Drug Addiction

Many of us who experience anxiety and depression have trouble with daily tasks such as completing deadlines or attending meetings; pangs of fear regarding social environments or deep feelings of hopelessness can leave us isolated and unmotivated. While there are many effective treatment methods to help rid some of the unwanted symptoms of anxiety and depression, a new trend is taking place that involves illegal drugs. Known as “micro-dosing”, this technique involves taking minute quantities of drugs such as LSD or psilocybin (magic mushrooms) or mescaline (found in the Peyote cactus) every few days to enhance creativity, productivity, heighten alertness, and boost energy. The Huffington Post notes that most people dose once every three days in the morning, and the doses are so small that they provide just enough for benefit but not enough for a heightened “trip”. How did this technique come about? Dr. Albert Hoffman, the Swiss chemist who discovered LSD, engaged in micro-dosing for a few decades of his life, and lived to be age 102. At age 100 he was giving lectures at the University still, and he stated that it helped him clarify his thinking. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies covered an interview that was done with Dr. Hoffman in 1996, where he discussed his perspective of the power of psychedelics to allow further entrance into a “spiritual world” with deeper understanding of life and its meaning. He discussed how psychedelic drugs became illegal, and how perhaps further medical research could provide an opening for these drugs to re-enter psychological treatment in the future. He described the psychedelic situation in the past as this, “And back at that time, there were unfortunately many occasions where psychedelics were not treated with proper respect… the psychedelics came to be feared, and were taken out of the hands of responsible investigators and psychiatrists. It was a great loss for medicine and psychiatry, and for mankind.” While many people report benefits of micro-dosing, there has not yet been enough research to conclude that it is a safe and effective mode of treatment. Always consult a physician before taking any kind of drug and seek medical help if you experience any dangerous side effects.

An excerpt from Tom Shachtman’s book titled, To Be or Not To Be Amish: Once the young ladies hit the cars, and the cars have pulled away from the homestead, appearances and behaviors begin to change. While riding along, each Amish girl performs at least one of many actions that have been forbidden to her throughout her childhood: lights up a cigarette, grabs a beer, switches on the rock and rap music on the car radio or CD player, converses loudly and in a flirtatious manner with members of the opposite sex. Leanne, a character from “Orange is the New Black”, grew up in an Amish community and started using meth during her Rumspringa. Outside of her character, this issue is a major concern in the United States today. According to Amish America, Rumspringa or “running around” is “a term used to describe the period of adolescence Amish experience starting at around age 16. Rumspringa seems to have caused an epidemic of addiction among the Amish community; last year, approximately 70 people – many of them youth – were arrested at an Amish party. Fox 59 reported more than 1000 people were expected to attend from Ohio and the Interstate before the party was shut down. Addiction does not discriminate. Individuals of the Amish community face the same demons the rest of us face, including addiction. According to NPR.org, Rumspringa is a time where adolescents of the Amish community can “test” out the modern world to determine if they would like to continue their path within the community. At age 16, the adolescents have not yet been baptized, so they are not officially considered members of the church yet. Many youths are encouraged to explore movie theatres, driving, malls and more – but some, with this feeling of freedom, take part in unhealthy behaviors that lead to addiction. Alcoholism, meth, heroin, and opioid addiction all impact the Amish community, just like any other community. The dangers are ever more real to Amish youth because, with this form of freedom, they are likely to take drastic action in a similar fashion people first entering college might take. At any age and in any community, addiction can occur.

The similarity between these names suggests that there is a base chemical incorporated into both drugs. What exactly are the similarities and differences, though? While both drugs do have something in common, they each create different results in the body and mind. Drug Rehab notes a few distinct differences:

