Parent's Purpose » addiction

Quitting Weed is Not So Easy

Dr. Drew Edwards — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:19:15 +0000

I have been smoking weed for 6 years and want to quit and go back to school. When I try to quit I feel horrible. What is going on? How can I quit?
–Reggie, age 21. You are not alone. Approximately 14 million teens and adults use marijuana on a regular basis. Due to the high potency of today’s genetically engineered marijuana, the level of impairment, dependence and withdrawal is significantly higher than in years past.

Withdrawal

Withdrawal symptoms for marijuana are protracted over weeks and are similar to those experienced by people who quit cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs. Recent research found that nearly two-thirds of marijuana users experience a pronounced withdrawal syndrome. Symptoms include anxiety, irritability, depression, mood swings and sleep problems, and for some, bizarre and colorful dreams.

As a result, the acute symptoms of marijuana withdrawal cause significant distress and can last up to two weeks. Long-term symptoms, which include anxiety, anhedonia (inability to experience pleasure), fatigue, memory problems and boredom can last for several months. As a result early recovery is like roller-coaster ride and marred by frequent relapse.

When I first quit smoking weed I felt depressed and agitated for about a week. Then I was just bored and restless most of the time. I made myself do some positive things, but life just seemed “blah”, like watching black and white television. So I smoked some weed, and for a few hours, the color came back on and life became interesting again.

Restlessness, boredom and just feeling “blah” are normal in the early stages of recovery. It takes a little time for the brain to recover and for the color to come back on—but it does come back. However, restlessness and boredom are significant relapse triggers.

What to Do

Commit to a recovery program. In early recovery you wont always “feel” like gong to a 12-step meeting or support group —go anyway. In early recovery, good feelings follow right actions.

Be accountable. Talk with trusted others about your recovery on a regular basis. This can be 1 or two supportive friends, clergy or 12-step sponsor. Make plans to meet regularly or have regular telephone contact.

Establish daily discipline and routines. Decide what time you will rise and go to bed each day. Schedule your daytime activities, family times, sleep times, recreation and quiet times, as well as your daily 12 step meetings.
If you still can’t quit, get into a treatment program. Your family doctor can direct you.

Recovery from marijuana dependence is a difficult process. It takes time to feel better. Establishing daily discipline and accountability will help you stay on track. Remember the good feelings derived from recovery are not instant. But unlike the temporary highs of addiction, the rewards can last a lifetime.

Signs and symptoms of Internet sexual addiction

Dr. Drew Edwards — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:20:33 +0000

National Council on Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity has defined sexual addiction as “engaging in persistent and escalating patterns of sexual behavior acted out despite increasing negative consequences to self and others”.

Signs and Symptoms of Internet Sexual Addiction include:

Frequent use of the Internet to visit sexually oriented sites
Binging—hours spent surfing the net or engaged in online sexual activity
Preoccupied with thoughts of “getting online”, or of sexual behavior
Sexual behavior interferes with work, school, family, hobbies, etc…
Anxiety and irritability when unable to get online.
Telling your self that you should cut down, or stop altogether
Experiencing guilt, remorse and shame
Become defensive when others suggest that you spend too much time on the Internet
Spending money on internet porn
Continued consumption of porn despite negative consequences

Pornography is not real. The more one uses porn to gratify themselves, the greater the chance that they will never find true intimacy and real love.

If you need help talk with a trusted friend, parent, or clergy. You cannot do it alone.

Substance Abuse and Depression Among Teens

Dr. Drew Edwards — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:06:52 +0000

Most addicted teens don’t consciously intend to kill themselves. But many become so depressed that they just don’t care one way or the other.

I had been smoking marijuana for 2 years but pot wasn’t doing it for me anymore. II was failing school lost all my real friends–I hated everything. So one night I got 5 Vicodin and was drinking vodka. I remember thinking that if I do this, I may never wake up. It was funny; the thought of never waking up didn’t scare me as much as the thought of facing my life sober. So I took the pills and guzzled the vodka. I didn’t try to die — I just didn’t try very hard to live.
–James a 16 year-old high school student.

Today’s teens live in a stressful and often dangerous world. Easy access to drugs and alcohol combined with the enormous social pressures conspired to create an epidemic of stressed out, depressed teens who routinely “self-medicate” their sadness and low self-esteem. Like amateur pharmacists, some teens eagerly experiment with new drugs, frequently combining them alcohol. This dangerous attempt to alleviate the stress and pain in their lives always creates more problems than it cures. As abuse of drugs and alcohol escalates, so does their risk for overdose. For many depressed teens, drinking and drugging are a slow, quiet suicide.

Causes
Research shows that substance abuse increases the risk for depression. And, conversely, depression increases the risk for substance abuse. Here’s how. All drugs of abuse, including alcohol, act upon the same area of the brain involved in the regulation of mood. Experimentation with drugs or alcohol alters the balance key of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) in this part of the brain. Regular use of mind altering drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and alcohol cause temporary surge in these neurotransmitters resulting is a short–lived “high.” If the young person is already depressed, the “high” will feel like a vacation from his or her emotional pain. But what goes up must come down — so the highs are followed by dramatic lows and the cycle starts over again. Tragically, most young substance abusers erroneously believe that the solution to their dark moods and life’s problems is to use more drugs or drink more alcohol.

What to do
If you are depressed or abusing drugs or alcohol take heart because these problems are highly treatable but you will need help. Talk with someone who can be objective and honest with you like a parent, trusted friend, pastor or family doctor. Treatment usually involves counseling, medication and 12 step meetings. Whatever it takes–do it. You life is precious and God has a purpose and plan for you.

What are the social challenges that parents will face when their teen is recovering from an addictive disease?

