Over 1 out of 10 children under the age of 18 years of age live with at least one parent who was dependent on or abused alcohol or an illicit drug during the past year, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The report is based on national data from 2002 to 2007.

“The research increasingly shows that children growing up in homes with alcohol and drug abusing parents suffer,” said SAMHSA Acting Administrator Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H. “The chronic emotional stress in such an environment can damage their social and emotional development and permanently impede healthy brain development, often resulting in mental and physical health problems across the lifespan. This underlines the importance of preventive interventions at the earliest possible age.”

Among the findings:

• Almost 7.3 million children lived with a parent who was dependent on or abused alcohol
• About 2.1 million children lived with a parent who was dependent on or abused illicit drugs
• 5.4 million children lived with a father who met the criteria for past year substance dependence or abuse, and 3.4 million lived with a mother who met this criteria.

Findings for Children Living with Substance-Dependent or Substance-Abusing Parents: 2002 to 2007 are drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health an annual nationwide survey of persons aged 12 and older. This report focused on questions asked of 87,656 parents aged 18 and older about their substance dependence and abuse.

In addition, SAMHSA has a Children’s Program Kit for use by addiction treatment centers to provide educational support programs for the children of their clients in drug treatment. It teaches children a variety of skills to fostering a sense of purpose and hope. The toolkit has activities for children from elementary school through high school. It also contains information for therapists to distribute to their clients to help parents understand the needs of their children, as well as training materials (including posters and DVDs) for substance abuse treatment or dual diagnosis treatment, staff who organize support groups for children.

This kit can be obtained for free at:  http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=17245.

Current research in anti-addiction has opened the door for prescription medications that allegedly treat the symptoms of addiction. Naltrexone is the newest medication to be making headlines. The news is especially controversial because it demonstrates the possibility that addiction may soon be treated like a brain disease that a family doctor can address. This development is similar to the way in which depression moved from being treated in mental health facilities 30 years ago, to primary care doctor’s offices, with medications like Prozac being readily available to anyone who seeks treatment.

Naltrexone functions by blocking the release of brain chemicals that are linked to pleasure and excitement. Earlier drugs used to treat addicts, like Suboxone for opioid addiction, similarly prevent the release of feel good chemicals when taking opiates, but can still be addictive because they contain opioid ingredients.  A federally funded study for Naltrexone called COMBINE compared cognitive-behavioral therapy alone with the combined treatment of therapy and the medication. The study showed that patients receiving the combined treatment were more likely to stay sober and drank less if they did relapse.

The general sentiment in the rehab industry is that medications do not treat the long-term effects of addiction. The traditional method of treatment includes the 12 step program and intensive therapy workshops. Although it is a disease of the brain, there is also a significant behavioral aspect that requires special attention and cannot be cured with a pill. Advocates of traditional treatment facilities stand behind the principle that the road to recovery requires foundational healing and total system recovery – a transformation that cannot be discovered by medication alone.

Maintaining sobriety is a constant, ongoing struggle. Addicts have to face the reality that relapsing is not only possible, it’s statistically probable. Nic Sheff, the 26-year-old writer of Tweak is a recovering crystal meth, marijuana and alcohol addict, and represents the large number of young adult drug users who battle with their urge to use every day.

In a recent CNN profile, Nic confessed how life’s misfortunes and missteps have led him to revisit his drug-riddled past. “I am isolated, alone, disgusted with everything and, most especially, myself. I am filled to overflowing with pain and torment and weight,” said Nic, describing how he fell back into drugs after a bad break-up and a manic episode.

Unlike general belief, a relapse isn’t spurred simply by a lack of willpower or ability to deal with personal crises. When an addict returns to using, a complex mental and chemical reaction is at work. A relapse refers to a failure or breakdown in a person’s ability to continue or follow through with a change in any set of behaviors — most commonly, alcohol and drug abuse. Often times, a relapse is underlined by a user’s complete lack of control over their behavioral response to situations; they will take more than they want to take, and cannot stop no matter how intensely they want to. 

Edythe London, a neurobiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles asserts that an addict’s neurological system is different than a non-addict. Feelings like helplessness, lack of control and loss of inhibitions can be linked to the circuitry of the brain. “Some of the most profound changes, for example in the dopamine system, can take years to resolve completely,” she says.

Although relapse is a common occurrence for many addicts, there still is hope. Cognitive and behavioral therapies can teach a person how to deal with pressures and stressful situations in a healthier manner. Gatehouse’s extended care treatment program instills in residents basic life skills and coping mechanisms; the long-term care increases the chances that an addict will remain sober for the long-run.

