Oxycontin Addiction: Oxycontin is a prescription painkiller used for moderate to high
pain relief associated with injuries, bursitis, dislocations, fractures, neuralgia,
arthritis, lower back pain and pain associated with cancer. It contains oxycodone,
an opium derivative and is produced in a time released tablet. Oxycontin commonly
referred to as OC, OX, Oxy, Oxycotton and kicker, was introduced in 1996 and has
had a rapid escalation of abuse. The tablets can be chewed, crushed and snorted
like cocaine, crushed and dissolved in water and then injected like heroin. The
most serious side effect is respiratory depression, particularly dangerous for
the elderly. Oxycontin
addiction and demand has resulted in pharmacy robberies and forged
prescriptions. The estimated number of people aged 12 or older with an oxycontin
addiction has increased from 1.9 million in 2002, to 3.1 million in 2004.
The largest increase occurred among young adults aged 18 to 25. Heroin Rapid Detox As an Opioid heroin use escalates as the body’s tolerance for the drug increases. The increased tolerance is the cause of many overdose deaths given that the heroin user may be injecting 3 to 5 times the lethal dose in order to maintain their high. Rapid detoxification from high tolerance heroin use is extremely dangerous and can be fatal. Relapse for a heroin user after some period of absence can also be fatal as their tolerance level is no longer present and the same amount used during their last episode prior to a period abstinence will often kill the user. Substance Abuse
Substance abuse has a range of definitions related to disaproval over use or overuse of mood altering substances. These fall into four main categories: Substance abuse may lead to addiction or substance dependence. Medicaly, dependence requires the development of tolerance leading to withdrawal symptoms.Drug Rehabilitation Drug Rehabilitation
is an umbrella term for a variety of processes by which a person addicted to a
drug stops using that drug. These processes can vary from cold turkey to the use
of substitute drugs which do not have the same action upon the state of consciousness
as the original drug to which the person was addicted.
Gambling Addiction - What defines it? What drives it? and What the Expected Outcomes Are as a Result of It? in Gambling Addiction and Treatment
Gambling Addiction - What defines it? What drives it? and What the Expected Outcomes Are as a Result of It?
Everyone knows the premise of gambling. One goes into a casino to have a good time, spend a little money and go home. After all, one game of poker never hurt anyone. The issue is when one game turns into two, three, or four. The problem is, the house will always win and individuals addicted to gambling don’t understand this factual statement until it’s too late. They also don’t understand how their addiction can lead to damages not only to relationships but also to the social economy as well.
What is Problem and/or Compulsive Gambling?
Criteria have been developed to diagnose an individual with a gambling issue. As per the National Council on Gambling Criteria, problem gambling, which includes compulsive or pathological gambling includes: “a progressive addiction characterized by increasing preoccupation with gambling, a need to bet more money more frequently, restlessness or irritability when attempting to stop, "chasing" losses, and loss of control manifested by continuation of the gambling behavior in spite of mounting, serious, negative consequences”.
In addition, the National Council has developed questions one can answer to determine if she or he has a gambling problem. They are as follows:
1. You have often gambled longer than you had planned.
2. You have often gambled until your last dollar was gone.
3. Thoughts of gambling have caused you to lose sleep.
4. You have used your income or savings to gamble while letting bills go unpaid.
5. You have made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to stop gambling.
6. You have broken the law or considered breaking the law to finance your gambling.
7. You have borrowed money to finance your gambling.
8. You have felt depressed or suicidal because of your gambling losses.
9. You have been remorseful after gambling.
10. You have gambled to get money to meet your financial obligations.
About 1,100,000 Americans in 1976 were addicted to gambling. Today, due to the increased prevalence and acceptance of gambling, the numbers are much higher. As is known, the actual act of gambling is one spending money. Money that will in all likelihood will not be recuperated. When an individual meets the criteria for pathological gambling as discussed above, many things are put at stake. Some of the most common areas hit include the following:
• Family savings are lost
• College education or retirement funds are spent
• Home mortgages are foreclosed as individuals cannot pay premiums
• Credit card debts increase
• Stress levels can rise
The Fear of Losing
As an individual becomes more and more engrossed in winning, stress levels continue to rise. In addition to monies being pulled from areas they should not be, this stress leads to a greater chance of domestic violence occurring. An example is the increase of domestic violence to 69% since casinos came to the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the mid 1990’s. It was also estimated that approximately 37% of pathological gamblers have at some point or another abused their children. The backlash of losing to the house is great for the gambler and society in that, as stress rises and a domestic violence incident, for instance occurs, law enforcement and courts can become involved. These are public monies now spent on one individual’s problem. In fact, it is estimated that the average Gamblers Anonymous participant has acquired debts ranging from $35,000 to $92,000 before seeking treatment.
Gambler Turned Felon?
The term is white collar crime. If one must continue the thrill of maybe winning, the habit must be supported at any length. Grandmother’s pearls are pawned, loans are begged from friends and family and finally, when all of these resources have spent, the stealing begins. These monies are often stolen from employers. This is a cost to the employment agency as well as leading to eventual firing of the gambler. Now they are not only still losing to the house but are also unemployed which means a further request from societal funding. The result: bankruptcy, unemployment checks, and the possibility of suicide.
What Kind of Crimes Does the Pathological Gambler Commit?
The most popular are the following:
• Embezzlement
• Check kiting
• Tax evasion
• Insurance fraud- estimated at approximately $1,300,000,000 per year.
Perhaps the most troubling part of this equation is the individual’s who commit these crimes are usually first time offenders. They’ve never been in any type of trouble. They are white collar workers, type a personalities who aren’t used to losing. What these individuals do not realize is their losses end up costing the country about $40 billion dollar per year as of a 2006 statistic.
The solution? Many would say stop the gambling before it begins. The other solution is getting these individuals into treatment the moment a gambling problem is suspected. That is perhaps the best way to stop a potentially dangerous problem from reeling out of control.
Rachel Hayon, MPH, RN
This article was last modified on 12/01/2008.
References
The National Council on Gambling http://www.ncpgambling.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1. Accessed 23 November 2008.
10 Questions for Gamblers http://www.ncpgambling.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3439. Accessed 23 November 2008.
Horn, B. Is There a Cure for America's Gambling Addiction? USA Today (Magazine) | Date: May 1, 1997. Accessed 23 November 2008.
Van Riper, Tom. The 5 Most Expensive Addictions. Forbes.com Published 13 October 2006. Accessed 22 November 2008.
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