What does it look like?
Methamphetamine is a crystal-like powdered substance that sometimes comes in large rock-like chunks. When the powder flakes off the rock, the shards look like glass, which is another nickname for meth. Meth is usually white or slightly yellow, depending on the purity.
How is it used?
Methamphetamine can be taken orally, injected, snorted, or smoked.
What are its short-term effects?
Immediately after smoking or injection, the user experiences an intense sensation, called a "rush" or "flash," that lasts only a few minutes and is described as extremely pleasurable. Snorting or swallowing meth produces euphoria - a high, but not a rush. After the initial "rush," there is typically a state of high agitation that in some individuals can lead to violent behavior. Other possible immediate effects include increased wakefulness and insomnia, decreased appetite, irritability/aggression, anxiety, nervousness, convulsions and heart attack.
What are its long-term effects?
Methamphetamine is addictive, and users can develop a tolerance quickly, needing larger amounts to get high. In some cases, users forego food and sleep and take more meth every few hours for days, 'binging' until they run out of the drug or become too disorganized to continue. Chronic use can cause paranoia, hallucinations, repetitive behavior (such as compulsively cleaning, grooming or disassembling and assembling objects), and delusions of parasites or insects crawling under the skin. Users can obsessively scratch their skin to get rid of these imagined insects. Long-term use, high dosages, or both can bring on full-blown toxic psychosis (often exhibited as violent, aggressive behavior). This violent, aggressive behavior is usually coupled with extreme paranoia. Methamphetamine use can also cause strokes and death.
What is its federal classification?
Schedule II
Source
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Friday, August 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
NIDA InfoFacts: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction
NIDA InfoFacts: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction
Drug addiction is a complex but treatable disease. It is characterized by compulsive drug craving, seeking, and use that persist even in the face of severe adverse consequences. For many people, drug abuse becomes chronic, with relapses possible even after long periods of abstinence. In fact, relapse to drug abuse occurs at rates similar to those for other well-characterized, chronic medical illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. As a chronic, recurring illness, addiction may require repeated episodes of treatment before sustained abstinence is achieved. Through treatment tailored to individual needs, people with drug addiction can recover and lead productive lives.
The ultimate goal of drug addiction treatment is to enable an individual to achieve lasting abstinence, but the immediate goals are to reduce drug abuse, improve the patient's ability to function, and minimize the medical and social complications of drug abuse and addiction. Like people with diabetes or heart disease, people in treatment for drug addiction will also need to change their behavior to adopt a more healthful lifestyle.
In 2006, 23.6 million persons aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem (9.6 percent of the persons aged 12 or older). Of these, 2.5 million (10.8 percent of those who needed treatment) received treatment at a specialty facility. Thus, 21.2 million persons (8.6 percent of the population aged 12 or older) needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem but did not receive it. These estimates are similar to the estimates for 2005.*
Untreated substance abuse and addiction add significant costs to families and communities, including those related to violence and property crimes, prison expenses, court and criminal costs, emergency room visits, healthcare utilization, child abuse and neglect, lost child support, foster care and welfare costs, reduced productivity, and unemployment.
The cost to society of illicit drug abuse alone is $181 billion annually.1 When combined with alcohol and tobacco costs, they exceed $500 billion including healthcare, criminal justice, and lost productivity.2,3 Successful drug abuse treatment can help reduce these costs in addition to crime, and the spread of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases. It is estimated that for every dollar spent on addiction treatment programs, there is a $4 to $7 reduction in the cost of drug-related crimes. With some outpatient programs, total savings can exceed costs by a ratio of 12:1.
1 Office of National Drug Control Policy. The Economic Costs of Drug Abuse in the United States: 1992–2002. Washington, DC: Executive Office of the President (Publication No. 207303), 2004.2 Harwood, H. Updating Estimates of the Economic Costs of Alcohol Abuse in the United States: Estimates, Update Methods, and Data Report. Prepared by the Lewin Group for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2000. 3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Annual Smoking–Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and Productivity Losses — United States, 1997–2001. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 54(25):625–628, July 1, 2005.4 The National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study (NTIES): Highlights. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 97-3159. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Office of Evaluation, Scientific Analysis and Synthesis,
Drug addiction is a complex but treatable disease. It is characterized by compulsive drug craving, seeking, and use that persist even in the face of severe adverse consequences. For many people, drug abuse becomes chronic, with relapses possible even after long periods of abstinence. In fact, relapse to drug abuse occurs at rates similar to those for other well-characterized, chronic medical illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. As a chronic, recurring illness, addiction may require repeated episodes of treatment before sustained abstinence is achieved. Through treatment tailored to individual needs, people with drug addiction can recover and lead productive lives.