Sleep disorders are common in today’s stressful society, and sleep medications are frequently turned to for a quick fix. Although medications like Xanax, Ambien, Ativan, and Restoril can solve sleep issues temporarily, pills are not the safest way to overcome a problem.

Prescription sleeping pills are usually either classified as tranquilizers or benzodiazepines (and related sedatives).  Benzodiazepines, such as the prototype zolpidem (Ambien), depress the nervous system, decrease heart rate and breathing, and cause extreme drowsiness. Some of the negative side effects include vomiting, confusion, slurred speech, and hallucinations, which includes reports of sleep driving, eating and other activities.

The greatest risk involved with this class of drug is the potential for toxicity when combined with alcohol or opiates. If mixed with alcohol, these types of medicines can slow central nervous functions to a crawl, resulting in coma or death. Heath Ledger is an example of this unfortunate possibility: The young actor died of an acute intoxication by combining an over-the-counter sleep aid with the prescription hipnotic Restoril and several other prescription pain relievers, anxiey medications, and muscle relaxants.

Although most medications are only prescribed for a short-term remedy for insomnia, many people become dependent upon sleeping pills for long-term treatment. Addiction to these medications is also possible and is enunciated by a user’s abuse of the drug, such as ingesting more than the dosage prescribed or misusing for non-medical purposes (as is the case with all prescription abuse situations).

Why would someone abuse sleeping pills? For some, the calming effect and anxiety relief associated with sedatives and tranquilizers can cause habitual use. Others may take sleep meds with alcohol to amplify their drunken state and decrease inhibitions. Ecstacy users have also shown to take pills for a smoother come down from extreme drug bouts.  Anyone who is prescribed this class of medication should use extreme caution and heed all doctor instructions.

When it comes to success stories of people who were able to recover from alcoholism or drug addiction, we often hear about men and women who have made a successful transformation and reached success as adults. Recovery doesn’t have to wait until a person has “matured”. Teens and young adults can take advantage of a second-chance and take their lives into a new direction.

A young celebrity rehab success story is Drew Barrymore. Her troubles with alcohol began as a child and Barrymore was a teen in rehab by age 13. She talks about her bout with substance abuse in her book, Little Girl Lost. Although the book was written nearly 20 years ago, her story is sadly still relevant to teens today. Despite going through rehab as a young adult, Barrymore pushed past the substances in her life by continuing her acting career with great success and has also gone on to produce and direct her own films.

It can also be reassuring to know that you don’t have to be a larger than life superstar to get through rehab when you’re young. There are more success stories from other young adults who have struggled with the disease of addiction than you might think.

Robert K. shared his story with the Partnership for a Drug Free America. His addiction to drugs and alcohol lead him to assault his own sister with a knife at the age of 17. After rehab and becoming clean, at the age of 24 he started helping his local community by spreading meth awareness throughout Wisconsin.

Another young adult success story can be found in Christine, who started using drugs to cope with ADHD and her somewhat dysfunctional family life. Even though she started drinking at age 11, she didn’t get help until she was arrested at 16. She would relapse and go back into treatment before fully living in recovery. She was able to find happiness in her new life and married her childhood sweetheart, who never used.

Sometimes when a person is at the lowest point of addiction, it seems impossible for a change to occur. The ability to live a “normal” life seems too good to be true – like something in a dream or a fairy tale. What is truly amazing is that not only is every addiction unique to the individual, but the path to recovery is also a uniquely special journey. Each person has to discover what will work for them. When that spark happens, and they finally have the desire to clean themselves up, they have to hold on to those feelings and endure the rocky road of recovery, if they want to truly transform their life. Not everyone gets a second chance, but when given the opportunity, young people really can be successful after rehab.

Making the decision to enter into rehab is extremely difficult for any addict. Choosing to follow a path completely clean of alcohol or drugs is a fear-inducing prospect, amplified by the strong possibility that your attempts may result in failure. Many users are not so much afraid of coming down from drugs, but leading a fulfilled existence without them. Here are a few tips to help the newly sober embrace life after quitting:

 1. LEAN ON OTHERS If you’re worried that you won’t be able to make it by on your own without booze or pills — you’re right. You can’t make it on your own, with or without substances to take the edge off. But you will succeed if you reach out to others for support. 12-step programs like AA are successful because they encourage building a network of trusted friends; they act as a safety net in times of trouble and reinforce the positive effects of sober living.  Every person needs someone to turn to during both happy and dark moments. Maturity comes with acknowledging this basic human need and welcoming the help of others. 

