Cocaine addiction and abuse is a major problem throughout the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 1.1 million people tried cocaine in 2001, and use has continued to increase since then. Cocaine addiction can start off by the person being introduced to the drug at a party. Once having tried cocaine, an individual may have difficulty predicting or controlling the extent to which he or she will continue to use the drug.

With drug experimentation and addiction so prevalent, chances are you know of someone who has dealt with the uphill struggle of addiction. If you have suspicions that someone you care for is using cocaine it is important to look closely at the warning signs, which may be financial as well as physical and emotional.

Cocaine is an expensive drug. Users are typically propelled into financial problems as a result thus justifying their decision to isolate themselves. They may repeatedly ask for money in order to finance their habit or sell personal belongings of sentimental value to feed their addiction.

The physical signs cocaine addicts frequently exhibit include nose bleeds, weight loss, high blood pressure, bloodshot eyes, dilated pupils, constricted blood vessels, tremors, nausea, perspiration, chills, higher temperature, runny nose, sniffing, hyperactivity, as well as emotional changes.

The emotional changes include strange behavior, isolation, change in work or school performance, changes in friends, always needing money, talking quickly, suicidal, spending time away from family, missing work, stealing, financial problems, lying, withdrawn from normal activities, and no longer taking pride in personal appearance.

If you know someone who has all of a sudden changed and exhibits some or all of the symptoms above then they may be in the beginning stages of cocaine addiction. Please don’t hesitate to contact Creative Care today for cocaine addiction treatment in Los Angeles, CA. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer any questions you might have about cocaine addiction treatment.

Labels: Cocaine, Cocaine-Addiction-And-Abuse, Cocaine-Addiction-Treatment, Los-Angeles, Warning-Signs-Of-Cocaine-Addiction

Marijuana addiction abuse is one of the foremost drug related problems facing society today. Marijuana addiction is a phenomenon experienced by more than 150,000 individuals each year who enter treatment for their proclaimed addiction to marijuana. Marijuana addiction is characterized as compulsive, often uncontrollable marijuana craving, seeking, and use, even when the individual knows that marijuana use is not in his or her best interest.

While not perceived by many users to be a dangerous drug, marijuana can cause serious problems with memory, learning, concentration and sexual performance. It can cause anxiety and panic attacks, and high doses can cause acute toxic psychosis with delusions, hallucinations and identity confusion.

What makes marijuana additionally dangerous is that so many young people can see no harm in smoking pot. An attitude like this can easily lead many young adults to chronic marijuana use or dependence. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration stated that, in 2006, more than 4 million Americans aged 12 and older fit the criteria for dependence or abuse of the drug, which means that these individuals continued to use the drug despite personal, mental or social harm.

Marijuana addiction can be successfully treated if addressed with the proper treatment. Unfortunately, discontinuing the use of marijuana is rarely easy. Many times a person who is addicted to marijuana will suffer withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, anxiety, aggression, and difficulty sleeping, and finds he or she needs that extra support. More young adults are now admitted to treatment centers, like Creative Care, for primary marijuana addictions than for primary addictions to heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine.

Thousands of people from all over the country have received help to beat their addiction to marijuana and other drugs and have gone on to lead successful, happy and productive lives from drugs and alcohol. If you are from the Boston, MA area and have a friend or a loved one struggling with marijuana addiction, please don’t hesitate to contact us today for more information on marijuana addiction treatment.

Labels: Anxiety, Boston, Cocaine, Heroin, How-To-Stop-Smoking-Marijuana, MA, Marijuana-Addiction, Marijuana-Addiction-Treatment, Methamphetamines, Panic-Attacks, Smoking-Pot

Drug addictions are difficult to overcome, and cocaine addiction is one of the most challenging. Cocaine addiction is a habit that has ruined millions of lives. Although it causes severe harm to the user, cocaine also affects the lives of others, including the user's family, friends and coworkers. In the United States, it is an especially large problem and to help those who suffer from it, there are cocaine treatment programs across the country.

Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that attacks the brain and central nervous system. The more it is used, the greater the addiction becomes. Cocaine addiction is created through both a physical and mental drug dependency. Use of cocaine over longer time periods has multiple health consequences; most dangerously it is associated with a lifetime risk of heart attack. Cocaine addiction treatment should be sought at the first signs of abuse.

The first step to truly overcoming your cocaine addiction is to explore the different options that are available to you regarding cocaine treatment. The truth, when it comes to cocaine treatment, is that there are a number of available options, and the best way to get help is to figure out which cocaine treatment option is going to meet your needs the best. When it comes to most forms of cocaine addiction, however, the best solution is to seek a long term, inpatient cocaine treatment, because this will result in a more thorough treatment and more support from physicians and counselors, which are keys to seeking cocaine treatment success.

It is important to remember that it’s never too early or too late to seek cocaine addiction treatment. Cocaine addiction is treatable, and you can recover. Get the help you deserve. Call 1-800-832-3280. The cocaine addiction treatment programs at Creative Care are designed to help you recover from a cocaine addiction with the specific treatment you need.

Labels: Cocaine, Cocaine-Addiction-Treatment, Cocaine-Treatment, Creative-Care-Inc

One of the fastest growing types of drugs abused by teenagers and young adults today is prescription medications. More and more kids are sneaking into their parents’ medicine cabinets and bedside tables and taking whatever they find there in the way of prescription narcotics and opiate painkillers. These medications are readily available, inexpensive, and perceived by many teens to be perfectly safe.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has been increasingly concerned with the high rate of prescription drug abuse, especially among adolescents and young adults. NIDA’s most recent Monitoring the Future study found in 2008 that nearly one in 10 high school seniors reported abusing Vicodin within the past year, and nearly one in 20 reported abusing OxyContin. Moreover, of the top 11 drugs most commonly abused by high school seniors, seven are either prescribed or purchased over the counter.

