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...