Different drugs affect the body in different ways. And long term health problems vary from drug to drug. Cocaine damages the heart, blood vessels, lungs and brain while ecstasy damages the heart, jaw, stomach and brain. Though some of the parts of the body are the same, the damage can be different. Methamphetamine increases heart rate and blood pressure, causes irregular heartbeat, decreases appetite often to the point of anorexia and causes problems with breathing, to name a few issues.

Heroin severely slows breathing and heart rate, often to the point of death. It is extremely addictive and can lead to fatal overdose and miscarriage. In addition to the possible health effects, heroin users often share needles which spreads hepatitis and HIV. People that are addicted and use often have collapsed veins and infections in the lining of the heart, among other things.

There is no safe way to use illegal drugs and even non-synthetic drugs such as marijuana are addictive. When someone starts to abuse, becomes dependent on or addicted to any substance, long term drug treatment is necessary for a recovery.

Actress Kirsten Dunst has checked in to rehab and is also apparently involved in a rehab romance. It is not known who this mystery man is but relationships while in drug and alcohol rehab is never a good idea. There are multiple reason why, but the most important are because the addict needs to focus on herself. Part of any successful rehab program requires that the addict do self-realization activities in order for that person to understand why he or she started using drugs and/or alcohol. When a person’s attention is focused on someone else, there is little time left for the all-important self-reflection.

Another reason why a person in rehab should not be involved in a rehab romance is because when the relationship in question turns sour, a relapse could, and often is, triggered. Not only is the addict not making recovery the priority, he or she hides the ugly side of addiction. It is human nature to show a more favorable side when starting a new relationship. This is normally innocent but admitting the negative sides of oneself is crucial for any shot at sobriety once outside of treatment.

Club drugs are drugs used by some individuals that attend raves, clubs and bars. While not all people that go to raves, clubs and bars use illegal drugs, club drugs are found in these places quite often. Ecstasy, Rohypnol, GHB and Ketamine are all classified as club drugs. Ecstasy is a psychoactive drug similar to methamphetamine and mescaline. It is used to produce a high and a feeling of euphoria, often accompanied with hallucinations.. Rohypnol and GHB are depressants that are often used for sexually assault and rape. These drugs became popular in the 1990s but seem to have now been replaces with Xanax.   Ketamine is an animal tranquilizer used in high doses to hallucinate.

While the use of the these club drugs has been declining for several years, 12.3 million Americans 12 and older have used at least one of these drugs one time. There are many different ways these drugs can be harmful ranging from heart conditions to death.

Many people that get treated for alcohol addiction go through alcohol withdrawal when they are in the detoxification process. During detox the substance that the individual is addicted to is removed from that person’s system, which is the first step in the recovery process. The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal range from annoying to life threatening. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms range from shakiness and anxiety to vomiting and insomnia to hallucination and convulsions. The severity of the withdrawal depend on the individual, how long the alcoholic has been drinking, how much he drinks and how often.

Since there is no way to predict how a person will respond to quitting, alcohol detox should only be conducted under trained medical personnel. Medical personnel will know exactly what to do to help alleviate any symptoms and administer any medications that can help. Long term chemical dependency treatment is the best option for an alcoholic.  A long term alcohol rehab center will be able to teach the alcoholic the behavioral skills needed to live a life of sobriety.

A new study found that 20%, or one in five, college students in the United States are taking prescription drugs to get high. Students that choose to take drugs for non-medical reasons are at least 5 times more likely to develop an addiction problem versus students that take prescription drugs are prescribed for medical reasons. The students were asked if they had taken opioids, stimulants, sleeping pills, and sedatives or anti-anxiety medicines. An outstanding 20% said they have taken at least one of these for non-medical reasons. This is particularly alarming because while use of illicit drugs has been dropping consistently for the past decade, abuse of prescription drugs has increased significantly. The perceptive risks of abusing prescription drugs is low because they are prescribed by a doctor which makes teens and young adults more likely to indulge in their abuse.

An extended-release version of the anti-addiction medicine naltrexone has recently been studied in men and women that are alcohol dependent. This medicine blocks opioid receptors and has been shown to decrease drinking in alcoholics. Additional tests are needed but what this means for alcoholics is that once in treatment and given this drug, the addict would most likely be engaged in the treatment process earlier which would help prepare the alcoholic for life outside of alcohol abuse treatment. It would also help motivate the person in regards to continuing their addiction recovery. If an addict can experience treatment without the urge to drink, then the person is more likely to participate in his or her own recovery, and that person’s success rate of sobriety is increases.

Dear Gatehouse Academy,

Thank you very much for making time for my wife  and me during our visit to Gatehouse last week. We received a very good impression into the  work Gatehouse is evidently doing. You all were also most informative. I’d like to offer a special shout out to the two young men who took us around. They were open, direct, comprehensive, and passionate about the program. They were also compelling in discussing their own life stories. These two fine young men were excellent advertisements for all that Gatehouse is doing. Please extend to them both our special regards.

This is from an email that was sent to Gatehouse Academy. The names have been removed to protect the identity of those mentioned personally.

There are several warning signs of alcoholism but the four major signs are: cravings, impaired control, dependence, and tolerance.

When a person has cravings for alcohol, the person’s body is becoming addicted or is already addicted. A craving can be a small urge or an overpowering need for alcohol. Impaired control refers to when a person cannot stop drinking once he or she starts. People with impaired control will also sneak drinks when they believe no one is looking or they will guzzle a drink very quickly. Dependence refers to when a person’s body needs alcohol to function adequately or when a person needs a drink in order to think correctly. This is dangerous because it leads to alcohol being drunk at all hours of the day and night. Finally, tolerance refers to when a person drinks alcohol in larger quantities to acquire the desired effect. Overdosing is likely once tolerance is built up due to the fact that alcoholics do not realize the quantities they ingest.

Dextromethorphan, or DXM, is the ingredient in over 140 over-the-counter cold and cough medicines that people use to get high. Over 3.1 million people between the ages of 12 to 25 have misused cough syrup in order to escape reality. Statistics also show that white youths are three times more likely than black youths to abuse this OTC drug. The effects of this drug include but are not limited to overdosing, loss of physical coordination, blurred vision, intense abominable pain, muscle spasms, irregular heartbeat, delirium and death. The number of people in this age bracket that have tried LSD is also 3.1, leading many to demand clearer labels and identification for the purchase of such OTC drugs.

An OTC drug is a drug that does not require a prescription and can be purchased over the counter, as the name states. Abuse of OTC drugs can range from taking more than the recommended amount to taking them longer than suggested. Symptoms of abuse include but are not limited to hallucinations, bizarre sleep patterns and mood changes. Many people accidentally become addicted to these drugs by using them continuously over a long period of time. Recovery is possible through treatment in a drug rehab program. Drug treatment centers have therapists that can help identify any underlying causes of use and this will help secure a complete recovery. Long-term substance abuse programs that meet the individualized needs of the addict help ensure success.