The latest medicines developed in the 21st century are certainly wonders of the modern world. Not only do they significantly aid major healing, alleviate all types of severe pain and even help with one's state of mind, they are, due to intensive testing, quite safe. Still, they are not completely risk-free.

One of their most potent – and dangerous – side effects tied to many drugs in modern prescriptions isaddiction. This problem of prescription abuse is notable in seniors who may not have any experience with powerful drugs and who can be blindsided by their effects. Signs of

dependency range from fatigue through loss of interest in hobbies to a neglect of one's hygiene.

Here are some other important facts that you and your loved ones should know:

Addiction is Subtle

After a lifetime of non-substance abuse, there are some seniors out there who have never had any forms of addictive personality or addiction to anything else in their lives. Nevertheless, anyone that takes any form of medication, especially pain killers, can have the potential to be unable recognize the warning signs of impending addiction. 

By simply, increasing your dose marginally or decreasing the intervals between doses, you can easily create a dependence that you did not initially count on acquiring. Senior rehabilitation and nursing center facilities undergo extensive training to recognize addiction and abuse of prescriptions and pain killers in their senior patients that may have undergone recent surgery or experience chronic pain due to old age. Although the medication is certainly needed in order to manage the pain, consistent yearning for the drugs and their effects can become second nature to the patient without them even recognizing their addictive behavior or tendencies.

No One is Immune

Seniors may not seem to fit society’s typical definition of an addict. But the fact of the matter here is that addiction has no common image. Addiction can happen to anyone, and the senior group is especially prone to its power since they’re a majority group that, as they age, often need more supplements and prescriptions. In fact, according to the NCADD regarding seniors and drugs, one out of every eight people seeking help for substance abuse – prescription, over-the-counter or illegal – is over the age of 50.

The Bottom Line

There is no doubt that ever increasing numbers of seniors are becoming addicted to prescription drugs. The latest figures from the Administration on Aging (AOA) indicate that the number of seniors addicted to prescription drugs will likely double by the year 2020. Keep your medication under control and do not become part of this statistic. If you or a senior in your life is abusing their prescription drugs, there is definitely help from local narcotic rehabilitation centers. The first step is to recognize and accept that addiction is in fact real and it’s affecting one’s life. Every step to recovery gets easier from there.sa

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rug Addiction Rehabilitation

Heroin is no longer the taboo of yesteryear. Once limited to veteran drug addicts, the opioid known to enter through a hole in the arm is now soaring in popularity. Officials attribute the increase to the prescription drug epidemic that's sweeping the nation, as many of the drugs prescribed by doctors happen to be close cousins to heroin.

From Pills To Injections

Opioid painkillers like Oxycontin, Vicodin and Percocet are not merely used to ease the pain of cancer patients or those recovering from surgery. Addicts take them for the fast, long high and for their numbing effects. They are highly addictive, which is why users often inadvertently find themselves hooked after legitimate use.

When prescriptions are no longer available or the addict runs out of money, heroin is a cheaper alternative. It's easy to get, easy to use, and no longer carries the stigma it had a generation ago.

Opioid abuse (painkillers and heroin) appears to be more popular among teens, especially girls.

Tragic Deaths In Toledo

A number of tragic heroin-related deaths have made headlines in Toledo, Ohio. In 2006, death by unintentional poisoning surpassed motor vehicle crashes, according to the Ohio Department of Health. In 2010, more than 1600 state residents died from overdoses; 45 percent involved prescription opioids.

A number of Ohio families continue to mourn the loss of their loved ones to heroin. Many say they had no idea heroin would impact their lives; they never expected such devastating consequences. Even when a heroin user decides to clean up, it is a long and difficult runway back to sobriety, and many don't make it.

Officials say that heroin use is not confined to one economic or social class. It's everywhere.

Potent Poison

The trouble with heroin is that batches are not all the same. While prescription pills are standard and have their quantities clearly marked, heroin comes in a bag of white powder that could be laced with anything.

A notorious batch of heroin known as China white--far more potent than the brown kind popular in the U.S.--has been the culprit in a number of overdoses. Imports of China white appear to be increasing, however, and officials are seeing major shifts in the type of heroin popular on the streets. In Toledo, Ohio, for example, police seized 5.3 grams of China white heroin in 2011, less than one percent of all heroin seized that year. In 2012, 68 percent of the heroin seized was China white; and so far this year, approximately 80 percent of all heroin seized was white.

Officials attribute the increase to the fact that a lot of white heroin is now refined in Mexico, which means that it's coming in through experienced drug-trafficking gangs south of the border.

