The Mechanism of Addiction

In an article posted in the Salt Lake Tribune, BYU researchers as well as Canadian neuroscientists, induced drug addiction in lab rats without using actual drugs. This is a huge breakthrough, basically proving that addiction is a brain disorder and not one of willpower.

Scott Stephenson, a lead researcher on the project, provided some good feedback. "We are wired for pleasure," said Steffensen, a professor in the department of psychology. "Drugs overwhelm this system that is under tight regulation. It's a sad spiralling disregulation that takes place." By isolating a protein in the brain (known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF) that is enhanced in people struggling with addiction, they were then able to inject the protein into the rats and create the symptoms of opiate addiction.

This research opens many new directions for drug and alcohol treatment. Are we getting closer to a medical solution to addiction prevention? Maybe it's going to be possible in the future to establish blockers to these proteins that create the insatiable need for drugs and alcohol. Will it be possible to help a child with a family history of addiction to block the effects of drugs and alcohol with a simple medical treatment or prescription? I don't think that these are far off in the future.

I've been reading "The End of Overeating," by Dr. David Kessler (available here on Amazon), and in it he speaks about certain foods affecting our opiate receptors almost as much as drugs do directly. So we may also be on a path to developing further medical treatments for overeaters as well. Some doctors are already seeing progress in using naltrexone to stop the craving for carbohydrates. Dr. Richard Bernstein, in his book "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution" has published studies on the effectiveness of this method of treatment on chronic overeaters.

So it's possible that medical treatments may, in the future, be the true path to prevention and treatment. But we'll see.

Here's a video about some of the uses of naltrexone.



And here's a clip about the book, The End of Overeating:




And of course- here's something funny.




Follow me on Twitter and connect with me on LinkedIn. Become a fan of the blog on Facebook. And feel free to comment on any of the posts you see here. Please support my advertisers, and see you tomorrow.

Social Networking

Hi everybody. Sorry it's been a few days since the last post; I've been running back and forth from Los Angeles to Newport Beach and preparing to head to Las Vegas and Minneapolis in the next couple of weeks. So if the blogging is few and far between, that's why.

I've been asked a couple of times in the last week how social networking has benefited my working relationships. Although I just canceled my MySpace account, I am very active on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Plaxo. I've found that these are a great way to stay on top of the people I work with; namely, keeping in touch with those I work with who are out of state and maybe people who I don't necessarily need to speak on the phone with.

However, the nature of my job is outreach, so finding more and more resources to help addicted people and families get well is made remarkably easier with the help of social networking. With Facebook, I can get a glimpse into the normal, everyday life of a person I work with, as well as stay in touch with the various people I've met out of state. With the iPhone and Blackberry applications, these things are very simple to stay on top of, and easy to let people know where one is at. I use my Facebook status update to let people know when I'm traveling and where, and that makes it simple for people to find me when they need to.

With LinkedIn, I've been able to start a networking group called Addiction Recovery Professionals, which has now connected well over 200 people from around the world. We've been able to discuss professional relationships, referrals, and many other things via the group discussion feature, not to mention the great contacts we all have in our back pockets knowing that we're all in the same mission. The only downfall of LinkedIn is that you can't directly invite people you don't know--that is, LinkedIn will block your invitations if it feels like you're "spamming." With my job being outreach and trying to connect with people who are into the same things, this is a challenge. Facebook and Twitter are much more effective ways for me to connect.

Twitter presents a challenge: talk exactly about what you're doing in 140 characters or less. This allows you to post links, share location, and describe anything you're seeing or doing. Like Facebook status updates, these are instantaneous updates on the people you know (or don't). I use Twitter mainly to follow cycling and some of my friends since not a lot of people in the addiction field are currently on it. Check it out!

Here's a video of Evan Williams, co-founder of Twitter, describing it's many uses:




For something funny, click here.

As always, find me on LinkedIn or Twitter, and search for me on Facebook if you'd like. Hope all is well, and see you tomorrow.

The Genetic Link

Thanks to Adi Jaffe over at All About Addiction for bringing up a great topic. Genetics and addiction have been talked about for decades; it was often brought up in people's stories of have a long lineage of alcoholic parents, grandparents, cousins, nephews, etc. and now has been proven to have a genetic link. The University of Utah did a great study on the genetics of addiction, even though they used incorrect grammar on the heading of their website!