The ultimate goal of drug addiction treatment is to enable an individual to achieve lasting abstinence, but the immediate goals are to reduce drug abuse, improve the patient's ability to function, and minimize the medical and social complications of drug abuse and addiction. Like people with diabetes or heart disease, people in treatment for drug addiction will also need to change their behavior to adopt a more healthful lifestyle.
In 2006, 23.6 million persons aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem (9.6 percent of the persons aged 12 or older). Of these, 2.5 million (10.8 percent of those who needed treatment) received treatment at a specialty facility. Thus, 21.2 million persons (8.6 percent of the population aged 12 or older) needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem but did not receive it. These estimates are similar to the estimates for 2005.*
Untreated substance abuse and addiction add significant costs to families and communities, including those related to violence and property crimes, prison expenses, court and criminal costs, emergency room visits, healthcare utilization, child abuse and neglect, lost child support, foster care and welfare costs, reduced productivity, and unemployment.
The cost to society of illicit drug abuse alone is $181 billion annually.1 When combined with alcohol and tobacco costs, they exceed $500 billion including healthcare, criminal justice, and lost productivity.2,3 Successful drug abuse treatment can help reduce these costs in addition to crime, and the spread of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases. It is estimated that for every dollar spent on addiction treatment programs, there is a $4 to $7 reduction in the cost of drug-related crimes. With some outpatient programs, total savings can exceed costs by a ratio of 12:1.
1 Office of National Drug Control Policy. The Economic Costs of Drug Abuse in the United States: 1992–2002. Washington, DC: Executive Office of the President (Publication No. 207303), 2004.2 Harwood, H. Updating Estimates of the Economic Costs of Alcohol Abuse in the United States: Estimates, Update Methods, and Data Report. Prepared by the Lewin Group for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2000. 3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Annual Smoking–Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and Productivity Losses — United States, 1997–2001. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 54(25):625–628, July 1, 2005.4 The National Treatment Improvement Evaluation Study (NTIES): Highlights. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 97-3159. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Office of Evaluation, Scientific Analysis and Synthesis,
Thursday, August 13, 2009
The Relationship of Chronic Viral Hepatitis, Alcoholism, and Cirrhosis to Liver Caner
The Relationship of Chronic Viral Hepatitis, Alcoholism, and Cirrhosis to Liver Cancer
Medical Author: Jay W. Marks, MD
Medical Editor: Leslie J. Schoenfield, MD,
Cancer can start within the liver (primary liver cancer or hepatocellular cancer) or spread to the liver (metastatic liver cancer) from other sites, such as the colon. Cancer that starts in the liver, which I will refer to simply as liver cancer, is the fifth most common cancer in the world. In the U.S., it is among the 10 most common cancers. This cancer is more frequent among Native Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics than among Caucasians.
Liver cancer is a bad cancer. It has frequently spread beyond the liver by the time it is discovered, and only 5% of patients with liver cancer that has begun to cause symptoms survive even five years without treatment. The only hope for patients who are at risk for liver cancer is regular surveillance so that the cancers can be found early. Early cancers can be treated by surgical removal (resection), destruction of the individual tumors, or liver transplantation. Although the current techniques for surveillance are not very good at detecting early liver cancer, newer techniques are being tested and appear to be better.
The most common diseases associated with liver cancer are chronic viral hepatitis, alcoholism, and cirrhosis (scarring of the liver). Moreover, chronic viral hepatitis is common in alcoholism, and both viral hepatitis and alcoholism cause cirrhosis which usually precedes the development of cancer. Therefore, the contributions and interrelationships of alcohol abuse, viral hepatitis, and cirrhosis in the development of liver cancer are complex. Despite the complexity, it is important to try to understand the contributions of each disease so that patients at highest risk for liver cancer can be targeted for surveillance. Theoretically, they also might be targeted with treatments that prevent the development of liver cancer, when such treatments are developed.