Both Vicodin and OxyContin are now more popular among high school seniors than Ecstasy and Cocaine. Ritalin and Adderall, used most often to treat Attention-Deficit-Disorder, are also being abused at an alarming rate. Even drugs you might not associate with “getting high,” such as those used to treat Anxiety Disorders such as Xanax or Valium, are prime targets for teens.

Many teenages think these drugs are safe because they have legitimate uses, but taking them without a prescription to get high or “self-medicate” can be as dangerous - and addictive - as using street narcotics and other illicit drugs.

Many of the same environmental problems that contribute to high-risk alcohol use also contribute to the abuse of prescription medication. Students are unable to find healthy ways to deal with stress and other mental health issues and believe that using prescription drugs inappropriately is socially acceptable and safer than the abuse of other illicit substances.

Despite studies showing that abuse of prescription drugs can lead to addiction, paranoia, seizures or even death, many teenagers mistakenly believe that taking prescription and over-the-counter drugs is safer than using illicit drugs. As a result, they are increasingly raiding their home medicine cabinets in search of the next high.

Prescription drug addiction is affecting teenagers across cultures, gender, and class. This epidemic is on the rise, and will continue its upward trend until both teens and parents realize the devastating effect these drugs can have. If you have a loved one or family member who is struggling with prescription drug abuse, please contact us at Creative Care for more information.

Labels: Adderall, Anxiety-Disorders, Attention-Deficit-Disorder, Cocaine, Ecstacy, Oxycontin, Prescription-Drug-Abuse, Prescription-Medications, Ritalin, Vicodin, Xanax

On the typical American college campus – substance abuse, depression, and suicide are hardly rare. Looking back at my college years, it is a miracle that I survived. As a young freshman I found myself away from home for the first time and under academic pressure to perform. I had placed high expectations on myself as did my parents. Couple these factors with the traditional hallmarks of college life – I had found a new love for Jack Daniels and cocaine. Combine this with a lack of sleep and it is no wonder that one in four students will experience a depressive episode by the age of 24.

Going to college can be a difficult transition period in which students may feel lost, lonely, confused, anxious, inadequate, and stressed. And these problems may lead to depression. Put that together with alcohol and drugs and you understand why untreated depression is the number one cause for suicide.

With rates as high as they are, suicide has become an important but feared issue on many campuses. According to American College Health Association, the Jed Foundation, and National Institute of Mental Health, suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, claiming approximately 1,100 lives per year. Although most suicides are in fact committed by white males over 85, more young people die from suicide than from all other medical illnesses combined.

Reflecting back, today I see that the warning signs were there. My escapades no longer provided me the rush of freedom, individuality, and significance that I so desperately desired. In fact I was feeling the opposite. I was feeling trapped by my new found addiction; plagued by reoccurring feels of despair and hopelessness.

Luckily for me, my family and friends noticed my downward spiral into depression and substance abuse. If it was not for them, stepping in and getting me the treatment that I so desperately needed, I am not sure if I would be here today.

Do you have a friend or a loved one who is struggling with substance abuse, depression, or you think that might be suicidal? Find out what you can do to get them help.

Labels: Cocaine, Depression, Substance-Abuse, Suicide

You might be wondering why on earth your loved seems to be choosing drugs over family. You might be struggling with finances, or even from the painful realization your loved one is in trouble with the law. Or you might be asking yourself why you are taking drugs again, when you swore just a few hours ago that you needed to cut down.

Drug addiction is not a matter of moral weakness or faulty willpower. It is a vicious cycle that actually causes changes in the brain, leading to stronger and stronger impulses to use. Without help, drug abuse destroys families and takes lives.

Different drugs have different effects. Some, such as cocaine or methamphetamines, may produce an intense “rush” and initial feelings of boundless energy. Others, such as heroin, benzodiazepines or the prescription oxycontin, may produce excessive feelings of relaxation and calm. What most drugs have in common, though, is overstimulation of the pleasure center of the brain. With time, the brain’s chemistry is actually altered to the point where not having the drug becomes extremely uncomfortable and even painful. This compelling urge to use, addiction, becomes more and more powerful, disrupting work, relationships, and health.

What makes one person abuse drugs to the point of losing their home, their family and their job, while another does not? There is no one simple reason. Drug abuse and addiction is due to many factors. A powerful force in addiction is the inability to self- soothe or get relief from untreated mental or physical pain. Without the self-resilience and support to handle stress, loneliness or depression, drugs can be a tempting way to deal with the situation. Unfortunately, due to the changes drugs make to the brain, it can only take a few times or even one time to be on the road to addiction.

What makes drug addiction problems so challenging to face, as opposed to other mental or physical problems? Drug abuse affects the person’s life in many ways, including health, finances and stability. But it also affects the entire family, friends, colleagues-- and even the community. What’s more, the strong denial and rationalization of the person using drugs makes it extremely difficult to get help, and can make concerned family members feel like they are the problem.

You may not immediately realize that someone you love has a drug problem. It may have started slowly, and your loved one might also have tried to hide the extent of the drug use from you. You might have gotten so used to the drug abuse that coping with it seems almost normal. Or the realization that there is something seriously wrong is almost too painful to admit. Don’t be ashamed, and you are not alone. Drug abuse affects millions of families, from every socioeconomic status, race and culture. There is help and support available.

Would you like to learn more about drug treatment programs, including rehab and peer support groups?

Labels: Addiction, Benzodiazepines, Cocaine, Depression, Drug-Abuse-and-Addiction, Heroin, Methamphetamines, Oxycontin