2. ACCEPT RECOVERY AS AN ON-GOING PROCESS Once you leave rehab, or vow to never swallow Vicodin again, it doesn’t mean your relationship with drugs is over. Like real, personal relationships — especially the unhealthy kind — it’s not common to just quit on a friendship without maintaining some emotional connection to the experience. Returning to the substances, behaviors or relationships that have given you both extreme joy and pain can occur to even the most strong-willed of people. Overcoming the urge to stop using is a challenge that takes a sustained effort to maintain, so don’t expect to let go of your dependence immediately. 

3. FOUCS ON THE PRESENT What are you doing right now that is supporting a healthy and sober lifestyle? Is your “self-talk” encouraging or destructive? When you focus on the here and now and make healthy choices that are reflected in your current situation, you are more likely to choose positive paths down the road. In contrast, if you allow yourself to falter — like having just one beer on holidays — you are more likely to justify using in later scenarios — entering a chugging contest because all your friends are doing it on New Year’s Eve. Identifying triggers for substance cravings prior to their occurrence can prevent the pressure to use from becoming overwhelming.

Relapse is not only possible, it’s likely. But that shouldn’t dissuade you from trying to conquer your addiction. Remembering the realities of your disease and trying to incorporate the above methods can help ease the transition from life as a drug abuser to sobriety. Recovery is a journey; it can be a new and exciting time of self-discovery if you let it.

When it comes to rehab centers, the services provided must be of the highest ethical standards to ensure the best possible addiction treatment is received.  People seeking treatment, for themselves or a loved one, need to feel reassured about the care they will receive – especially if it is a long-term rehab facility. Treatment programs without a commitment to ethics may discourage many people from getting the help they need to stop drinking or using drugs.

On a very basic level, reputable treatment centers provide equitable treatment to every person in their programs. Quite often the media portrays addiction as a “poor decision” rather than as the disease it truly is. Those suffering from addiction are in need of professional, medical attention – not just psychological therapy or life-coaching. Stigmas and stereotypes have no place in an addiction treatment center. It is also important to realize that “equal” treatment is not the answer, because each addict has their own unique set of problems that will require a personalized solution. Ethical care isn’t just about making commitments to young adults and their families, it’s about keeping those promises and being honest about how challenging and unpredictable addiction treatment can be.

Confidentiality is another ethical concern for many when considering a rehab program. Every person in recovery may have experiences they may not feel comfortable sharing with everyone. It’s important for not just doctors, but therapists and counselors to honor the confidentiality of each person in recovery. Letting the individual come to grips with their experiences is part of the rehab process, and it isn’t something to be rushed or taken lightly.  Allowing the emotional wounds of drug and alcohol abuse to heal is key to recovery.  This is why it is important to find out what the confidentiality policies are before enrolling in a treatment program.

Ethical standards of care have been established by numerous national groups and organizations, to help support and identify quality care within the industry. For example, the National Association of Social Workers has a specialization program just for professionals who deal with Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug (ATOD) problems.  The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) is another group that supports increasing the quality of addiction treatment by establishing “addiction medicine as a specialty recognized by professional organizations, governments, physicians, purchasers and consumers of health care services, and the general public.” Becoming aware of the ethics of addiction treatment can gives you the insight necessary to ask informed questions about treatment before embarking on the road to recovery.

You hear it all the time, that it just takes a few drinks – maybe even just one – to change your life, to have an addiction and become an alcoholic. It’s the same with drugs. One day you’re smoking weed and the next thing you know you’re taking your chances with speed. How does addiction happen? And why is it that some people get addicted so fast, while others don’t get addicted to drugs even though they abuse them all the time?

Addiction, like so many things in life, is complicated. It takes its toll on a person both physically and mentally. In a TIME magazine article, Dr. Nora Volkow (Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse) explained, “Some people have a genetic predisposition to addiction, but because it involves these basic brain functions, everyone will become an addict if sufficiently exposed to drugs or alcohol.” This explains why sometimes addiction seems to set in really quickly for some people. If a predisposition to addiction is a part of your genetic code, then you are naturally likely to become addicted. As the article further explains, for someone who is inclined to become addicted, that person isn’t just more likely to develop an addiction to illegal drugs or alcohol. An addiction can be defined as any behavior a person feels compelled to conduct and cannot discontinue without traumatic effects. It’s possible for someone to become addicted to their work, to cleaning, to gambling or eating – anything, really. Any addiction is unhealthy, and is truly a disease, but the danger level is significantly higher when someone is addicted to substance abuse, because it can kill them.