Learn more about the link between alcoholism and liver cancer »
Monday, August 10, 2009
Drug, alcohol treatment vital in solving problem
Drug, alcohol treatment vital in solving problem
Health Happenings
Alamogordo Daily NewsBy Ken Nicholson, For the Daily News
Posted: 08/09/2009 12:00:00 AM
In spite of the nationwide prohibition of street drugs, New Mexico and Otero County, as well as the rest of the United States, has a persistently growing drug problem with increasing numbers of younger students using drugs and alcohol.
With that is the typically disastrous results of addiction, incarceration, unintended pregnancies, failing grades and school drop-outs. While education and law enforcement are making strides in stopping the illegal drug trade while educating our youth about the consequences of drug use, drug and alcohol use continues to be a devastating problem, suggesting once again that peer-pressure can be a stronger force than education.
Making drugs illegal has, no doubt, been a deterrent to the vast majority of Americans. On the other hand, this has put the burden of the drug war on law enforcement and the judicial system, especially since 1986 when Congress enacted mandatory minimum sentencing laws, which mandated judges to deliver fixed sentences to individuals convicted of the crime of addiction, regardless of culpability or other mitigating circumstances.
Overwhelmingly, drug defendants 85 percent of them are nonviolent, according to Families Against Mandatory Minimums. Yet many mostly minorities and the poor are convicted of felonies and receive mandatory minimum sentences of five to 10 years or more. Also, those addicted at the time of their incarceration are generally still addicted upon release and still need treatment.
While giving a big boost to the private prison industry, incarcerating drug offenders is expensive for the tax payer. In New Mexico, the average cost of incarceration is $30,000 per inmate per year. The average cost of probation and parole in New Mexico is $1,533 per person per year. According to a 1998 study conducted at the Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, the average cost for drug treatment per year is between $1,800 for regular outpatient care and $6,800 for long-term residential care.
For each person that receives treatment, rather than being incarcerated, New Mexico could save between $22,000 and $27,000 per year (prison savings less probation/parole and treatment costs), according to the Drug Policy Alliance.
The American Medical Association has given formal recognition to the disease concept regarding addiction since 1956. Medically, addiction is classified as a chronic disease similar to other chronic diseases such as Type II diabetes, hypertension, asthma and cardiovascular disease. Research conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse has shown that they all have similar relapse rates.
Addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disorder that should be managed with all the tools at medicine's disposal. While lifestyle choices may be a contributing factor in diabetes, lung cancer or cardiac disease and is the only factor in an addict's first use. No one regards lifestyle choice as a reason to withhold treatment for any of these conditions, except for addiction.
Just as it takes an average of seven attempts for a smoker to quit tobacco, we should understand that relapse is an integral part of the disease of any addiction. We should treat the addict with the same care and compassion we treat diabetes or cardiac patients struggling to make prescribed lifestyle changes.
Ken Nicholson represents Peace & Justice, of La Luz. This column is provided as a service of the Otero County Community Health Council and the Alamogordo Daily News as a way to provide the latest in health and wellness information, services and events. This column is submitted by OCCHC partners and does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the OCCHC.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Painkiller Addiction: Rough Road To Recovery
Painkiller Addiction: Rough Road to Recovery
Fresno - According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, prescription drugs account for the second most commonly abused category of drugs in the United States behind marijuana and ahead of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine.
There really is no easy or right way to recover, but doctors agree there are only certain outcomes of addiction - and if left untreated - death is one of them.
Dr. Richard Guzzetta, of Touchstone Recovery center in Clovis, is noticing an increase of younger addicts.
"We see several people under the age of 18... we didn't see as many a few years ago," said Dr. Guzzetta.
And he says, it could be because the drugs of choice these days - Oxycontin and other prescription painkillers - take a faster and stronger hold.
