Drugs and Medicine

Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction

It's true! drugs abuse can change the brain work!

Many people don't understand why individuals become addicted to drugs or how drugs change the brain to foster compulsive drug abuse. They mistakenly view drug abuse and addiction as strictly a social problem and may characterize those who take drugs as morally weak. One very common belief is that drug abusers should be able to just stop taking drugs if they are only willing to change their behavior. What people often underestimate is the complexity of drug addiction—that it is a disease that impacts the brain and because of that, stopping drug abuse is not simply a matter of willpower. Through scientific advances we now know much more about how exactly drugs work in the brain, and we also know that drug addiction can be successfully treated to help people stop abusing drugs and resume their productive lives.

What is drug addiction?
Addiction is a chronic, often relapsing brain disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences to the individual that is addicted and to those around them. Drug addiction is a brain disease because the abuse of drugs leads to changes in the structure and function of the brain. Although it is true that for most people the initial decision to take drugs is voluntary, over time the changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a person’s self control and ability to make sound decisions, and at the same time send intense impulses to take drugs.

It is because of these changes in the brain that it is so challenging for a person who is addicted to stop abusing drugs. Fortunately, there are treatments that help people to counteract addiction’s powerful disruptive effects and regain control. Research shows that combining addiction treatment medications, if available, with behavioral therapy is the best way to ensure success for most patients. Treatment approaches that are tailored to each patient’s drug abuse patterns and any co-occurring medical, psychiatric, and social problems can lead to sustained recovery and a life without drug abuse.

Please read this full article it is in Pdf file format, the size is only 336kb, click here to read the Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction.

1 comments | Posted in » abusing drugs, addiction, become addicted, behavioral therapy, drug abuse, Drugs, sustained recovery  

Skin health: Sunlight & breast cancer

Sun exposure is very important for skin health, is a principal source of vitamin D, and could prevent the risk of breast cancer.

Researchers compared the skin of 1,788 women who were newly diagnosed and 2,129 similar women without breast cancer. The Hispanic, African American, and non-Hispanic white women, who lived in the San Francisco Bay area, were aged 35 to 79.

Those whose skin showed more signs of sun exposure were 47 percent less likely to have advanced breast cancer. But that was true only among women who had light pigmented skin (measured under the arm where it wasn't exposed to the sun).

What to do: It's too early to say if sunlight or vitamin D has the abilities to prevents breast cancer, but it's still worth taking 1,000 IU a day of vitamin D. It's also worth getting some sun if you can avoid getting sunburn.

No Comment | Posted in » breast cancer, of vitamin D, Skin health  

Whole grains vs heart failure

Men who consume more whole-grain breakfast cereals have a lower risk of heart failure, the leading cause of hospitalization among older Americans. One out of five 40-year-olds will be diagnosed with heart failure in his or her lifetime.

Researchers tracked more than 21,000 participants in the Physicians' Health Study for an average of 20 years. Those who ate whole-grain cereal at least seven times a week had a 28 percent lower risk of heart failure than those who ate whole-grain cereal less than once a week. Those who ate whole-grain cereal two to six times a week had a 22 percent lower risk. Refined grains weren't linked to heart failure.

What to do: Eat whole, not refined, grains. Earlier studies found a lower risk of heart attacks and high blood pressure in whole-grain eaters.

It's not clear whether the potassium, antioxidants, phytoestrogens, fiber, or other constituents of whole grains may protect the heart. It's also possible that something else about whole-grain eaters kept their hearts pumping, though the researchers accounted for age, smoking, alcohol, vegetables, multivitamins, exercise, and other factors.

No Comment | Posted in » Antioxidants, Eat whole, Heart failure, Mens health, Potassium, Smoking  

Competence skills in avoiding drug abuse

Competence skills, such as good self management and positive psychological characteristics are best way for teen to prevent teen substance abuse over the long term, even if their friends smoke, drink alcohol or use drugs.

That is the final result of study researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.
According to the research, substance abuse by friends is one of the major influences that lead teens into substance abuse themselves.

The duration of this study is about three-year, involve almost 1,500 predominately Hispanic youngsters at 22 inner-city middle and junior high schools in New York City.

Again, according the research that students with high refusal assertiveness skills (they say "no" when someone asks them to drink, smoke, or use drugs) were less likely to use multiple substances (cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana), even if the students' friends or siblings smoked, drank and used drugs.

What I can learn from this article is that self-management is very important, if an individual person able to manage this, or has good Competence skills than they will never get drug abuse or substance abuse.

1 comments | Posted in » Competence skills, drug abuse, Drugs, Substance abuse  

Drugs oh drug, you make me...

I believe that one day my country will clean from drug abuse. But I don't know when it is. Till now this is the biggest problem facing by the government, its look like the police cannot jump deepest into this industry.

Every day, every where, at school, at office even at prison we can found drugs easily. Drugs already make big trouble here but its look like the government is not serious to treat this case. I just worried, if some day no one cares about drugs abuse, don't care about future, and don’t care about our children.

There is a lot of free information on the internet regarding drugs abuse, the best one you can trust NIDA (National Institute on Drugs abuse).

And my intention regarding this blog is to share any drugs information to help people to stop from drugs addiction. Well, you may also know that quitting from drugs is really terrible. People who got addicted will choose to die when there are no drugs to consume. Or if you let them to choose stop drugs abuse or die? What do you thing their answer, off course die is almost the answer.

So if you have same idea and want to stop or helping other to quitting from drugs abuse, please talk here with me.

No Comment | Posted in » drug abuse, Drugs  

NIDA, source for drug abouse

Great source drug abuse, NIDA has a good information for enrich your knowledge regarding drugs abuse. NIDA or National Institute on drug abuse has comited to provide good information for you.

Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction.
Science Has Revolutionized the Understanding of Drug Addiction
resently, scientists has been studying drug abuse labored in the shadows of powerful myths and misconceptions about the nature of addiction.

According to the research, When science began to study addictive behavior in the 1930s, people addicted to drugs were thought to be morally flawed and lacking in willpower.

Those views shaped society's responses to drug abuse, treating it as a moral failing rather than a health problem, which led to an emphasis on punitive rather than preventative and therapeutic actions.

Today, thanks to science, our views and our responses to drug abuse have changed dramatically. Groundbreaking discoveries about the brain have revolutionized our understanding of drug addiction, enabling us to respond effectively to the problem.

As a result of scientific research, we know that addiction is a disease that affects both brain and behavior. We have identified many of the biological and environmental factors and are beginning to search for the genetic variations that contribute to the development and progression of the disease. Scientists use this knowledge to develop effective prevention and treatment approaches that reduce the toll drug abuse takes on individuals, families, and communities.

No Comment | Posted in » addiction, drug abuse, Drugs, Nida, treatment