Of course, sometimes the drug is to blame for causing addiction to set in quickly. Different drugs affect people differently, but there are some drugs – like heroin – that are extremely addictive for just about everyone. Breaking the physical addiction that comes along with those drugs makes detox and rehab very challenging for both the doctors and the addict.

Genetics and drug strength aren’t the only reasons why people become addicted to drugs. Studies show that people with psychological disorders or some form of mental illness are more likely to suffer from drug addiction. New studies are showing that people who start abusing drugs at an early age or as a teenager are more likely to trigger an addiction that can last a lifetime.

Finally, perhaps one of the most prevalent reasons why people get addicted to drugs, and why they start abusing drugs in the first place, is due to social acceptance. It’s all about “the company you keep.” If you hang out with people who enjoy smoking pot, drinking beers, or shooting heroin, then you’re more likely to start using drugs or drinking alcohol because of that environment.

Knowing and understanding why addiction happens can help someone understand their own struggle with addiction. What is even better is that by learning about the triggers of addiction, it can increase a person’s awareness of what addiction is and help prevent it altogether.

Forget street drugs, millions of kids today are stopping by their local pharmacy to pick up over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to achieve a long-lasting high because it’s far cheaper and just as potent as any illegal drug. The primary culprits are cough and cold medicines that contain dextromethorphan (DXM), a cough suppressant that produces a euphoric-like effect when consumed in large quantities. Medicines that contain the ingredient include NyQuil and Robitussin (or Robo for slang). 

According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in 2006 about 3.1 million people aged 12 to 25 had ever used an OTC cough and cold medication to get high, and nearly one million had done so in the past year. Also, from 1999 to 2004, there was a seven-fold increase in cases related to the abuse of DXM reported to poison control centers nationwide. Most of these cases were among 15- and 16-year-olds.

DXM can be safely taken in 30-milligram doses or less, but those who abuse the cough medicine can consume up to 360 milligrams in order to achieve the optimal sensation. Ingesting quantities that are too large is extremely dangerous; side effects include hallucinations, loss of motor control and "out-of-body" dissociations, as well as the more serious consequences like extreme high fever, brain damage and even death. Regular abuse of DXM at high doses can lead to toxic psychosis, in which the person loses contact with reality and is in a perpetual confused state. Mixing DXM with alcohol and other drugs poses an increased threat to one’s health.

Although it may seem like good fun to take a few dozen extra doses of cold medicine and buzz the night away, the extreme potential health risks with over consumption far outweigh the short-term benefits — making OTC drug abuse even more stupid than it already looks.  

The holidays can be one of the most challenging times of the year for families who have someone suffering from substance abuse. The abundance of drinking at parties and social gatherings can be torturous for a recovering alcoholic. Teens with winter blues are looking for fun, and it’s unfortunate that many get their kicks through illegal drugs. For young adults who have been suffering from addiction over a long period of time, it might be hard to convince them to sober up or get clean for the holidays. For families who are trying to find runaways in the cold of winter, it’s a bleak scenario to be in.

Despite all the difficulties that come with both addiction and recovery during the holidays, the season also brings a tremendous opportunity of hope and a chance for change. If a friend or family member is newly out of rehab, they will be looking to you for support. Staying sober with your friend or relative can help with their recovery, and make them feel less inclined to drink at parties. If you have a feeling beforehand that drugs will be involved, you can be the one to suggest an alternative social activity and have fun without all the drama of drug addiction.

As family and friends come together, the holiday season can be a great time to plan an intervention. Taking the plunge to go into detox and commit to rehab isn’t easy. Sometimes being reunited with the friend who moved away or the wise Grandparent can make all the difference in a young person’s life. It’s a great opportunity to share love and concern for someone, without feeling too awkward, because it’s the season of sharing and giving. The greatest gift you can give to someone suffering from addiction this holiday season is to support them in getting help and treatment for their condition.

To help increase awareness about the drug and alcohol addiction crisis, A&E has opened up The Recovery Project Shop. This special store has books and DVDs, including copies of the hit series Intervention, all about how to deal with abuse, addiction, and recovery. A&E will donate a portion of the sales made in the online store to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, a non-profit organization with a goal to reduce drug abuse nationwide.