is honestly shocking! Even as a chemical dependency counselor you don't expect to hear these types of stories everyday! 

"Officers recovered four knotted baggies of crack cocaine as well as a large, clear bag containing 20 smaller baggies, each containing cannabis, the statement said. Police also seized cash believed to be the proceeds of narcotics sales.

"Drug spots like this contribute to violence in our communities," South Chicago District Tactical Lieutenant Kevin Milmine said in the release. "It is deplorable that a store of this type was used for drug sales, and it is tremendous work by my tactical officers to shut them down.""

By Rosemary Regina Sobol Tribune reporter
7:32 p.m. CST, January 5, 2013

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...,3490271.story

Start thinking about making a difference. You CAN be a seed of change in the world and network around you! Become a counselor today with Centaur University and see how you can get your chemical dependency counseling certification!