But awareness of that concept grew slowly.

People didn’t stop laughing at drunk acts like Dean Martin and Foster Brooks until after Betty Ford opened her chemical dependency treatment center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., in 1982.

Ford, who died Friday at age 93, helped create a new sobering reality for America by lending her name, energy and experience as a recovering addict to the center.

“The fact that Betty Ford lent her name to the center had a profound effect on the treatment of alcoholism,” said Dr. James West, a medical director at the Betty Ford Center from its opening until his April 2007 retirement.

“When she made it clear that she was the head of this place and a recovering person herself, that had a very profound effect on the whole system throughout the country.”

Ford embraced the 12-step Alcoholics Anonymousprogram while being treated at the Long Beach Naval Hospital’s Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Service in 1978.

The Navy pioneered alcohol and drug treatment when it discovered its sailors were abusing drugs during theVietnam War.

“The leader of the whole thing was a (chief of naval operations) named Adm. Elmo Zumwalt,” said retired Rear Adm. Bill Narva, a physician who became anEisenhower Medical Center and Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center board member.

“He was interested in people and personnel and women and minorities, and the use of drugs and alcohol on the ships.

“I was his staff medical officer, and went through that with him in ’70-’74. There was a medical officer in Long Beach who had a clinic on one of the piers. Zumwalt said, ‘Put the damn thing in the hospital.’ That’s how it all began at Long Beach.”

Ford was admitted to the hospital’s treatment center after her daughter, Susan, told their mutual gynecologist, Dr. Joseph Cruse, her mother had a drug and alcohol problem.

Cruse was a recovering alcoholic who worked with addicted teens at a Desert Hot Springs facility called Turnoff. He contacted Dr. Joe Pursch of the Long Beach Naval Hospital, and they planned an intervention with Ford’s family. Pursch arranged for her to be detoxed in at home before being admitted to the Navy hospital as the spouse of a commander-in-chief.

Her hospital stay required rooming with three other recovering alcoholics, with no special treatment. Then she was released to an AA program. Her sponsor was the late Meri Bell, who received an acknowledgement in Ford’s book, “Betty: A Glad Awakening.”

Ford was encouraged to help other drug and alcohol addicts as part of her therapy, but Bell’s husband, the late Del Sharbutt, Eisenhower board President John Sinn and Chairwoman Dolores Hope sought to integrally involve the Fords in their medical center.

“After she got out of treatment,” Sharbutt told The Desert Sun in the 1990s, “Dolores called her and said, ‘You’re the new kid on the block. Do you see anything around here that we’re not doing that we ought to be doing?’

Read the full article at USATODAY.

The new approach uses injected vaccines to block some addictive substances from reaching the brain. If a vaccinated addict on the path to recovery slips and indulges in a drug, such as tobacco or cocaine, no pleasure will result.

“You still have to mentally say to yourself, ‘I’m not going to do this,’ but it’s so much easier to say it when you know if you light a cigarette, you’re not going to get any pleasure out of it,” says Stephen Ballou, a 56-year-old banker who got a nicotine vaccine in a 2007 clinical trial to help kick his pack-a-day habit. He says he hasn’t smoked since.

Some medications currently available to treat addictions typically work by mimicking a drug in the brain. For example, methadone stands in for heroin and the nicotine patch for cigarettes. Other medications block activity in the brain’s reward system. Alkermes Inc.’s once-monthly Vivitrol injection does this for alcoholics and opioid addicts, while PfizerInc.’s Chantix pills block the brain’s pleasure receptors activated when people smoke.

Small-molecule drugs like Chantix that function inside the brain can raise safety concerns. Chantix carries a federally mandated warning to users of possible depression and suicidal thoughts. A spokesman for Pfizer notes that no causal link between Chantix and such symptoms has been made.

By contrast, addiction-treatment vaccines work in the bloodstream, not the brain. Clinical trials have so far revealed no significant side effects, though the vaccines would do nothing to combat cravings. They work by tricking the body to reject drugs as if they are foreign pathogens. Normally, tiny drug molecules wend their way through the bloodstream to the brain, unleashing a flood of chemicals involved with pleasure and gratification. The drug molecules are too small to goad the immune system into generating antibodies to fight them off.

Scientists have figured out how to attach molecules similar to addictive drugs to much bigger antigens, such as deactivated versions of cholera or the common cold. When injected, these so-called conjugate vaccines spur the immune system to create antibodies to fight the tiny, addictive-drug molecules. These antibodies have in several studies glommed on to molecules of nicotine, cocaine and heroin ingested by lab animals and in some cases people, blocking them from triggering the pleasure centers in the brain.

Read the full article at the Wall Street Journal.