Users often don't know what they're getting when they try China white, which is the reason for its high levels of overdose.

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What makes a person be considered to have an addictive personality? These people would actually have certain qualities that make them weaker than everyone else to addiction. There have been many studies conducted on people with this condition that show they frequently run to addiction to ease their stress and to manage the problems that they sustain in their life.

When a person has an addictive personality there is not one specific substance that they go to, in fact, there could be multiple abusive and addictive channels that they use that are self-destructive. These channels primarily include substance abuse, binge eating, mass exercise, work addiction, video games, porn, or gambling. These behaviors are impulsive, compulsive, and habit forming.

People with this disorder do not go to the same outlet or release as others do. The addictions could transfer to another or could very well develop into multiple addictions. What constitutes this is pretty straightforward. How an additive personality surfaces is still up for debate.

A number of people think that this should be blamed onbiological factors but there are others who think this stems from psychological damage. Research has confirmed that well over half of those with an addictive personality had a parent that suffered from the same problem.

The people that believe the psychological factors are to blame also believe that it is personality traits that should take the blame for addiction. Studies about the psychological factors and addictive behaviors conclude that individuals with addiction are spontaneous, are socially compromised, lack motivation, and are frequently anxious.

It has already been concluded through studies that addiction can be triggered by certain environmental factors in those with personalities that are addictive. These people also do not react well to stressful or overwhelming situations and tend to lean more towards addictive behaviors.

People that fell short of being well reared or that suffered from childhood trauma are more likely to use addiction as a channel to deal with the damaging past experiences. To determine if someone has an addictive personality, the signs include extremeimpulsiveness, antisocial tendencies, insecure, disliked, and have a tendency to be loners.

These people are prone to depression and feel isolated and alone. Addictive personalities could be caused by environment, genetics, or preexistent personality traits. The good news is that there is a better way, a positive outlet for those suffering from addiction

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rug Addiction Rehabilitation

Take a deep breath!

In 2012, a study at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) calculated that even smoking a single joint every day for 20 years might be benign, though most participants only smoked two or three joints each month. "I was surprised we didn't see effects [of marijuana use]," said UCSF epidemiologist Mark Pletcher, who led the study.

Marijuana

One assessment of various epidemiological studies points to small sample size and poor study design as reasons for scientists' inability to nail down a link between cannabis and cancer risk. But some suspect that such a link doesn't exist, and that marijuana may even have cancer-preventive effects. A 2008 study, for example, suggested that smoking marijuana may reduce the risk of tobacco-associated lung cancer, calculating that people who smoke both marijuana and tobacco have a lower risk of cancer than those who smoke only tobacco (though still a higher risk than non-smokers).

But even Pletcher isn't sanguine about marijuana's effects on the lungs, and suspects that there may still be long-term lung damage that can be hard to detect. "We really can't reassure ourselves about heavy use," he explained.

Your brain on drugs

There is some evidence to suggest that stoned subjects exhibit increased risk-taking and impaired decision-making, and score worse on memory tasks-and residual impairments have been detected days or even weeks after use. Some studies also link years of regular marijuana use to deficits in memory, learning, and concentration. A recent and widely discussed report on the IQs of New Zealanders followed since birth found that cannabis users who'd started their habit in adolescence had lower IQs than non-users.

In this study, led by researchers at Duke University, "you could clearly see as a consequence of cannabis use, IQ goes down," said Derik Hermann, a clinical neuroscientist at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Germany who was not involved in the research.

But not 4 months later, a re-analysis and computer simulation at the Ragnar Frisch Center for Economic Research in Oslo countered the Duke findings. Ole Rogeberg contended that socioeconomic factors, not marijuana use, contributed to the lower IQs seen in cannabis users.

Rogeberg's conclusion counters a sizeable literature, however, which supports a link between pot use and neurophysiological decline. Studies in both humans and animals suggest that people who acquiring a marijuana habit in adolescence face long-term negative impacts on brain function, with some users finding it difficult to concentrate and learn new tasks.

Notably, most studies on the subject suggest that while there may be negative consequences of smoking as a teen, users who begin in adulthood are generally unaffected. This may be due to endocannabinoid-directed reorganization of the brain during puberty, Hermann explained. The intake of cannabinoids that comes with pot use may cause irreversible "misleading of the neural growth," he said.

In addition to the consequences for intelligence, many studies suggest that smoking marijuana raises the risk of schizophrenia, and may have similar effects on the brain. Hermann's group used MRI to detect cannabis-associated neuron damage in the pre-frontal cortex and found that it was similar to brain changes seen in schizophrenia patients. Other studies further suggest that weed-smoking schizophrenics have greater disease-associated brain changes and perform worse on cognitive tests than their non-smoking counterparts.

