Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Alcohol Addiction Treatment Centers & Programs

Alcohol addiction is caused due to uncontrolled abuse of alcohol despite the negative effects on individual’s physical health and social status. Alcohol addiction not only impacts the individual’s well being but also causes emotional distress to others. Long term addiction can cause physiological changes such as tolerance capability of the body and physical dependence on a substance. Alcohol addiction impacts the thought process of an individual and if the situation is not handled carefully it can result in permanent physical and psychological damage.

Alcohol addiction treatment and recovery is an ongoing process which may take many days depending upon the condition of the patient. It is very important to note that help should be taken from well known and established alcohol addiction treatment centers else the problem could linger and the condition may become more difficult to handle. Alcohol Addiction Centers should provide all necessary resources and consultation to solve the problem of addiction. Usually, the addiction treatment programs require the individuals to first undergo a detox program which helps to clean alcohol and its toxic effects from the body in a medically safe way. After this stage the patient moves into the rehab phase of alcohol addiction treatment program. An established treatment center provides detailed programs and facilities to cover both the stages. Alcohol addiction centers also provide variety of therapeutic programs to meet the patient needs. Their treatment programs provide necessary resources to stay clean and sober, build healthy relationship and tolerance levels during the treatment period. Alcohol addiction centers help in improving the emotional and physical well being of an individual such that their condition in the society improves. Their addiction treatment programs are designed to overcome the initial step of breaking free of alcoholism and to help the individuals quit the habit of alcoholism permanently.

High School and Youth Trends

Trends in Use

Since 1975, the MTF has annually studied the extent of drug abuse among high school 12th graders. The survey was expanded in 1991 to include 8th and 10th graders. It is funded by NIDA and is conducted by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. The goal of the survey is to collect data on past month, past year, and lifetime drug use among students in these grade levels. This, the 28th annual study, was conducted during spring 2002.(1)

The 2002 MTF marks the sixth year in a row that illicit drug use among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders remained stable or decreased. In particular, the proportion of 8th and 10th graders reporting the use of any illicit drug in the prior 12 months declined significantly from 2001 to 2002. The decrease in illicit drug use among 8th graders continues a decline begun in 1997, but this is the first significant decline among 10th graders since 1998.

Specific decreases were noted in the use of marijuana, some club drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol. For example, marijuana use in the past year decreased significantly among 10th graders, reaching its lowest rate since 1995. Marijuana use by 8th graders also has declined in recent years and is now at its lowest level since 1994.

In addition, the 2002 survey found the use of MDMA (ecstasy) decreased in every category in all three grades. Significant decreases occurred in past year and past month categories for 10th graders.

Also, LSD use showed major changes from 2001 to 2002, with rates of use decreasing markedly across the board to the lowest rates of use in the history of the survey.

For alcohol, the use rates for 8th and 10th graders are at record lows in the history of the survey in those grades (since 1991).

Use of anabolic, androgenic steroids remained stable from 2001 to 2002 in each grade and category.

Use of amphetamines is down significantly for 8th graders in lifetime and past year categories from 2001 to 2002. Nonmedical use of methylphenidate (Ritalin®) was stable, with past year rates at 2.8 percent for 8th graders, 4.8 percent for 10th graders, and 4.0 percent of 12th graders in 2002.

For the first time, in 2002 the MTF survey looked at the misuse and/or nonmedical use of the prescription drugs Oxycontin ® and Vicodin. Nonmedical use of Oxycontin ® in the past year was reported by 4.0 percent of 12th graders, and Vicodin use in the same time period was reported by 9.6 percent of 12th graders.

The only significant increases in drug use in the 2002 were past year crack use by 10th graders, from 1.8 percent in 2001 to 2.3 percent in 2002, and past year sedative use by 12th graders, from 5.9 percent in 2001 to 7.0 percent in 2002.

Perceived Risk of Harm, Disapproval, & Perceived Availability

In addition to studying drug use among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders, MTF collects information on three attitudinal indicators related to drug use. These are perceived risk of harm in taking a drug, disapproval of others who take drugs, and perceived availability of drugs.