One of my favorite phrases is, "Genetics load the gun, and environment pulls the trigger." The basic gist of the research shows people with a certain gene have a tendency towards being unable to quit once they have started drinking or using. However, should an individual have a great support system, education, and concept of a family history, then addiction is preventable. Basically, for families with a long line of addiction, one needs not even QUESTION if the gene is prevalent; families simply need to prepare and educate the next generation on the devastating effects of drug and alcohol abuse and addiction. Once armed the the powerful tools of education and awareness, a family can work towards prevention.

For something interesting about addiction and genes, watch this:




For something hilarious, click here.

As always, find me on LinkedIn or Twitter. See you tomorrow.

Addiction and Insurance

I found an article on the PBS website talking about health insurance and the coverage for addiction. Even with the Wellstone and Domenci Parity bill passing, there still is a lot of room to grow in this world. Having dealt with this with a number of clients, insurance companies are still hesitant to pay for residential care, even when that is a clinical recommendation. Insurance companies, in general, want someone to FAIL in outpatient care before they are willing to pay, or look at paying for, residential treatment.
A quote from the PBS article: "We know that alcohol and drug addiction is a disease, yet we still have not integrated it into the health insurance system in a way that is meaningful," says William McColl, director of government relations for the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors.

We're in a tough spot. More people than ever need treatment, and still we have to fight daily to even have the disease of addiction recognized as something more than a weakness of willpower.

As we've seen with the AIDS movement and the GLBT movement in the last 20 years, equal rights and appropriate healthcare legislation can be passed when enough people are behind it. That's why I always push for advocacy; show the world that recovery works! To join the fight openly, check out Faces and Voices of Recovery. A good organization that needs more exposure and more members!

Last night I got the opportunity to record an online radio show with The Afflicted and Affected. Be sure to check them not; not quite sure when this will be posted, but I'll update when I know.

Here's an excerpt from the HBO special on addiction; the whole show is available through various clips on YouTube or on DVD.



Here's something funny.

As always, find me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Have a great day.

The Johnson Institute

The Johnson Institute in Minneapolis is an advocacy group who really brings the truth out about addictions. The institute used to train interventionists, and now focuses on advocacy around the disease of alcoholism and addiction. One of the best articles I've found on the web is here, featured on the Johnson Institute website. In this article, they talk about the seven policies necessary to create a solution for the huge problem of addiction. First and foremost, family members and people in recovery MUST make themselves available to the general public. WE are the best voice and the proof that recovery works! They also talk about creating early awareness and early intervention as a solution; teaching social institutions that addiction is not a stigma but a treatable illness, and educating the general public on the options available.

A great article, make sure to check it out.

Hope you all had a good weekend. For something REALLY interesting, a podcast featuring a great researcher in the addiction field, click here.

For something funny, click here.

As always, find me on Twitter and LinkedIn. See you tomorrow.

Advocacy and Treatment

A new Hazelden survey showed that over 8 out of 10 people sampled said first-time drug offenders should go to treatment and not prison. It also showed that 79% of those polled that the War on Drugs was a failure. However, this survey was a small sampling-- it only reviewed the opinions of 1,000 people. The opinions do represent a step in the right direction. It seems the stigma is getting washed off at least a little bit, that the general public can recognize that addicts need treatment and not jail.

For a history of the War on Drugs, check this out. NPR lays out a brief history, starting, of course, with Nixon declaring war on drugs in the early 70s do to a rising in arrests for both street crime and drug possession. In 1994, there were reports that the War on Drugs was responsible for putting 1 million people behind bars per year. In the 80s, with Reagan's policies around drugs kicking in, arrests for general crime rose 28%, while drug related arrests rose 126%. That's a huge, huge jump. And by not diverting people arrested for drug possession to treatment, we create a toxic prison environment soaked in drugs and more crime, as well as high recidivism rates.

How do we fix it? Support the Wellstone act. Vote for measures that allow tax dollars to be put towards treatment. For those of you who are more worried about what pubic services your tax dollars fund, push for those that support rehabilitation, as that will put more money back in the private secotr in the long run, as people who get adequate rehabilitation instead of a prison term are more likely to become productive citizens.

For folks who do a great job advocating recovery, click here, here, or here.