"There are certain drugs that are more satisfying to the addictive cravings that you have, so if you get a hold of those your addiction takes hold faster and a little bit harder. We find that opiates attack two recepters...so you get a double whammy, that's why it takes hold of kids so fast," explains Dr. Guzzetta.
According to the Monitoring the Future study, nearly 10% of 12th graders surveyed in 2008, reported using Vicodin without a doctor's orders that year. And nearly 5% reported using Oxycontin.
Dr. Guzzetta says he knows there's a lot of peer pressure in Clovis and Fresno high schools.
"My son goes to high school, and several of his friends are taking drugs, and making fun of those who don't take drugs," said Dr. Guzzetta.
But not all kids who try it become addicted.
"Addiction is not willpower or a moral problem, it's a brain chemistry problem, usually children are born with a propensity for addiction, all they have to do is add that brain to an addictive chemical, and you'll have an addiction going on," explains Dr. Guzzetta.
It's not just rich kids getting caught up in addiction.
"The unknown demographic is the stay at home mom... I've met so many women in recovery you would never suspect," said Fresno housewife, Julie Valles.
Valles is recovered from an addiction to the painkiller Norco - but it took a stint in jail for her to stay sober.
She says the withdrawal process, is what kept her going back to the pills.
"It is the worst pain describable, it's like having the flu ten times over, aches and pains, every bone in your body hurts, every muscle hurts, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, you just feel sick, you cannot function," said Valles.
"When people are addicted to it, and they don't get it, they go through a withdrawal... it can be as simple as having anxiety, or as severe as having a panic attack. People seeking their medication and they need help right now, and it could be life threatening," explains pharmacist Michael Winton, of Winton Pharmacies.
In 2008 alone, 81 people died in Fresno County, because of prescription drug abuse.
"No it's not shocking, if you're going to become an addict, there are only certain courses that lay ahead of you, and death is one of them," said Dr. Guzzetta.
Dr. Guzzetta says only about a third of people who go to rehab for addiction, will successfully remain sober.
He says it's important for people to be aware of the reality of prescription drug abuse in our community.
It's a sobering reality that Clovis police, the Fresno county coroner, and local pharmacists already accept.
"Oxycontin is very addictive, typical effects are euphoria, feeling of well being... these kids don't know what they're doing, they're playing with fire, if it continues they will get hurt, if not dead, and we as a community have to stop it," said Winton.
But recovery can be a long road back with many of its own pitfalls, including new addictions.
Medicines like methadone and buprenorphine are commonly prescribed to help addicts get clean.
And many people interviewed for this series say patients sometimes get hooked on their anti-addiction pills.
Successful recovery depends on matching the individual to the right doctor and treatment.
Posted:
May 13, 2009 02:18 AM EDT
If you know someone with an addiction and they are unwilling to get the help please call us toll-free 1-866-631-0026. You can also visit our website http://www.kdconsulting.org/.
Fresno - According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, prescription drugs account for the second most commonly abused category of drugs in the United States behind marijuana and ahead of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine.
There really is no easy or right way to recover, but doctors agree there are only certain outcomes of addiction - and if left untreated - death is one of them.
Dr. Richard Guzzetta, of Touchstone Recovery center in Clovis, is noticing an increase of younger addicts.
"We see several people under the age of 18... we didn't see as many a few years ago," said Dr. Guzzetta.
And he says, it could be because the drugs of choice these days - Oxycontin and other prescription painkillers - take a faster and stronger hold.
"There are certain drugs that are more satisfying to the addictive cravings that you have, so if you get a hold of those your addiction takes hold faster and a little bit harder. We find that opiates attack two recepters...so you get a double whammy, that's why it takes hold of kids so fast," explains Dr. Guzzetta.
According to the Monitoring the Future study, nearly 10% of 12th graders surveyed in 2008, reported using Vicodin without a doctor's orders that year. And nearly 5% reported using Oxycontin.
Dr. Guzzetta says he knows there's a lot of peer pressure in Clovis and Fresno high schools.
"My son goes to high school, and several of his friends are taking drugs, and making fun of those who don't take drugs," said Dr. Guzzetta.
But not all kids who try it become addicted.