The following attitudinal changes are from 2001 to 2002:

Both perceived risk and disapproval of trying marijuana once or twice increased among 10th graders; 12th graders, however, showed a decrease in the perceived risk of smoking marijuana regularly.

Disapproval of MDMA (ecstasy) use increased significantly from 2001 to 2002 among students in all three grades. In addition, perceived risk of occasional MDMA use increased among 8th graders and perceived risk of trying it once or twice increased among 10th and 12th graders.

Perceived risk and disapproval of trying LSD once or twice both increased among 12th graders, but among 10th graders perceived risk of regular LSD use decreased. Notably, perceived availability of LSD declined among students in all three grades.

Perceived risk of trying inhalants once or twice declined among 8th graders, and perceived risk of regular use of these substances decreased among 10th graders.(2)

Among 8th graders, perceived availability of amphetamines decreased.

Use Trends — Specific Drugs

Cigarettes & Smokeless Tobacco

Cigarette use declined in each grade and several categories of use between 2001 and 2002. This follows several years of gradual decreases in cigarette smoking that started after 1996 for 8th graders and 1997 for 10th and 12th graders. However, year-to-year declines have not always been statistically significant in all grades, and the decreases seen between 2001 and 2002 are particularly notable.

Lifetime use: 8th grade – from 36.6 percent in 2001 to 31.4 percent in 2002; 10th grade – 52.8 percent to 47.4 percent; 12th grade – 61.0 percent to 57.2 percent.

Past month use: 8th grade – 12.2 percent in 2001 to 10.7 percent in 2002; 10th grade – 21.3 percent to 17.7 percent; 12th grade – 29.5 percent to 26.7 percent.

Daily use in past month: 10th grade – 12.2 percent in 2001 to 10.1 percent in 2002; 12th grade – 19.0 percent to 16.9 percent.

Use of bidis (small, flavored cigarettes from India) in the past year declined among 10th graders from 4.9 percent in 2001 to 3.1 percent in 2002. Use of bidis during the past year was reported by 2.7 percent of 8th graders and 5.9 percent of 12th graders in 2002. Use of Kreteks (clove-flavored cigarettes from Indonesia) in the past year was reported by 2.6 percent of 8th graders, 4.9 percent of 10th graders, and 8.4 percent of 12th graders in 2002.

Lifetime use of smokeless tobacco by 10th graders declined from 19.5 percent in 2001 to 16.9 percent in 2002.

MDMA (Ecstasy)

Rates of MDMA (ecstasy) use decreased significantly among 10th graders. For this grade, past year use decreased from 6.2 percent in 2001 to 4.9 percent in 2002 and past month use went from 2.6 percent to 1.8 percent. Use by 8th and 12th graders also showed signs of decline.

Marijuana

Among 10th graders, marijuana/hashish use in the past year decreased from 32.7 percent in 2001 to 30.3 percent in 2002; past month use decreased from 19.8 percent to 17.8 percent; and daily use in the past month decreased from 4.5 percent to 3.9 percent. These are all statistically significant decreases.

For 8th graders in 2002, the past year marijuana use rate – 14.6 percent – is the lowest rate seen since 1994, and well below the peak of 18.3 percent in 1996.

Cocaine and Crack

Cocaine (powder) use remained statistically unchanged across the board from 2001 to 2002. This comes after declines in cocaine use among 10th graders from 2000 to 2001, and among 12th graders between 1999 and 2000. Past year use of powder cocaine was reported by 1.8 percent of 8th graders, 3.4 percent of 10th graders, and 4.4 percent of 12th graders. Past year use of cocaine in any form was reported by 2.3 percent of 8th graders, 4.0 percent of 10th graders, and 5.0 percent of 12th graders.

Crack use, however, showed a significant increase in past year use among 10th graders in 2002, returning to around its 2000 level following a decline in 2001.

