Month: March 2008

I am a student at Loyola Marymount working to get my CADAC certification. In my Choice Theory class, we had to make a lesson plan and a syllabus to teach the inmates at CIW, a women’s prison in Chino, CA about Choice Theory. This past Saturday we went to go meet the women at CIW and introduce the material that we will be helping them learn. It was the most amazing experience of my life. The women were so motivated to learn and seemed so excited. They were so open and honest and I got learn about their stories and their lives. It was so humbling, and made me so grateful for what I have in my life today. I could have been one of those women. Some of them were addicts and alcoholics. There was one woman there who had been in that prison for 21 years. It was amazing to me to see that she still hadn’t given up on life, and was here trying to learn so that she could still make better choices. It was so inspiring. I plan on keeping in contact with the women I met there, and being of service to them as best I can. This experience has opened my eyes and made me realize how lucky I am, and how prison isn’t the end for any of us.

ALCOHOL USE IN TEENS

Did you know that there has been an increase in the number of teens ages 11 – 15 who drink alcohol on a regular basis? The scarier thought is the fact that the amount of alcohol they drink in one setting is increasing as well. This phenomenon attributes to more teen drinking and driving incidents, suicides, sexual assaults, and high risk sex. Teens already have a hard time evaluating situations maturely and the introduction of alcohol only makes their decision making that much worse. They find themselves in situations they might not otherwise get themselves into. The more alcohol they consume overtime, the more the teen stands to impair their ability to properly react in situations, remember basic things, and their overall cognitive abilities are impaired, possibly for life. By exposing the brain to alcohol during the growing years of adolescence, teens are interrupting their brains’ development and opening themselves up to long term risks of liver damage, pancreatitis, cancers and possibly shrinkage of their brain.

Intervention at an early age is a must. It is reported that teens who start drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence at some time in their lives as opposed to those who have their first drink at age 20 or older.1

Here are a few other statistics:

The rate of fatal crashes involving alcohol in drivers 16-20 is more than twice that of drivers 21 and over.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among people ages 14-25. Alcohol increased the chances of those attempts.

About 10% of high school female students reported being raped and research suggests that alcohol use in the attacker and/or victim increases the chances of this occurring.

In 1995, 318 people between the ages of 15-24 died from alcohol poisoning alone. I’m sure the amount has increased since then.

Take a stand now to make these statistics decrease and with hope be eradicated…be present, intervene, and educate yourself…Never think your child or one that you know would never drink or use drugs. It’s a scary reality we cannot ignore.

Amy Lawhorn
Blog

1The Health effects of Teen alcohol use, https://teendrugabuse.us

VISIONS ADOLESCENT TREATMENT CENTER – THE HARDWARE STORE

I am an addict. So for me, something that comes along with that is the comfort of isolation and an emotionally walled off presence. When I arrived at Visions, I was thrown out of the box that is my comfort zone. Leaving me “raw” I went into survival mode because it was my automatic response to shelter myself from getting hurt. But contrary to most of the rest of my life I was treated with respect, surrounded by and incredible staff of people whose primary purpose was to be a positive example in my life and let me know that I wasn’t alone and didn’t have to face whatever I was feeling alone. During my time at Visions I made some profound changes in regards to the way I show up in this world. Visions didn’t make me show up differently, Visions is where I was given a tremendous opportunity to take suggestions and learn some tools. Perhaps the most important of those tools was getting connected with other addicts in recovery. To be honest without knowing I needed to do this I wouldn’t have stayed clean. But don’t go thinking that just knowing you need a support group is enough to keep you clean. But an addict with tools is just an addict with tools. Anyone can tell you “these are the tools.” But Visions gives you the opportunity to use these tools, and practice positive action in your everyday living and get some experience under your belt. So when you go back out into the world you have some experience in being a productive member of society.

Winzer
Blog

“What Is Withdrawal? How Long Does It Last?”