Dr. Drew Edwards — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:52:04 +0000

Part 2 of facing your teen’s addiction

One of the indications of addiction is the extent to which one’s life becomes organized around using drugs or alcohol. For addicted teens, there is almost always a well-defined sub-culture of friends, associates, parties, and rituals that becomes the center of their social life. Healthy activities that used to capture their imagination such as sports and academics soon become secondary to the “party” culture.”

Helping teens find a new, drug-free social life is no small thing. It’s not as simple as plopping them back into healthy activities. They will need real friends, excitement and purpose for their life. Unfortunately, many lack the social skills and emotional maturity to seek and sustain new friends. Parents must step in and lead.

Healthy recovery groups for teens and young adults are hard to find. As a result, they will have times of loneliness, sadness and boredom as they transition into their new life of recovery.

Here are some tips to help you help your teen:

If your child went through a treatment program, ask about after-care services and recovery groups in your community. Many treatment centers will assist in finding a 12-step sponsor or 12-step support group.
Check with your local Alcoholics Anonymous (http://aa.org) or Narcotics Anonymous (http://na.org) about local meetings. Local churches may also have faith-based recovery groups such as Celebrate Recovery (www.celebraterecovery.com/).
Try to keep him active and engaged by planning fun family activities or weekend trips, or just hanging out with him.
Find a church or faith community with a vibrant program for teens.
Acknowledge that recovery is difficult and sometimes “boring.” Ask how you can help today.
Watch for healthy, drug- and alcohol-free teens or young adults and social events.
No matter how bored she becomes do not lower the bar by letting her hang out with her old drug-using friends or go to parties where alcohol is available. Stand strong because the risk of giving in is too great.

How Parents can take an active role in their teen’s recovery from addictive disease?

Dr. Drew Edwards — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:43:11 +0000

Part 1 of facing your teen’s addiction

During illness, good parents instinctively attend to their children’s needs and provide an ample supply of love and comfort. As the child recovers, family life quickly returns to normal.

Unfortunately, it’s not the same when a teen becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Drug and alcohol dependence are chronic, debilitating disorders where recovery is possible, but a cure is not. Some addicted teens require prolonged treatment or multiple stints in treatment to achieve sustained abstinence and return to a productive and fulfilled life. But unlike recovery from strep throat, addicted teens must remain actively engaged in their recovery—perhaps for the rest of their lives. If they do not, relapse is certain.

Recovery is often a struggle for both the teenager and his parents. In this series, we will deal with social challenges, the emotional challenges, and tips for facing these issues as you support a teen in their recovery.

Find out more about Paul Anderson Family Ministries.

Are Video Games Addictive

Dr. Drew Edwards — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:23:05 +0000

Cyber drugs for boys: Online video gaming, video games

Poor grades, lying, mood swings, staying up all night, and conflicts with parents. At first glance it sounds like addiction to drugs or alcohol. In truth it’s a description of a 15-year-old who has become addicted to playing an online video game. To be more specific, addicted to a massive, multiplayer online role-playing game (MMO). Popular titles in this fantasy game genre include EverQuest, and World of Warcraft. With game consoles like Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and others which can access the internet, the MMO world is truly, massive.

Not long ago most professionals, myself included, scoffed at the idea that one could become addicted to video games. I was wrong. Teenage boys are particularly vulnerable to the genre of violent, frequently sexual, online role-playing games. The prevalence of video game addiction is unclear. A 2007 British study polled 7,000 “online gamers” and found that 12 percent met the World Health Organization criteria for addiction. My sense is that the number of teens in trouble with online gaming is increasing rapidly.

Unlike more traditional video games, multiplayer online games involve an unlimited number of players who form clans and guilds as part of the gaming strategy. In these games, the more time players spend online, the more they are rewarded and the faster they advance. Conversely, when a player is not actively participating in a game he falls behind other players. In EverQuest, for example, there are “cyber traps,” that require a player to spend 100 hours sitting in single locations in order to kill hundreds and sometimes thousands of cyber enemies to advance to the next level. To catch up, young players often binge all night or spend an entire weekend online. And here is the kicker— the game never actually ends.

What’s also a little creepy about these games is the role-playing component. Players are required to assume mythical, pseudo identities which allow them to reinvent who they are and project their pseudo personality online. As a result, bizarre, fantasy friendships and alliances with other online gamers are formed, and like real world relationships, influence how they see and value themselves. The interactive and social aspects of the game provide a sense of belonging and acceptance that many boys struggle to attain in the real world.

What are the symptoms of online gaming problems? The main indicator is that the teenager is spending the majority of non-structured time online. Other signs include:

Mental preoccupation with the game.
Repeated online binges lasting five hours or more.
Isolation from friends, parents and family activities.
Dropping grades.
Sleep problems, falling asleep in school.
Lying about computer or video game use.
Choosing to play video games rather than being with friends.
Dropping out of social groups, activities or sports.
Increasingly irritable when not playing a video game.
Mood swings including depression and persistent negative attitude
Conflicts with parents regarding chores, responsibilities, and time on the computer

The content and themes of multiplayer online role-playing games are extremely violent, sometimes sexual, or both. The impact of this violence and potential for addiction varies among users and is dependent on numerous and largely unknown factors. However, the potential damage to the psyche of preteen and teenage boys is worrisome because these games provoke strong emotional reactions and clearly desensitizes their perception and response to violence.

Teenage boys crave action, excitement and adventure. They can’t help it—it’s how they are wired. At the same time they crave acceptance and to be emotionally connected with others in meaningful ways. In the absence of healthier alternatives they will not hesitate to gratify these needs in the dark corners of cyberspace. It’s up to parents to step in, take charge, and rescue their sons.