"Addiction is not willpower or a moral problem, it's a brain chemistry problem, usually children are born with a propensity for addiction, all they have to do is add that brain to an addictive chemical, and you'll have an addiction going on," explains Dr. Guzzetta.
It's not just rich kids getting caught up in addiction.
"The unknown demographic is the stay at home mom... I've met so many women in recovery you would never suspect," said Fresno housewife, Julie Valles.
Valles is recovered from an addiction to the painkiller Norco - but it took a stint in jail for her to stay sober.
She says the withdrawal process, is what kept her going back to the pills.
"It is the worst pain describable, it's like having the flu ten times over, aches and pains, every bone in your body hurts, every muscle hurts, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, you just feel sick, you cannot function," said Valles.
"When people are addicted to it, and they don't get it, they go through a withdrawal... it can be as simple as having anxiety, or as severe as having a panic attack. People seeking their medication and they need help right now, and it could be life threatening," explains pharmacist Michael Winton, of Winton Pharmacies.
In 2008 alone, 81 people died in Fresno County, because of prescription drug abuse.
"No it's not shocking, if you're going to become an addict, there are only certain courses that lay ahead of you, and death is one of them," said Dr. Guzzetta.
Dr. Guzzetta says only about a third of people who go to rehab for addiction, will successfully remain sober.
He says it's important for people to be aware of the reality of prescription drug abuse in our community.
It's a sobering reality that Clovis police, the Fresno county coroner, and local pharmacists already accept.
"Oxycontin is very addictive, typical effects are euphoria, feeling of well being... these kids don't know what they're doing, they're playing with fire, if it continues they will get hurt, if not dead, and we as a community have to stop it," said Winton.
But recovery can be a long road back with many of its own pitfalls, including new addictions.
Medicines like methadone and buprenorphine are commonly prescribed to help addicts get clean.
And many people interviewed for this series say patients sometimes get hooked on their anti-addiction pills.
Successful recovery depends on matching the individual to the right doctor and treatment.
Posted:
May 13, 2009 02:18 AM EDT
If you know someone with an addiction and they are unwilling to get the help please call us toll-free 1-866-631-0026. You can also visit our website http://www.kdconsulting.org/.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Bipolar Disorder Symptoms
Bipolar disorder causes extreme mood swings, from feeling overly energetic (mania) to feeling very sad or having low energy (depression).
Mania may cause a person to:
Feel extremely happy or very irritable.
Have a very high opinion of himself or herself (inflated self-esteem).
Not need as much sleep as usual (feel rested after 3 hours of sleep).
Talk more than usual.
Be more active than usual.
Have difficulty concentrating because of having too many thoughts at the same time (racing thoughts).
Be easily distracted by sights and sounds.
Act impulsively or do reckless things, such as go on shopping sprees, drive recklessly, get into foolish business ventures, or have frequent, indiscriminate, or unsafe sex.
Depression may cause a person to:
Feel sad or anxious for a significant time.
Feel hopeless or pessimistic.
Have slowed thoughts and speech because of low energy.
Have difficulty concentrating, remembering, and making decisions.
Have changes in eating and sleeping habits leading to too much or too little eating or sleeping.
Have decreased interest in usual activities, including sex.
Have suicidal thoughts.
Not enjoy things he or she normally would enjoy.
Types of bipolar disorder
Bipolar I. Considered the classic form of the illness, bipolar I causes recurrent episodes of mania and depression. The depression may last for a short time or for months. You may then go back to feeling normal for a time, or you may go right into a manic episode.
Bipolar II. If you have bipolar II, you will experience depression just as in bipolar I. But the episodes of mania are less severe (hypomania). People with bipolar II have more depressive episodes than hypomanic episodes.
Rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. If you have rapid-cycling bipolar disorder, you will experience at least four episodes of depression, mania, or both within a 12-month period. You may go directly from an episode of depression to an episode of mania, or you may have a short time lapse between the two extreme moods. The mood swings are the same as with other types of bipolar, but the frequency of mood swings distinguishes rapid-cycling bipolar disorder from the other subtypes.