Alcohol

Between 2001 and 2002, significant reductions in alcohol use were reported among 8th and 10th graders in many categories, including lifetime, past year, and past month.

Rates of having ever been drunk and of having been drunk in the past year decreased for 8th and 10th graders. Among 10th graders, the rate of binge drinking (five or more drinks in a row) in the past 2 weeks declined, as did the past-month rate of having been drunk.

Heroin & Other Opiates

Heroin use by 8th, 10th and 12th graders remained stable from 2001 to 2002 following a decline from 2000 to 2001 among 10th and 12th graders. In each grade, past year use rates were about 1.0 percent.

These are the results of questions added to the 2002 survey on the nonmedical use of Oxycontin ® and Vicodin(3) in the past year:

Oxycontin ® use in the past year without a doctor's orders was reported by 1.3 percent of 8th graders, 3.0 percent of 10th graders, and 4.0 percent of 12th graders.

The nonmedical use of Vicodin in the past year was reported by 2.5 percent of 8th graders, 6.9 percent of 10th graders, and 9.6 percent of 12th graders.

Inhalants

In 2002, inhalant use among 8th and 10th graders was the lowest seen in these grades since their addition to the survey in 1991. Among 8th graders, lifetime use decreased from 17.1 percent in 2001 to 15.2 percent in 2002, and from 15.2 percent to 13.5 percent among 10th graders. Use rates among 12th graders were at their lowest in about 20 years.

However, the 2002 survey reported a decline among 8th graders in the perceived risk of trying inhalants once or twice, and the perceived risk of regular use of inhalants also decreased among 10th graders. Historically, changes in "perceived risk" tend to predict increases or declines in use rates for following years.

Hallucinogens

Hallucinogen use in the lifetime, past year, and past month declined for 12th graders, and past year use was down among 10th graders. LSD in particular showed major changes from 2001 to 2002. Rates of use decreased markedly across the board. Past year use, for example, declined from 6.6 percent in 2001 to 3.5 percent in 2002 among 12th graders, from 4.1 percent to 2.6 percent among 10th graders, and from 2.2 percent to 1.5 percent among 8th graders. These are the lowest rates of LSD use in the history of the survey for each grade

Alcohol Rehab

Alcohol abuse differs from alcoholism in that it does not include an extremely strong craving for alcohol, loss of control over drinking, or physical dependence. Alcohol abuse is defined as a pattern of drinking that results in one or more of the following situations within a 12-month period:

Failure to fulfill major work, school, or home responsibilities;

• Drinking in situations that are physically dangerous, such as while driving a car or operating machinery;
• Having recurring alcohol-related legal problems, such as being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or for physically hurting someone while drunk; and
• Continued drinking despite having ongoing relationship problems that are caused or worsened by the drinking.
• Although alcohol abuse is basically different from alcoholism, many effects of alcohol abuse are also experienced by alcoholics.

What Are the Signs of a Problem?

How can you tell whether you may have a drinking problem? Answering the following four questions can help you find out:

• Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
• Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
• Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
• Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning (as an “eye opener”) to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?

One “yes” answer suggests a possible alcohol problem. If you answered “yes” to more than one question, it is highly likely that a problem exists. In either case, it is important that you see your doctor or other health care provider right away to discuss your answers to these questions. He or she can help you determine whether you have a drinking problem and, if so, recommend the best course of action.

Even if you answered “no” to all of the above questions, if you encounter drinking-related problems with your job, relationships, health, or the law, you should seek professional help. The effects of alcohol abuse can be extremely serious—even fatal—both to you and to others.

The Decision To Get Help

Accepting the fact that help is needed for an alcohol problem may not be easy. But keep in mind that the sooner you get help, the better are your chances for a successful recovery.

Any concerns you may have about discussing drinking-related problems with your health care provider may stem from common misconceptions about alcoholism and alcoholic people. In our society, the myth prevails that an alcohol problem is a sign of moral weakness. As a result, you may feel that to seek help is to admit some type of shameful defect in yourself. In fact, alcoholism is a disease that is no more a sign of weakness than is asthma. Moreover, taking steps to identify a possible drinking problem has an enormous payoff—a chance for a healthier, more rewarding life.

