Addiction

Researches at the University of California at San Francisco recently studied the behavior of intoxicated fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) that were given the option of drinking alcohol. The study, published Dec. 10, 2009 in the journal Current Biology, found that fruit flies consumed food spiked with alcohol faster than plain food and with preference for alcohol increasing over time. These findings could help researchers better understand the genetic groundwork of addiction.

Earlier studies have found that alcohol has profound physiological effects on fruit flies, but this new study was the first to offer flies a choice to drink. The researchers devised fly-sized drinking devices similar to water bottles in hamster cages. Flies were then kept inside vials and could drink from with liquid food spiked with alcohol or plain liquid food. The flies drank the former much quicker. The alcohol preference also became stronger over five days as the flies adjusted to the drinking, and flies that had been drinking longer preferred the higher proof mix (15% to 25%) while shorter-term drinkers did not (similar to tolerance).

The study also found that fruit flies who became accustomed to the alcohol continued to drink despite potential harm. The researchers laced the food containing alcohol with small amounts of the toxic chemical quinine, and the flies continued to drink, even though they normally avoid the chemical. In another test, the flies were allowed to drink freely for five days, then they were deprived of alcohol for either one or three days. After the “dry period,” the flies immediately returned to peak levels of drinking, demonstrating a hallmark of relapse.

“It’s known that there’s a strong genetic component to alcoholism,” one of the researches said, “and flies are one of the best model systems for genetics.” Researchers hope that the fruit fly model of alcoholism will provide future researchers with new experimental options for understanding the disease.

Experts say it’s easy to see why so many Americans are abusing prescription drugs. As Americans age and carry extra pounds, more are asking for pain relief to cope with joint problems, back pain and other ailments. And because they’re typically used legally, the stigma of being a junkie is often eliminated. Addiction to prescription drugs, which kill thousands of Americans a year, has become a largely unrecognized epidemic.

According to recently released statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of overdose deaths from opioid painkillers that included morphine and codeine, more than tripled from since 1999 to 13,800 deaths a year. USA Today reports that about 120,000 Americans end up in the emergency room after overdosing on opioid painkillers each year, and prescription drugs in general cause most of the more than 26,000 fatal overdoses annually.

In the past, most overdoses were due to illegal narcotics, such as heroin. The former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse said, “The biggest and fastest-growing part of America’s drug problem is prescription drug abuse.” And prescription painkillers have now surpassed heroin and cocaine as the leading cause of fatal overdoses.

One contributing factor may be the fact that conventional doctors have bought into the drug paradigm hook line and sinker. For example, as described in USA Today, a long-term treatment plan for pain will typically include a drug-combination approach, using anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-convulsants, and muscle relaxants. And although, aggressive drug marketing is often blamed for increased and inappropriate use of painkillers, another factor may be the cultural acceptance of prescription drugs (a pill for every symptom!) that may have replaced the need for excessive marketing of these dangerous drugs. People can simply get painkillers by asking their doctor and filling a prescription at the drugstore without anyone looking at them twice.

Today marks an important day of thanks to the brave men and women who have fought valiantly for our freedom. Their strength and courage make them some of the most important people this country will ever know. And yet, sadly, when their tour of duty ends and they finally return home, many veterans begin a different type of battle: addiction.

A recent study found that roughly 30% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans reported symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, Depression or other cognitive disabilities. When left untreated, these situations often contribute to substance abuse and addiction, fatal overdoses, as well as violations of the law. The study found that more than 200,000 veterans are behind bars, nearly half due to drug-related offenses. Often addiction and incarceration go hand in hand. These veterans are also at risk for homelessness and suicide. The Veteran Affairs (VA) estimates that 180,000 veterans are homeless with 42% of them having served in Vietnam.

Studies show that veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars are increasingly turning to drugs and alcohol when they return home as a coping mechanism for the lingering stress of combat. These men and woman join a larger population of Vietnam veterans who have struggled with these problem for decades. And yet, mental health care providers continue to face mounting challenges in providing adequate and comprehensive care. We need to find more solutions that address all of the components (physical, psychological, behavioral and spiritual) of the disease of addiction to ensure less relapse and more successful recoveries. We need to work on erasing the stigma surrounding addiction so that more cases can be prevented through education and those who need treatment will seek it. We need to build bridges that will invite new ways of making treatment more accessible.

We need to do more than just thank our veterans today; we need to fight harder for them.

How is all the talk about health care and addiction related? In the midst of the country’s health care reform debate, addiction specialists weigh in on health care and addiction, insisting that federal and state health care dollars need to be reallocated toward treating addiction, rather than treating the expensive symptoms and consequences of addiction.

According the Medical News Today, addiction accounts for one in 14 hospital admissions, which generates billions in health care costs. However, funds aren’t adequately aimed at treating and preventing substance abuse. Today there are more than 30 million people considered dependent on drugs or alcohol, yet less than 3 million are in treatment. Furthermore, the success rates of those in existing treatment are very low.The specialists emphasize that a better plan needs to be devised for health care and addiction.

Many of the nation’s leading addiction treatment facilities argue that the national debate on health care reform is overlooking a substantial area of savings, addiction treatment. Addicts are known for being repeat customers when it comes to health care because of frequent trips to emergency rooms and clinics. Untreated or under-treated addictions can add a significant cost to health care.

So what’s the solution when it comes to health care and addiction? ExecuCare believes that more money needs to be directed towards education as well as comprehensive treatment options. This is why ExecuCare offers a multi-solution approach to addressing addiction. When a protocol like NTR precedes traditional therapy treatments, individuals experience much higher success rates in long-term recovery. By addressing the physical form of the disease first with NTR, an individual is better prepared to make the psychological, behavioral and spiritual changes necessary in the next phases of recovery.

Even without a scientific study to tell us, we may sense a relationship between alcohol abuse, depression and obesity. Maybe you’ve known someone who suffers from all three or we’ve noticed the pattern in ourselves. There is a connection between alcohol abuse, depression and obesity that puts young women at risk for not just developing one of these major health problems but all three.

In a study funded by The National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute of Mental Health, the University of Washington collected data on 776 women when they were 24, 27, and 30 years of age. What the study found was that nearly half met the criteria for alcohol abuse, depression, and obesity at the different ages. Women suffering with alcohol abuse at age 24 were more than three times as likely to be obese when they were 27. Women who were obese at 27 were more than twice as likely to be depressed when they were 30. Women who were depressed at 27 were more than twice as likely to be depressed when they were 30. And women who were depressed at 27 were at an increased risk for alcohol abuse at 30.

What is at the root of the relationship between alcohol abuse, depression and obesity in young women? Scientists think it may be related to the levels of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the reward pathway of the brain; the same pathways reward both food and alcohol intake. An underlying stress mechanism may also link depression with alcohol abuse and obesity. All three of these are serious health problems and early prevention or intervention is important. Stress management can be a key intervention tool. Also, awareness that when a young woman is receiving care for either alcohol abuse, depression and obesity, precautions need to be taken for the other conditions as well.