Some people may have bipolar disorder with mixed symptoms, in which episodes of depression and mania occur together. Symptoms include sadness, euphoria, and irritability. Other symptoms can include agitation, lack of sleep, appetite changes, and possibly, thoughts of suicide. This makes the disorder challenging to treat and very frustrating for you and for those around you. It can also lead to hospitalization if your daily functioning becomes impaired.
In addition to changes in mood, some people with bipolar disorder also have symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, or symptoms of psychosis.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder in children can be very different than those in adults and can be confused with other childhood mental disorders, such as depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Bipolar disorder in children significantly interferes with a child's ability to function in school, with friends, and at home.
Some other conditions with symptoms similar to bipolar disorder include depression, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
People with bipolar disorder—men more often than women—may have substance abuse problems, especially during manic episodes.4 Abusing alcohol or drugs may affect treatment and interfere with taking medicines as prescribed. Other disorders that may occur along with bipolar disorder include:5
Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Panic attacks or panic disorder.
These illnesses need to be treated along with the bipolar disorder.
Last Updated: March 14, 2008
Health.com
Author:
Jeannette Curtis
Medical Review:
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Lisa S. Weinstock, MD - Psychiatry
© 1995-2009 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
Mania may cause a person to:
Feel extremely happy or very irritable.
Have a very high opinion of himself or herself (inflated self-esteem).
Not need as much sleep as usual (feel rested after 3 hours of sleep).
Talk more than usual.
Be more active than usual.
Have difficulty concentrating because of having too many thoughts at the same time (racing thoughts).
Be easily distracted by sights and sounds.
Act impulsively or do reckless things, such as go on shopping sprees, drive recklessly, get into foolish business ventures, or have frequent, indiscriminate, or unsafe sex.
Depression may cause a person to:
Feel sad or anxious for a significant time.
Feel hopeless or pessimistic.
Have slowed thoughts and speech because of low energy.
Have difficulty concentrating, remembering, and making decisions.
Have changes in eating and sleeping habits leading to too much or too little eating or sleeping.
Have decreased interest in usual activities, including sex.
Have suicidal thoughts.
Not enjoy things he or she normally would enjoy.
Types of bipolar disorder
Bipolar I. Considered the classic form of the illness, bipolar I causes recurrent episodes of mania and depression. The depression may last for a short time or for months. You may then go back to feeling normal for a time, or you may go right into a manic episode.
Bipolar II. If you have bipolar II, you will experience depression just as in bipolar I. But the episodes of mania are less severe (hypomania). People with bipolar II have more depressive episodes than hypomanic episodes.
Rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. If you have rapid-cycling bipolar disorder, you will experience at least four episodes of depression, mania, or both within a 12-month period. You may go directly from an episode of depression to an episode of mania, or you may have a short time lapse between the two extreme moods. The mood swings are the same as with other types of bipolar, but the frequency of mood swings distinguishes rapid-cycling bipolar disorder from the other subtypes.
Some people may have bipolar disorder with mixed symptoms, in which episodes of depression and mania occur together. Symptoms include sadness, euphoria, and irritability. Other symptoms can include agitation, lack of sleep, appetite changes, and possibly, thoughts of suicide. This makes the disorder challenging to treat and very frustrating for you and for those around you. It can also lead to hospitalization if your daily functioning becomes impaired.
In addition to changes in mood, some people with bipolar disorder also have symptoms of anxiety, panic attacks, or symptoms of psychosis.
Symptoms of bipolar disorder in children can be very different than those in adults and can be confused with other childhood mental disorders, such as depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Bipolar disorder in children significantly interferes with a child's ability to function in school, with friends, and at home.
Some other conditions with symptoms similar to bipolar disorder include depression, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
People with bipolar disorder—men more often than women—may have substance abuse problems, especially during manic episodes.4 Abusing alcohol or drugs may affect treatment and interfere with taking medicines as prescribed. Other disorders that may occur along with bipolar disorder include:5
Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Panic attacks or panic disorder.
These illnesses need to be treated along with the bipolar disorder.