When you visit your health care provider, he or she will ask you a number of questions about your alcohol use to determine whether you are having problems related to your drinking. Try to answer these questions as fully and honestly as you can. You also will be given a physical examination. If your health care provider concludes that you may be dependent on alcohol, he or she may recommend that you see a specialist in treating alcoholism. You should be involved in any referral decisions and have all treatment choices explained to you.

Alcoholism Treatment

The type of treatment you receive depends on the severity of your alcoholism and the resources that are available in your community. Treatment may include detoxification (the process of safely getting alcohol out of your system); taking doctor-prescribed medications, such as disulfiram (Antabuse®) or naltrexone (ReVia™), to help prevent a return (or relapse) to drinking once drinking has stopped; and individual and/or group counseling. There are promising types of counseling that teach alcoholics to identify situations and feelings that trigger the urge to drink and to find new ways to cope that do not include alcohol use. These treatments are often provided on an outpatient basis.

Because the support of family members is important to the recovery process, many programs also offer brief marital counseling and family therapy as part of the treatment process. Programs may also link individuals with vital community resources, such as legal assistance, job training, childcare, and parenting classes.

Alcoholics Anonymous

Virtually all alcoholism treatment programs also include Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings. AA describes itself as a “worldwide fellowship of men and women who help each other to stay sober.” Although AA is generally recognized as an effective mutual help program for recovering alcoholics, not everyone responds to AA’s style or message, and other recovery approaches are available. Even people who are helped by AA usually find that AA works best in combination with other forms of treatment, including counseling and medical care.

Can Alcoholism Be Cured?

Although alcoholism can be treated, a cure is not yet available. In other words, even if an alcoholic has been sober for a long time and has regained health, he or she remains susceptible to relapse and must continue to avoid all alcoholic beverages. “Cutting down” on drinking doesn’t work; cutting out alcohol is necessary for a successful recovery.

However, even individuals who are determined to stay sober may suffer one or several “slips,” or relapses, before achieving long-term sobriety. Relapses are very common and do not mean that a person has failed or cannot recover from alcoholism. Keep in mind, too, that every day that a recovering alcoholic has stayed sober prior to a relapse is extremely valuable time, both to the individual and to his or her family. If a relapse occurs, it is very important to try to stop drinking once again and to get whatever additional support you need to abstain from drinking.

Help for Alcohol Abuse

If your health care provider determines that you are not alcohol dependent but are nonetheless involved in a pattern of alcohol abuse, he or she can help you to:

• Examine the benefits of stopping an unhealthy drinking pattern.

• Set a drinking goal for yourself. Some people choose to abstain from alcohol. Others prefer to limit the amount they drink.

• Examine the situations that trigger your unhealthy drinking patterns, and develop new ways of handling those situations so that you can maintain your drinking goal.

Some individuals who have stopped drinking after experiencing alcohol-related problems choose to attend AA meetings for information and support, even though they have not been diagnosed as alcoholic.

Harmful Interactions: Alcohol and Drugs

Harmful Interactions: Alcohol and Drugs

You’ve probably seen this warning on medicines you’ve taken. The danger is real. Mixing alcohol with certain medications can cause nausea and vomiting; headaches; drowsiness; fainting; loss of coordination; and can put you at risk for internal bleeding, heart problems, and difficulties in breathing. Alcohol also can decrease the effectiveness of a medication or make it totally ineffective.