There are many concoctions made using cough and cold medicine – these concoctions are typically known as “lean”, “purple drank”, “purple lean”, “sizzurp”, “dirty sprite”, and “lean drink”. These drinks most often are comprised of prescription-strength cough medicine, soft drinks, and hard, fruit-flavored candy. According to Drug Abuse, a website aimed at providing addiction information, those drinks that contain cough syrup present a major danger because they contain codeine, a dangerous opioid drug. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) has noted two main medications that are most commonly abused: dextromethorphan (DXM), and promethazine-codeine cough syrup. Narconon, a website that provides drug and recovery health information, mentions that the hip-hop industry is a major endorser of these concoctions. Signs of drug abuse from cough medicine include slurred speech, blurred vision, euphoria, sedation, disassociation from one’s body, impaired motor skills, lethargy, and drowsiness. When taken in high doses, users may experience vomiting, weakness, headaches, itchiness, dry mouth, hives, chest pains, fainting, hallucinations, seizures, and tremors. While a cough and cold medications can be safe when used as directed for cold symptoms, it can affect the brain as a drug would if taken in large doses and more frequently. The NIH has noted that codeine found in cough and cold medications attaches to the same cell receptors that drugs like heroine attach to. These medications often act as depressants to the central nervous system, causing a person to feel relaxed and sedated. When abused, the medication can cause an increase in dopamine, the brain’s reward center. This can cause the brain to become dependent on the drug to feel happy, relaxed, and calm – leading someone down the road of addiction. Many people who abuse this drug feel a release from anxiety and tension. Cough medicine concoction are particularly popular among children in 8th -12th grade; the Drug Enforcement Agency reported in 2011 that 2.9% of 8th graders, 4.3% of 10th graders, and 5% of 12th graders abused cough and cold medicines that year. Thankfully, the NIH has been working diligently to decrease these numbers. Researchers from Georgia Southern University found in 2013 that cough and cold medicated drinks are also popular among young adults in urban areas, no matter their race or sexuality.

Benzodiazepines are a category of drugs including diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax), both of which are very well-known. Benzodiazepines have been prescribed to treat anxiety, alcohol withdrawal, panic attacks, insomnia, and other conditions. While helpful, these drugs can be incredibly addictive. Benzodiazepines are not typically prescribed for long-term use because of this reason, but many people have used these drugs for longer than intended to continue feeling less harsh effects of their condition. As an individual begins taking what are otherwise known as tranquilizers, their muscles tend to relax and their anxiety levels tend to lower. The person taking these drugs may feel as though the drugs greatly reduce their pain or anxiety, and may begin to abuse them over time, thus leading them to physical and psychological dependency. There are certain forms of benzodiazepines that are intended to last either a short or longer dosage period. Ensure that the person taking them knows the prescribed time length and amount to be taken to avoid overdose or abuse of the drug. There have been over 2,000 version of benzodiazepines created, but only 15 of those are FDA-approved. Individuals who pair this drug with alcohol or other medications are at serious risk – the effects can be extremely damaging, even lethal. When paired with alcohol, the person may risk shutting down their nervous system, as both alcohol and benzodiazepines are depressants. Signs that an individual is abusing benzodiazepines:

There are many individuals who have committed illegal activities to support their drug or alcohol use.  In 12-step recovery, the checklist of whether one is an addict includes mention of illegal activity to finance the addiction.  The degree of illegal activity will range by the person and the addiction.  There is a picture that one conjures up of a drug deal in a dark alley or a person robbing a convenience store to get money to buy drugs.  These types of situations usually get media attention.  There are others who commit white collar crimes and get no media attention.  The issue at hand is more one of why addicts commit illegal activities in the first place and what can be done during recovery to overcome these problems. The addict can sometimes face problems obtaining money to finance their addiction.  Many resort to illegal activity because of desperation.  The addiction is very powerful and can play a role in one’s ability to know right from wrong.  There is a physical and psychological need to drink or take drugs and this need overshadows doing what is right.  Illegal activity becomes an option when the addict or alcoholic has run out of choices.  There are no friends or family members left to ask and your employer will not advance you any further money.  Credit cards are non-existent or maxed out.  At this point, the addict might consider illegal activity to get money. The type of illegal activity chosen is a personal matter or could be a group effort.  It might be easier and less threatening to take money out of your spouse’s wallet then to steal a wallet from a stranger.  It might be easier to embezzle money from your employer than to rob a store.  The point of these examples is to illustrate the desperation associated with an addict’s need to use drugs or drink.  There is also an increase of those who commit white collar crimes to finance a drug or alcohol problem. During recovery, if illegal activities were committed, they will need to be addressed.  Some problems will need to be addressed through the justice system and some can be addressed through 12-step meetings or through therapy.  There is a point when the addict needs to review these illegal activities in a safe space and learn to live with the negative things done to fuel the addiction.