The “hidden illness” of compulsive gambling is classified by the American Psychological Association as a mental health disorder of impulse control. It is called a “hidden illness” because it is extremely rare and very difficult to detect any physical signs or symptoms. Compulsive gambling becomes worse as time goes on and causes severe psychological, physical, social, and vocational troubles. The good news is that once diagnosed, this addiction can be treated and cured.

Action gambling is one category of compulsive gambling where the addicted individual’s substance of choice is risk-taking. The person becomes addicted to the action and thrill of gambling, much like a heroin addict can become addicted to the process of shooting up. A person who is classified as an action gambler gets pleasure out of being seen as a “winner” by others and will therefore gamble in large groups or with others in order to show that they are able to win. It is most common for men to be classified as action gamblers.

Escape gamblers are those who gamble in order to suppress an emotional pain. Their main goal is not to achieve a rush through the action of gambling, like action gamblers, but to numb their feeling of pain. These gamblers do not like gambling with or around others because of their preference to be along and focus on numbing their pain. Many women fall under the category of escape gamblers.

Unlike most other addictions, teenagers have the highest chance of becoming compulsive gamblers, so it is imperative that they be made aware of the dangers associated with gambling.

Most compulsive gamblers experience a four-phased downward spiral process. These phases are as follows:

Phase one- Winning phase: The person wins big and becomes very excited at the potential to win even more. Because the gambler is extremely motivated to win, bets are increased during this phase.

Phase two- Losing phase: The person becomes removed from family and friends, starts lying more, and borrows money to support their gambling. The person brags about all of their winning. If they suffer a loss, they are inclined to immediately return to gambling to win it all back.

Phase three- Desperation phase: The person becomes even more detached from family and friends, blames others, and feels badly about his or her gambling. This person may resort to committing illegal acts, divorce, suicide, drug abuse or arrest.

Phase four- Hopelessness phase: The person believes they have hit rock bottom and they feel that there is no way out of their addiction. Up to 20% of individuals in this phase will attempt suicide, while almost all contemplate it.

While the causes of pathological gambling are still unknown, there are three criteria that researchers have determined necessary for a person to develop a gambling addiction: 1) An emotional state that is very difficult to endure, like depression, guilt or helplessness; 2) The ability to self-deceive; 3) Being exposed to gambling where it was seen as valuable. There have been no links to physical or genetic causes proven. One study suggests that compulsive gamblers have lower levels of norepinephrine, and since the stress and arousal caused by gambling helps increase these levels, a compulsive gambler becomes addicted to engaging in this behavior.

Treating a gambling addiction is very similar to treating other, more common addictions. The same approaches are used in treatment by mental health and medical professionals. These may include:

Group Therapy- Compulsive gamblers are able to get support and advice from others suffering with the same addiction, as well as those who are in recovery. Gamblers Anonymous (GA) is a support group that uses the same 12-step program originally made popular by Alcoholics Anonymous.

Psychotherapy- This form of cognitive-behavioral therapy helps compulsive gamblers turn their negative, irrational, and unhealthy beliefs into healthy, positive ones.

Inpatient Treatment- These programs involve the person staying in a hospital type setting, 24 hours, 7 days a week. Along with participating in many different therapeutic activities, patients are provided with a safe, comforting environment where they are given medical and emotional support, supervision and treatment for their disorder.

Residential Treatment- These programs offer specialized non-hospital-based services, 24 hours, 7 days a week. Staff that is trained in helping treat individuals with behavioral health disorders are available to the compulsive gambler for assistance with whatever they may need.

Counseling- It is important that an individual seek counseling with a Certified Gambling Counselor who has specific training and education in problem gambling. They must be certified by either a national accreditation organization such as National Gambling Counselor Certification Board- NCGC; American Gambling Counselor Certification Board- CCGC; or American Academy of Health Care Providers in the Addictive Disorders- CAS; OR a state certification organization requiring at least 30 hours of specific training in problem gambling and experience with treating a compulsive gambler.

It is crucial that compulsive gamblers seek help and treatment for their addiction. Many compulsive gamblers develop other problems or addiction, such as alcohol or drug abuse, compulsive shopping, or bulimia. This will make treatment and recovery even more challenging.

Tooth decay- The combination of the acid and sugar in soft drinks eats away at the enamel on your teeth, making it easier for decay to set in. The acid first dissolves the calcium that helps to protect the enamel, causing teeth to become soft and more prone to having bacteria, such as the sugar in the soda, stick to them and cause decay.

Stomach aches, gas- The carbonation in these beverages is not good for your stomach and can cause discomfort, especially for those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Bone weakening- It has been found that young girls and teens who consume soda on a regular basis have much lower bone densities than those who do not drink soda. Low bone density makes it easier for someone to break or fracture their bones. One reason for this may be that these girls are drinking soda rather than calcium-rich drinks such as milk. This will ultimately cause a calcium deficiency.