Many of these medications can be purchased “over–the–counter” without a prescription, including herbal remedies and others you may never have suspected of reacting with alcohol. This pamphlet describes the harmful effects of drinking while taking certain medicines. Brand names are used only to help you recognize a medicine you may be taking. The list presented here does not include all the medications that may react with alcohol. Most important, the list does not include all the ingredients in every medication. Medications are safe and effective when used appropriately. Your pharmacist or health care provider can help you determine which medicines interact harmfully with alcohol.
Symptoms/Disorders Common medications and selected brand names Some possible reactions with alcohol

Angina (chest pain), coronary heart disease Isordil® (isosorbide), nitroglycerine Rapid heartbeat, sudden changes in blood pressure

Anxiety Xanax® (alprazolam); Klonopin® (clonazepam); Valium® (diazepam); Ativan® (lorazepam) Drowsiness, dizziness; increased risk for overdose

Blood clots Coumadin® (warfarin) Occasional drinking may lead to internal bleeding; heavier drinking may have the opposite effect, resulting in possible blood clots, strokes, or heart attacks

Colds, coughs, flu, allergies Benadryl® (diphenhydramine); Tylenol® Cold and Flu (chlorpheniramine); Robitussin AC® (codeine) Drowsiness, dizziness; increased risk for overdose

Depression Elavil® (amitriptyline); Anafranil® (clomipramine); Norpramin® (desipramine); Serzone® (nefazodone); Desyrel® (trazodone) Drowsiness, dizziness; increased risk for overdose

Diabetes Micronase® (glyburide); Glucophage® (metformin); Orinase® (tolbutamide) Rapid heartbeat, sudden changes in blood pressure; convulsions, coma, death

Heartburn, indigestion, sour stomach Tagamet® (cimetidine); Axid® (nizatidine); Zantac® (ranitidine); Reglan® (metoclopramide) Rapid heartbeat, sudden changes in blood pressure (metoclopramide); increased alcohol effect

Infections Grisactin® (griseofulvin); Flagyl® (metronidazole); Acrodantin® (nitrofurantoin); Septra® (sulfamethoxazole); Nydrazid® (isoniazid); Seromycin® (cycloserine) Rapid heartbeat, sudden changes in blood pressure; liver damage (isoniazid)

Muscle pain Soma® (carisoprodol); Flexeril® (cyclobenzaprine) Drowsiness, dizziness; increased risk of seizures; increased risk for overdose

Nausea, motion sickness Antivert® (meclizine); Atarax® (hydroxyzine); Phenergan® (promethazine) Drowsiness, dizziness; increased risk for overdose

Pain such as that from headache, fever, muscle ache, arthritis; inflammation Aspirin (salicylates); Advil®, Motrin® (ibuprofen); Tylenol®, Excedrin® (acetaminophen); Vioxx® (rofecoxib); Celebrex® (celecoxib); Naprosyn® (naproxen) Stomach upset, bleeding and ulcers; liver damage (acetaminophen); rapid heartbeat

Seizures Klonopin® (clonazepam); phenobarbital; Dilantin® (phenytoin) Drowsiness, dizziness; increased risk of seizures

Severe pain from injury; postsurgical care; oral surgery; migraines Fiorinal® with codeine (butalbital and codeine); DarvocetN® (propoxyphene); Vicodin® (hydrocodone); Percocet® (oxycodone) Drowsiness, dizziness; increased risk for overdose

Sleep problems Restoril® (temazepam); Prosom™ (estazolam); Sominex® (diphenhydramine)
Herbal preparations (Chamomile, Valerian, Lavender) Drowsiness, dizziness

Increased drowsiness


Did you know?
Many types of medication can make you sleepy. Taking these medicines while drinking can make you even more drowsy, dizzy, and light–headed. You may have trouble concentrating or performing mechanical skills. Mixing alcohol with certain medicines makes it dangerous for you to drive. Combining alcohol with some medicines can lead to falls and serious injuries, especially among older people.
Some medications, including many popular painkillers and cough, cold, and allergy remedies, contain more than one ingredient that can react with alcohol. Read the label on your medication bottle to find out exactly what ingredients it contains.
Certain medicines contain up to 10 percent alcohol. Cough syrup and laxatives have some of the highest alcohol concentrations.
Women and older people are at higher risk for harmful alcoholmedication reactions.
Alcohol and medicines can interact harmfully even if they are not taken at the same time.