But much of this research can't distinguish between brain changes resulting from marijuana use and symptoms associated with the disease. It's possible that cannabis-smoking schizophrenics "might have unpleasant symptoms [that precede full-blown schizophrenia] and are self-medicating" with the psychotropic drug, said Roland Lamarine, a professor of community health atCalifornia State University, Chico. "We haven't seen an increase in schizophrenics, even with a lot more marijuana use."

In fact, other research suggests that cannabis-using schizophrenics score better on cognitive tests than non-using schizophrenics. Such conflicting reports may be due to the varying concentrations-and varying effects-of cannabinoids in marijuana. In addition to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a neurotoxic cannabinoid that is responsible for marijuana's mind-altering properties, the drug also contains a variety of non-psychoactive cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD), which can protect against neuron damage. Hermann found that the volume of the hippocampus-a brain area important for memory processing-is slightly smaller in cannabis users than in non-users, but more CBD-rich marijuana countered this effect.

A deadly cocktail?

While data supporting the harmful effects of marijuana on its own are weak, some researchers are more worried about the drug in conjunction with other substances, such as tobacco, alcohol, or cocaine. Some studies suggest, for example, that marijuana may increase cravings for other drugs, leading to its infamous tag as a "gateway drug." A study published earlier this month supported this theory when it found that, at least in rats, THC exposure increases tobacco's addictive effects. Furthermore, marijuana may not mix well with prescription drugs, as cannabis causes the liver to metabolize drugs more slowly, raising the risk of drug toxicity.

Despite these concerns, however, Lamarine thinks it's unlikely that the consequences of cannabis use are dire, given the amount of research that has focused on the subject. "We're not going to wake up tomorrow to the big discovery that marijuana causes major brain damage," he said. "We would have seen that by now."

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Once someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol the road to recovery is sometimes long and difficult. But there are ways to speed up the process and make it easier to bear at the same time.
Diet and exercise play a big part in a full and quick recovery. The body which has been malnourished for some time, usually as a result of addiction, needs to be built back up in order for the person to successfully get off of drugs or alcohol.

Usually while a person is addicted to drugs and alcohol they do not notice things like diet andexercise. Their body becomes completely malnourished and cannot fight off basic sicknesses.
The Malnourished Body
A malnourished body has problems with things such as:
The Heart
The Circulatory system
The Liver
The Pancreas
The Kidneys

All of these systems can suffer various breakdowns as a result of the lacking nutrition in the body as well as the effects of the drugs and alcohol itself. If you look around and notice people who are taking drugs you can always tell by the way their body looks. They will usually have dark circles under their eyes, and be skinnier than normal. Their teeth, hair and nails can look unhealthy as well. This isn't always just a result of the drugs but also due to the lack of nutrition.

Because the body needs specific nutrients in order to survive, drug users have a much harder time when they decide to try to get off of the drugs. Since their body is already so depleted it will take extra work and time to rebuild it. You will also need even more help to detox from drugs and alcohol and. The dietthat someone needs to eat while they are doing rehabilitation has to be sufficient enough to provide all of the essential nutrients as well as the additional vitamins that are needed to help the body deal with the stress that it will be going through during the process.

Fruits and vegetables offer vitamins such as C, E and many B vitamins. These can help the body relieve the stress it is undergoing. The food that you eat cannot do it alone though, vitamins and minerals are also an important part of the full recovery.

The Importance Of Vitamins
Extra vitamins such as B Complex, C and E will help the heart, liver and blood in your body. Many doctors recommend a diet excluding sugar and caffeine. Sugar and caffeine both inhibit the body from being able to heal itself. Sugar has been shown to act as a poison to the body, slowing down the metabolism, causing problems with the body's natural blood sugar as well as effecting things such as a person's hunger and sleep.

Not only does diet play a huge part in the process but exercise also should not be ignored. When the body exercises it builds up its own stamina. It also helps get blood flowing to all of the internal organs. When blood flows to the different organs it feeds them the vitamins and oxygen that are needed to repair and build. Exercise helps also to lower blood pressure and releases endorphins which help a person feel better and be happier.

These things are all definitely needed in regular life but especially needed while a person is trying to rehabilitate themselves from a life of drugs and alcohol.
Usually when a person enters a rehabilitation facility they are given the proper diet and exercise plan to help them successfully recover from the effects of the drugs and successfully quit using them. Once this happens the person has a greater chance of returning to a normal life and if they continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle with diet and exercise then they will also be more likely to continue to stay off of drugs.