Last Updated: March 14, 2008
Health.com
Author:
Jeannette Curtis
Medical Review:
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Lisa S. Weinstock, MD - Psychiatry
© 1995-2009 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Methamphetamin Abuse Costs U.S. $23.4 Billion
Methamphetamine Abuse Costs U.S. $23.4 Billion
Study cites crime, court fees, productivity losses and deaths among consequences
HealthDay
By Robert Preidt
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) -- In 2005, the economic cost of methamphetamine use in the United States was $23.4 billion, according to a RAND Corporation study of the financial impact of addiction, premature death and other issues associated with the drug.
While methamphetamine causes some unique types of harm, many of the costs associated with its use are the same as those identified in economic assessments of other illicit drugs, the study found.
Almost two-thirds of the costs caused by methamphetamine use resulted from the burden of addiction and the estimated 900 premature deaths among users in 2005. The second largest cost category was crime and criminal justice, including the costs of arresting and jailing drug offenders and dealing with non-drug crimes committed by methamphetamine users, such as thefts committed to support their drug habit.
Loss of productivity, the removal of children from their parents' homes because of methamphetamine use, and drug treatment were among the other factors associated with the economic cost of the drug.
The study cited the production of methamphetamine as another cost category, explaining that producing the drug requires toxic chemicals that can result in fire, explosions and other dangerous events. The resulting costs cover such things as cleaning up the hazardous waste generated by methamphetamine production and injuries suffered by emergency workers and other victims.
"Estimates of the economic costs of illicit drug use can highlight the consequences of illegal drug use on our society and focus attention on the primary drivers of these costs," study lead author Nancy Nicosia, an economist at RAND, said in a news release from the nonprofit research organization. "But more work is needed to identify areas where interventions to reduce these harms could prove most effective."
The study was sponsored by the nonprofit Meth Project Foundation and the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse.
"We commissioned this study to provide decision-makers with the best possible estimate of the financial burden that methamphetamine use places on the American public," Tom Siebel, founder and chairman of the Meth Project, which aims to reduce first-time use of the drug, said in the news release.
"This is the first comprehensive economic impact study ever to be conducted with the rigor of a traditional cost-of-illness study, applied specifically to methamphetamine," Siebel said. "It provides a conservative estimate of the total cost of meth, and it reinforces the need to invest in serious prevention programs that work."
HealthDay
Copyright (c) 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Study cites crime, court fees, productivity losses and deaths among consequences
HealthDay
By Robert Preidt
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) -- In 2005, the economic cost of methamphetamine use in the United States was $23.4 billion, according to a RAND Corporation study of the financial impact of addiction, premature death and other issues associated with the drug.
While methamphetamine causes some unique types of harm, many of the costs associated with its use are the same as those identified in economic assessments of other illicit drugs, the study found.
Almost two-thirds of the costs caused by methamphetamine use resulted from the burden of addiction and the estimated 900 premature deaths among users in 2005. The second largest cost category was crime and criminal justice, including the costs of arresting and jailing drug offenders and dealing with non-drug crimes committed by methamphetamine users, such as thefts committed to support their drug habit.
Loss of productivity, the removal of children from their parents' homes because of methamphetamine use, and drug treatment were among the other factors associated with the economic cost of the drug.
The study cited the production of methamphetamine as another cost category, explaining that producing the drug requires toxic chemicals that can result in fire, explosions and other dangerous events. The resulting costs cover such things as cleaning up the hazardous waste generated by methamphetamine production and injuries suffered by emergency workers and other victims.
"Estimates of the economic costs of illicit drug use can highlight the consequences of illegal drug use on our society and focus attention on the primary drivers of these costs," study lead author Nancy Nicosia, an economist at RAND, said in a news release from the nonprofit research organization. "But more work is needed to identify areas where interventions to reduce these harms could prove most effective."
The study was sponsored by the nonprofit Meth Project Foundation and the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse.
"We commissioned this study to provide decision-makers with the best possible estimate of the financial burden that methamphetamine use places on the American public," Tom Siebel, founder and chairman of the Meth Project, which aims to reduce first-time use of the drug, said in the news release.
"This is the first comprehensive economic impact study ever to be conducted with the rigor of a traditional cost-of-illness study, applied specifically to methamphetamine," Siebel said. "It provides a conservative estimate of the total cost of meth, and it reinforces the need to invest in serious prevention programs that work."
HealthDay
Copyright (c) 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