Remember...

Mixing alcohol and a medication puts you at risk for dangerous reactions. Protect yourself by avoiding alcohol if you are taking a medication and don’t know its effect. To learn more about a medicine and whether it will interact with alcohol, talk to your pharmacist or health care provider.

Treatment Methods for Women

Treatment Methods for Women 

Addiction to drugs is a serious, chronic, and relapsing health problem for both women and men of all ages and backgrounds. Among women, however, drug abuse may present different challenges to health, may progress differently, and may require different treatment approaches.

Understanding Women Who Use Drugs
It is possible for drug-dependent women, of any age, to overcome the illness of drug addiction. Those that have been most successful have had the help and support of significant others, family members, friends, treatment providers, and the community. Women of all races and socioeconomic status suffer from the serious illness of drug addiction. And women of all races, income groups, levels of education, and types of communities need treatment for drug addiction, as they do for any other problem affecting their physical or mental health.

Many women who use drugs have faced serious challenges to their well-being during their lives. For example, research indicates that up to 70 percent of drug abusing women report histories of physical and sexual abuse. Data also indicate that women are far more likely than men to report a parental history of alcohol and drug abuse. Often, women who use drugs have low self-esteem and little self-confidence and may feel powerless. In addition, minority women may face additional cultural and language barriers that can affect or hinder their treatment and recovery.

Many drug-using women do not seek treatment because they are afraid: They fear not being able to take care of or keep their children, they fear reprisal from their spouses or boyfriends, and they fear punishment from authorities in the community. Many women report that their drug-using male sex partners initiated them into drug abuse. In addition, research indicates that drug-dependent women have great difficulty abstaining from drugs, when the lifestyle of their male partner is one that supports drug use.

Consequences of Drug Use for Women
Research suggests that women may become more quickly addicted than men to certain drugs, such as crack cocaine, even after casual or experimental use. Therefore, by the time a woman enters treatment, she may be severely addicted and consequently may require treatment that both identifies her specific needs and responds to them.

These needs will likely include addressing other serious health problems-sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and mental health problems, for example. More specifically, health risks associated with drug abuse in women are:

Poor nutrition and below-average weight
Low self-esteem
Depression
Physical abuse
If pregnant, preterm labor or early delivery
Serious medical and infectious diseases (e.g., increased blood pressure and heart rate, STDs, HIV/AIDS)
Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS
AIDS is now the fourth leading cause of death among women of childbearing age in the United States. Substance abuse compounds the risk of AIDS for women, especially for women who are injecting drug users and who share drug paraphernalia, because HIV/AIDS often is transmitted through shared needles, and other shared items, such as syringes, cotton swabs, rinse water, and cookers. In addition, under the influence of illicit drugs and alcohol, women may engage in unprotected sex, which also increases their risk for contracting or transmitting HIV/AIDS.

From 1993 to 1994, the number of new AIDS cases among women decreased 17 percent. Still, as of January 1997, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had documented almost 85,500 cases of AIDS among adolescent and adult women in the United States. Of these cases,

About 62 percent were related either to the woman's own injecting drug use or to her having sex with an injecting drug user.
About 37 percent were related to heterosexual contact, and almost half of these women acquired HIV/AIDS by having sex with an injecting drug user.
Treatment for Women
Research shows that women receive the most benefit from drug treatment programs that provide comprehensive services for meeting their basic needs, including access to the following:

Food, clothing, and shelter
Transportation
Job counseling and training
Legal assistance
Literacy training and educational opportunities
Parenting training
Family therapy
Couples counseling
Medical care
Child care
Social services
Social support
Psychological assessment and mental health care
Assertiveness training
Family planning services
Traditional drug treatment programs may not be appropriate for women because those programs may not provide these services. Research also indicates that, for women in particular, a continuing relationship with a treatment provider is an important factor throughout treatment. Any individual may experience lapses and relapses as expected steps of the treatment and recovery process; during these periods, women particularly need the support of the community and encouragement of those closest to them. After completing a drug treatment program, women also need services to assist them in sustaining their recovery and in rejoining the community.