Weight gain- Extra weight can increase your risk for type 2 Diabetes. If you drink one 20 ounce soda per day, you are consuming an extra 91,000 calories and 7,280 teaspoons of sugar per year! This is just assuming that people are only drinking one soda, which is highly unlikely if you have a soda addiction. By cutting out this one daily soda, a person could potentially lose 26 pounds of fat in a year!

The main reason it is so easy to become addicted to soda is because it contains caffeine. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, so when consumed, it fights off feelings of fatigue and drowsiness, making you feel awake and alert. Caffeine is considered a psychoactive substance, but unlike many other psychoactive substances, it is unregulated and legal. Over 90% of Americans consume caffeine daily! It is believed that a large majority of the U.S. population are completely tolerant to the effects that caffeine can have on the body. Tolerance to caffeine develops extremely rapidly, sometimes within only 18 days from the start for very heavy coffee and soda drinkers.

For those trying to cut back on their soda and caffeine consumption, be aware that caffeine withdrawal can begin to take effect within 12 to 24 hours after you have stopped drinking. The symptoms, which usually include headache, anxiety, irritability, stomach ache, difficulty concentrating, drowsiness, fatigue and nausea, will peak during the second day and can last for up to five days. One way to help relieve these uncomfortable symptoms is by taking a pain killer, such as aspirin, along with a small dose of caffeine, of course!

Internet addiction disorder (IAD) became an official theorized disorder in 1995, (comparable to pathological gambling) by Ivan Goldberg, M.D. There is a lot of debate as to it’s legitimacy as a mental disorder because of the ambiguity surrounding its definition. Many feel that it is not a real disorder and that it shouldn’t be listed as an official mental disorder.

Types of internet addiction

Being addicted to the internet itself is technically impossible, as it is simply a network of computers all communicating together through servers. What is not impossible is becoming addicted to the options available to us through the internet, including cyber-sex, cyber-relationships, online gaming, online gambling, eBay, web surfing, and social networking. These are the types of internet addiction that many people struggle with every day because the internet is so easily available to us wherever we go- these days you can even access most big-time websites through your cell phone!

How internet addiction conflicts with your life

Internet addiction interrupts the everyday activities that you do every day to lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Some of the effects of internet addiction include a lack of sleep due to late hours spent online, a drop in grades and/or work productivity, and even your telephone bills going up due to calling people long-distance that you have met online. When you are obsessed with the web and being online it will consume most of your time- keeping up late hours at night and eating into your every day activities, causing your entire life to be negatively effected by a lack of attention.

Top 10 signs you are addicted to the internet

1. You spend more than 1-3 hours a day on the internet for purposes other than school or work
2. You lose track of the amount of time you spend, or you are dishonest to yourself about how much time you have been online
3. You eat your meals at your desk so as not to detract from your web time
4. You obsess over checking your email and/or social profiles (or whatever your favorite site is) multiple times every single day
5. You sneak online while working or running late on a busy schedule
6. You experience withdrawal-type-symptoms when you cannot have your internet time- anxiety, nervousness, irritability, etc.
7. You deny your obsessions over the internet when your friends and family point out your behavior
8. You see a noticeable drop in your performance in a work or school environment due to procrastination by going online
9. You withdraw from your real friends and family because you are anxious to find and meet your cyber friends
10. You have already unsuccessfully tried to cut back on your internet use

The Facts
1. Studies show that more than 90% of hard drug users started by using lighter drugs
2. Studies show that not every light drug user will later use harder drugs

The Debate
The theory of gateway drugs is simple and logical. If you use light drugs at a younger age, you are more likely to make use of the hard drugs later on in life. This makes sense, right? Most people will agree with the idea of gateway drugs, but what people find an issue with is what a gateway drug is for various individuals.
The other argument against the theory is that people who use both the lighter drugs and harder drugs were already predisposed to do so, and the lighter drugs are generally more available and therefore used first. There are many studies being done to prove this new idea to debunk the gateway theory but as of yet, the information provided against it does not yet present a solid argument.

Tobacco
Tobacco is one of the least identified gateway drug for this reason. Not as many tobacco users end up using hard drugs later on in life as a direct correlation. But there are hard drug users who have tied back the beginning of their drug days as starting with tobacco, which is why it is technically classified as a gateway drug.