For more information on this topic contact Narconon Arrowhead or call 1-888-816-0019
. Recovery from addiction is possible and nutrition is one key aspect of this. Learn more today.sa

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The effects of drug abuse are many, but some of the most unsightly effects can be seen on the skin. No matter what type of substances you are addicted to or ingest, they do damage to the body. One of the main consequences of drug abuse is that it leaches nutrients from the body, and this deficiency shows up on the skin.

The Effects of Drug Abuse on the Skin

Among the many effects of drug abuse on the skin is jaundice. This is a yellowing of the skin and eyes. The patient can also suffer from itching of the skin, also called pruritus. The skin can also darken in a condition called hyperpigmentation or break out into hives, which are red, itching welts that can grow to cover a large area of the body. Discoloration of the skin is very common, and while not dangerous, are unsightly and psychologically damaging.

People in recovery from substance abuse can also suffer fromspider veins. This is when the tiny veins, especially those found in the face, dilate and become unsightly. They can also suffer from angiomas, which are skin tumors made up of blood vessels. The skin is also subject to flushing and a condition called caput medusae, which are enlarged, snaky veins that appear around the area of the navel. Caput medusae are also known as the palm tree sign. The patients can also suffer from palmarerythema, which is when the palms of the hands redden.

Effects of Drug Abuse from IV Drug Use

The effects of drug abuse, specifically intravenous drug use can be serious. Often patients suffer from skin granulomas, ulcerations and infections of the skin that persist or return. Granulomas are small, inflamed areas on the skin that appear when the skin has been injured. They occur when macrophages from a person's immune system wall off a toxin from the rest of the body but can't eliminate it. Granulomas that are one of the effects of drug abuse are usually not cancerous but are unsightly. Blistered skin and track marks or needle marks are also common. The skin may also atrophy and appear shiny. Patients who are in recovery from methamphetamine abuse also might suffer from tooth decay and severe oral diseases like trench mouth. Patients might also scratch and pick at their skin to the point where the skin is injured. This also puts the skin at risk for infections, bruises and sores. The skin might also have a faint but unusual odor that might be acrid or somewhat sweet.

Understanding the Effects of Drug Abuse On the Skin

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Treatment

Inpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities

For individuals who are abusing any drug or alcoholic substances, finding the right substance abuse treatment facilityis essential to getting the help you need to fight the addiction. Due to the fact that you are currently around the drugs, the people, and the places that lead you to this habit, the best way to get proper treatment, is to check in to an inpatient facility for treatment. Not only are you going to be taken away from the drugs, people, and bad influences, you are also going to be able to be in a relaxing environment, a healthy environment, and in a place where there are doctors, nurses, and support staff all around, at all times, to help you get past your addiction.

What you get in substance abuse treatment facilities

When you choose to check in to a facility for treatment, some of the benefits include:

- You are supervised, 24/7, by doctors, nurses, and other staff members who can help you fight the addiction, and who are going to help you get through tougher times like withdrawal, and early detox phases.

- A built in support system, where there are others like you, trying to fight addiction, and trying to get past their drug use and abuse.

- Trained staff, people to talk to, and a safe haven for you to stay in, when trying to treat the addiction.

- You are completely taken away from the bad influences, the addiction, the temptation, and the places and situations that led you to drug use and abuse in the first place.

Selecting a substance abuse treatment facility

In order to ensure you get the best treatment, and to help you get past your addiction, and future temptations once you leave the facility, you have to select a highly known and respected facility. You want one that:

- Is well known, either in your local city, or you can choose to go to an out of state facility for great treatment.

- Offers a holistic approach to treatment, so you do not get drugs or other medication to help fight withdrawal.

- The best trained nurses and staff on site in order to help if you do go through medical necessity while being treated.

- A facility that is going to give you a support system during, as well as after the treatment, if you find you are ever tempted, and considering turning back to drugs, after you have undergone the initial treatment, and gotten past your addictive nature that you fought with for so long.

With an inpatient facility, you have the technical knowledge, the medical assistance, and a safe place for you to get past the addiction. You also are taken away from people and situations that led you to drug use, and you are going to find that with the strong support system you get in a substance abuse treatment facility, you are going to be able to fight, and you are going to learn the tools to help you stay off drugs once you leave the facility.For more information. 

If you know someone who has an addiction to prescription pills or any other kind of drug and aren't sure how to help or where to start give us a call at 888-619-0019 and speak with a specialistsa

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