Extent of Use
The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA)* provides yearly estimates of drug use prevalence among various demographic groups in the United States. Data are derived from a nationwide sample of household members aged 12 and older.

In 1996, 29.9 percent of U.S. women (females over age 12) had used an illicit drug at least once in their lives-33.3 million out of 111.1 million women. More than 4.7 million women had used an illicit drug at least once in the month preceding the survey.


The survey showed 30.5 million women had used marijuana at least once in their lifetimes. About 603,000 women had used cocaine in the preceding month; 241,000 had used crack cocaine. About 547,000 women had used hallucinogens (including LSD and PCP) in the preceding month.

In 1996, 56,000 women used a needle to inject drugs, and 856,000 had done so at some point in their lives.
In 1996, nearly 1.2 million females aged 12 and older had taken prescription drugs (sedatives, tranquilizers, or analgesics) for a nonmedical purpose during the preceding month.


In the month preceding the survey, more than 26 million women had smoked cigarettes, and more than 48.5 million had consumed alcohol.

Family History of Alcoholism

A Family History of Alcoholism

If you are among the millions of people in this country who have a parent, grandparent, or other close relative with alcoholism, you may have wondered what your family's history of alcoholism means for you. Are problems with alcohol a part of your future? Is your risk for becoming an alcoholic greater than for people who do not have a family history of alcoholism? If so, what can you do to lower your risk?

Many scientific studies, including research conducted among twins and children of alcoholics, have shown that genetic factors influence alcoholism. These findings show that children of alcoholics are about four times more likely than the general population to develop alcohol problems. Children of alcoholics also have a higher risk for many other behavioral and emotional problems. But alcoholism is not determined only by the genes you inherit from your parents. In fact, more than one–half of all children of alcoholics do not become alcoholic. Research shows that many factors influence your risk of developing alcoholism. Some factors raise the risk while others lower it.

Genes are not the only things children inherit from their parents. How parents act and how they treat each other and their children has an influence on children growing up in the family. These aspects of family life also affect the risk for alcoholism. Researchers believe a person's risk increases if he or she is in a family with the following difficulties:

• an alcoholic parent is depressed or has other psychological problems;
• both parents abuse alcohol and other drugs;
• the parents' alcohol abuse is severe; and
• conflicts lead to aggression and violence in the family.

The good news is that many children of alcoholics from even the most troubled families do not develop drinking problems. Just as a family history of alcoholism does not guarantee that you will become an alcoholic, neither does growing up in a very troubled household with alcoholic parents. Just because alcoholism tends to run in families does not mean that a child of an alcoholic parent will automatically become an alcoholic too. The risk is higher but it does not have to happen.

If you are worried that your family's history of alcohol problems or your troubled family life puts you at risk for becoming alcoholic, here is some common–sense advice to help you:

Avoid underage drinking—First, underage drinking is illegal. Second, research shows that the risk for alcoholism is higher among people who begin to drink at an early age, perhaps as a result of both environmental and genetic factors.

Drink moderately as an adult—Even if they do not have a family history of alcoholism, adults who choose to drink alcohol should do so in moderation—no more than one drink a day for most women, and no more than two drinks a day for most men, according to guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Some people should not drink at all, including women who are pregnant or who are trying to become pregnant, recovering alcoholics, people who plan to drive or engage in other activities that require attention or skill, people taking certain medications, and people with certain medical conditions.

People with a family history of alcoholism, who have a higher risk for becoming dependent on alcohol, should approach moderate drinking carefully. Maintaining moderate drinking habits may be harder for them than for people without a family history of drinking problems. Once a person moves from moderate to heavier drinking, the risks of social problems (for example, drinking and driving, violence, and trauma) and medical problems (for example, liver disease, brain damage, and cancer) increase greatly.