Here's a breakdown of the economic factors that addiction causes:



And here's Bill Maher's take on the war on drugs:






For something funny, click here.

As always, find me on LinkedIn or Twitter. Have a great day.

Great NY Times Article

I recently stumbled upon a New York Times article by Jim Atkinson which talks about getting and staying sober with a spiritual program. Most importantly though, he says, "While the image of those of us who manage to sober up has improved quite a bit since the temperance movement, we continue to be considered “lesser” for having had the problem in the first place."

And that right there folks, is the bottom line. There are countless members of society who are sober and doing well; I think the image of the skid-row drunk still crosses the mind of anyone who is not familiar with the treatment process or isn't open to the idea of not drinking.

I always find it interesting whenever I'm in a social situation and other people are uncomfortable with me NOT drinking. I was always pretty sure it would be the reverse. However, not everyone has been exposed to a sober alcoholic; there are, however, plenty of people who have been exposed to ACTIVE alcoholism, and the fact that there are sober people present could bring up a lot of emotion around that.

A study done by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in 2004 showed that nearly 17 million Americans fit the criteria for alcohol abuse. That means one out of every eleven people you meet is either struggling, or has struggled, with alcohol. That's a CRAZY amount for there still to be this kind of stigma around alcoholism and sobriety.

Get the word out! Become an advocate for recovery! And make sure to support measures that provide funding for treatment- not everyone can afford Hazelden or Sober Living By The Sea. As members of a sober community, we have a responsibility to get the message out that hope is available. Try to keep that message strong in your every day life.

For something interesting, check this
out.

Here's a New Jersey PSA about recovery from NCADD-NJ.



"Addiction is a treatable, preventable disease, not a moral failing." Well put.

Have a great weekend. Something funny here.

As always, find me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Ritalin: The new cocaine?

Recently, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Addiction published a study which shows that Ritalin produces similar effects on the brain as cocaine. Not really shocking, considering the high level of Ritalin abuse we've started to hear about in the last couple of years. I can remember in college when people would trade medications and use Ritalin either to stay up late to study, or to get nice and speedy before going out. The fact that it's taken almost 10 years since that time for a study to come out is a shame. Here's a quote from the lead researcher, Yong Kim: "Methylphenidate, which is thought to be a fairly innocuous compound, can have structural and biochemical effects in some regions of the brain that can be even greater than those of cocaine." Just another sneaky way to get addicted, if you ask me. Basically, this proves to me that we need to keep a better watch on what medications we give to our children, and especially if they show signs of abuse or addiction, make sure to put solutions in the hands of the parents who need them.

Here's a report from Fox News in Atlanta on students using Ritalin as a "brain steroid." Interesting stuff.




For something fun, click here.

As always, find me on Twitter and LinkedIn. See you tomorrow.

Checking in on Clarity

I finished the book Moments of Clarity by Christopher Kennedy Lawford this week and was super impressed (you can get the book on Amazon here). I think Christopher did a great job talking to folks not only of celebrity status, but those who work in the field as well. I was really touched by seeing Velvet Mangan's story in the book; it's great to see people I know advocating for recovery and sharing their personal experience on such a deep level. I'm hoping this book, which is currently on the New York Times Bestseller list, can help raise awareness that addiction can happen to ANYONE.

Here's a video that Christopher did promoting his book:



For something a little more fun, click here.

And as always, feel free to add me on Twitter or LinkedIn, and make sure to support my advertisers.

Layoffs?

Coming into 2007 and 2008, healthcare looked like a great industry with good growth potential. Now, early in 2009, we keep hearing about layoffs coming in every industry, and even some of the treatment centers closing their doors. How does everyone cope with this? I'm pushing myself to develop a better referral network, be more connected, and continue to grow my resource base.

We'll see what unfolds in 2009. We've seen progress with the Mental Health Parity Act passing at the end of last year, but we still have a battle to fight.

Here's Obama's take on healthcare:



Also, check us out some folks doing good work at C4 Recovery Solutions.

A new day dawns

Hi there.

Thanks for stopping by. I'll be writing on occasion to update the world on what's happening inside the treatment world, as well as research, government action, and opinions. I would love comments and questions, and look forward to seeing some good results as we move forward in new ideas in this world.

For now, check out where I work here

You can also find me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

I'll be posting links and articles as well as anything I find out while exploring the field.

Take care, and see you soon.