Withdrawal is the variety of symptoms that occur after use of some drugs are reduced or stopped. Length of withdrawal and symptoms vary with the type of drug. For example, physical symptoms of heroin withdrawal may include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting and cold flashes. These physical symptoms may last for several days, but the general depression, or dysphoria (opposite of euphoria) that often accompanies heroin withdrawal can be easily treated with medications to ease the symptoms, but treating withdrawal is not the same as treating addiction.
Drug withdrawal has many variables. Everything from the type of drug, quantity of regular use, to the length of time the drug was abused. These all factor into how intense or mild an individual’s drug withdrawal experience will be. An example would be withdrawal from methadone. An individual who uses methadone over a period of several months to years who decides to discontinue use will experience a longer and more painful withdrawal than an individual who discontinues using heroin.
Another factor to be aware of during drug withdrawal is drug craving. Drug craving is the result of the drugs imprinting in the memory, a pleasant association of euphoria with the drug. The subconscious memory then motivates the individual to seek this drug because of the false imprint. The brain, in effect, has been trained that using the drug is the fastest way to feel good. Due to the extreme physiological or physical pain some experience during drug withdrawal they can relapse before they complete the withdrawal process.
These are important reasons why drug withdrawal should take place at an inpatient drug rehabilitation center. There, the individual will be removed from the immediate access to drugs or alcohol. Drug withdrawal done at an inpatient drug rehab also provides the safety of medical supervision by trained professionals who are better able to monitor the drug withdrawal process.

Work Cited: https://addictionwithdrawal.com/

Teresa Roy

There is a new approach of Choice Theory is spreading accross America. In an article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinental, teachers are using Choice Theory with their students, which is helping them take on more responsibility. The students and teachers are much more conscious of how they treat each other, and try to use as little external control as possible. The students are making concious efforts to change their behavior, and visits to the principals office are way down. Both the students and teachers reported being much more happier at school, and the faculty have accepted Choice Theory and now know that the learning is up to the students. It is their choice, and all the faculty can do is be fun and supportive. Please red the interesting article! https://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=726698

Dusters

Huffing, or inhaling substances is common form of drug abuse among kids and teenagers, there are many products that can be bought legally at the local store. Some typical household products teens are using include glue, butane, thinners, paint, and a wide variety of aerosols. Huffing is on the rise according to research and can be deadly. Many teens huff because it does not show up on drug tests. It’s a cheap, two-minute high that causes an intense feeling of euphoria, loss of balance, slurring of speech, and some visual hallucinations.

One particular huffing agent known on the street as a “duster” seems to be broadly in use. Dusters are small aerosol canisters used for cleaning particulate matter and dust off of hard to reach places. Teenagers may ask for them to clean their computer, but they may be using them to get high. Huffing of aerosols can cause immediate damage to the brain and can cause heart failure. Long-term use of inhalants can cause liver and kidney damage. Studies have also shown that inhalants cause memory and hearing loss amongst chronic users. Many users have blackouts, and again, inhalants can be deadly.

Lisa Hamilton
2/25/08
Blog

Strength

Strength can come from many places and many faces. What gives a person strength varies from one individual to another. Strength can come from within, or it can come from external sources. For example, when I feel like I’ve lost control and nothing that anyone says or does can restore my sanity. I pick up a tennis racquet and hit a few balls. For me, tennis is my mental utopia. Once I pick up a tennis racquet, I immediately escape to a happy place, and the process of whacking the crap out of the balls not only helps me to release any pent up anger and aggression, but it also keeps me from losing control and doing something that I undoubtedly would regret later.
For most of us, finding out what gives us strength can be difficult to uncover. A helpful tip in discovering what brings you strength is to allow yourself to delve into the unknown. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and don’t get upset with yourself if these new things don’t bring the joy and excitement that you envisioned. When you do in fact discover what gives you strength, there will be no question about it. It’ll just be something that you always find yourself doing when you need clarity in life, or a boost from within.