Talk to a health care professional—Discuss your concerns with a doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, or other health care provider. They can recommend groups or organizations that could help you avoid alcohol problems. If you are an adult who already has begun to drink, a health care professional can assess your drinking habits to see if you need to cut back on your drinking and advise you about how to do that.

Steroids (Anabolic-Androgenic)

Steroids (Anabolic-Androgenic)

Anabolic-androgenic steroids are man-made substances related to male sex hormones. "Anabolic" refers to muscle-building, and "androgenic" refers to increased masculine characteristics. "Steroids" refers to the class of drugs. These drugs are available legally only by prescription, to treat conditions that occur when the body produces abnormally low amounts of testosterone, such as delayed puberty and some types of impotence. They are also used to treat body wasting in patients with AIDS and other diseases that result in loss of lean muscle mass. Abuse of anabolic steroids, however, can lead to serious health problems, some irreversible.

Today, athletes and others abuse anabolic steroids to enhance performance and also to improve physical appearance. Anabolic steroids are taken orally or injected, typically in cycles of weeks or months (referred to as "cycling"), rather than continuously. Cycling involves taking multiple doses of steroids over a specific period of time, stopping for a period, and starting again. In addition, users often combine several different types of steroids to maximize their effectiveness while minimizing negative effects (referred to as "stacking").
Health Hazards

The major side effects from abusing anabolic steroids can include liver tumors and cancer, jaundice (yellowish pigmentation of skin, tissues, and body fluids), fluid retention, high blood pressure, increases in LDL (bad cholesterol), and decreases in HDL (good cholesterol). Other side effects include kidney tumors, severe acne, and trembling. In addition, there are some gender-specific side effects:

For men--shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts, increased risk for prostate cancer.

For women--growth of facial hair, male-pattern baldness, changes in or cessation of the menstrual cycle, enlargement of the clitoris, deepened voice.

For adolescents--growth halted prematurely through premature skeletal maturation and accelerated puberty changes. This means that adolescents risk remaining short the remainder of their lives if they take anabolic steroids before the typical adolescent growth spurt.

In addition, people who inject anabolic steroids run the added risk of contracting or transmitting HIV/AIDS or hepatitis, which causes serious damage to the liver.

Scientific research also shows that aggression and other psychiatric side effects may result from abuse of anabolic steroids. Many users report feeling good about themselves while on anabolic steroids, but researchers report that extreme mood swings also can occur, including manic-like symptoms leading to violence. Depression often is seen when the drugs are stopped and may contribute to dependence on anabolic steroids. Researchers report also that users may suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility.1

Research also indicates that some users might turn to other drugs to alleviate some of the negative effects of anabolic steroids. For example, a study of 227 men admitted in 1999 to a private treatment center for dependence on heroin or other opioids found that 9.3 percent had abused anabolic steroids before trying any other illicit drug. Of these 9.3 percent, 86 percent first used opioids to counteract insomnia and irritability resulting from the anabolic steroids.2

Extent of Use
Monitoring the Future Study (MTF)*

MTF assesses drug use among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders nationwide, and has been conducted annually since 1975. Because of growing professional and public concern over anabolic steroids use by adolescents and young adults, questions regarding anabolic steroids use were added to the MTF in 1989 to give a better understanding of the extent of the problem. Between 1989 and 2000, lifetime** prevalence of anabolic steroids use among 12th graders fluctuated between a 3 percent high in 1989 and a 1.9 percent low in 1996.

In 1991, MTF was expanded to include assessment of 8th and 10th graders nationwide, in addition to 12th graders. Use of steroids remained unchanged among 8th and 12th graders from 1999 to 2000. Among 10th graders, however, the past year use of steroids increased from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 2.2 percent in 2000. In addition, the 2000 MTF noted a decrease among 12th graders in the perceived risk of harm from using steroids.

Most anabolic steroids users are male, and among male students, past year use of these substances was reported by 2.2 percent of 8th graders, 2.8 percent of 10th graders, and 2.5 percent of 12th graders.