Alcohol
Many people don’t recognize alcohol as a drug. In fact, many people don’t take into account that it is more widely used and acceptable than the use of tobacco but for somehow the legal age for tobacco use is set 3 years before the legal age for drinking alcohol. One of the most common ways that alcohol becomes a gateway drug is through social events. Often times at a party or gathering where alcohol is served, somebody has some other drug to offer. Due to either intoxication or peer pressure, this is how many people first begin smoking marijuana and a number of other drug substances.

Marijuana
Marijuana is the most consistent gateway drug. More hard-drug users can link their first drug days to this substance. Young users are two to five times more likely to eventually move on to harder drugs. One study by The Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University showed that adolescents who used marijuana were 85 times more likely to use cocaine than adolescents who abstained. The same study’s results showed that 60% percent of children who smoked it before they turned 15 years old would later go on to use cocaine.

Avoid being a victim of gateway drugs
Say no. There is no guarantee that you are or are not prone to letting a gateway drug have its effect on you. The best thing you can do is to simply say no. While this is easier said than done, it gets easier to say after the first several times.

If you insist on saying yes, then at least give yourself a background check. Does alcoholism run in your family? Will there be more than just alcohol accessible at that party (don’t give in if the answer is yes!)? Be smart and don’t get intoxicated, and also be smart about what you’re saying yes to. Saying yes to tobacco or marijuana is not optimal, because both can become an addiction and neither is healthy for your body. Not to mention that marijuana is still illegal.

If you or a loved one already struggles with a drug addiction or with drug abuse, get the help you deserve from a qualified drug rehab today.

MySpace has had a growing impact on people of all ages. How do people get sucked in? Many refuse to give in for weeks, and then months, but eventually they break down by the pressure of their friends- it’s harmless, right? It’s just a simple web page for social networking. All you have to do is put up some pictures, write about your interests, and maybe keep a small blog for people to read a little bit more about the way you feel. Everybody wants to feel appreciated and noticed by other people. If you’re good, you can have hundreds of online friends within a few weeks! How bad could it be?

The addiction begins…

This is where things go terribly wrong. MySpace feeds that part of us that wants to be accepted and acknowledged; but while it is feeding us candy with one hand, it is sucking out precious nutrients from the back. It’s like pouring water into a bucket with a hole at the bottom. Sure, you have 300 friends on MySpace, but you suddenly realize that the rest of your friends have 500. How can this be? You’re not good enough, you need more. So you spend hours online trying to obtain as many friends as possible. It’s a never ending cycle, because the more time you spend, the more things you find out that you need for your MySpace. These endless hours often end up eating into the time you needed to be spending doing homework, spending time with your family, or even while you’re supposed to be working. It’s an addiction- you get it whenever and however often you can, and because it’s available everywhere there is an internet connection this creates a lot of issues trying to avoid it.

Who are you really?

Due to the mask of the internet, you can pretend to be who you always wanted to be. You can fake your personality and act like you would probably never act in real life. This appeals to us. You begin to talk to people that you normally would never feel comfortable approaching. It’s so much easier to send somebody a message online than trying to talk to a complete stranger on the street. You begin to obsess over finding and keeping your cyber friends- perhaps it’s that cute girl that keeps sending you messages, or that hottie that says he’s completely in love with you. Through this process, you start to find that your real life friends are somewhat dull and boring. Don’t fall into this trap! Just as you may be pretending to be somebody you’re not and telling white lies here and there to make yourself look better, there is a good chance that that 19-year-old cutie is actually a 52-year-old pervert sitting behind a desk just trying to pull your strings.

Save the drama

MySpace seems to be designed to create drama. At the end of every bulletin is an option to “Delete From Friends”, like they expect you to find their bulletin offensive and need to immediately delete this person from your network. But then there is the Top 8, a devilish scheme devised to come in as a wedge between you and anybody who does not hold the #1 spot. Girlfriends, boyfriends, best friends, your long-lost-but-found-on-MySpace friend that you grew up with as a young child, how do you choose who gets to go on your Top 8, and how do you decide an order? No matter what you do, somebody is going to feel hurt that they weren’t placed higher on the list or that they didn’t even make the list at all.

If you allow it to become an addiction, MySpace will ultimately interfere with your life and your ability to interact on a real-world basis. It has the potential to break apart relationships through miscommunication, misunderstandings, obsessiveness, and insensitivity towards the people in your life who really make a difference. It is possible to use MySpace without letting it take over your life!

Breaking Away

Here are some tips for breaking away from the MySpace addiction:
1. Make an effort to contact your friends through the phone, or a regular email application- not through MySpace
2. Regulate how much time you spend on MySpace, don’t let yourself spend endless hours with no regard to your responsibilities
3. Let somebody that you trust know about your efforts to get away from MySpace, and find somebody to keep you accountable

If you or a loved one suffers from an addiction, get the help you deserve from a qualified treatment center today.