The Appeal of Self-Harm

According to the Journal of the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, a study was done in England which showed that of 6,000 students, about 400 admitted to inflicting self-injuries. The students claimed that they injured themselves to feel relief from bad thoughts, to punish themselves, to show desperation and unfortunately, some did it in hopes of death.

What causes teens to inflict harm in this manner? There has been evidence that serotonin levels are low among those who inflict self-harm. Low serotonin levels can cause depression and lead to the self-harm behavior. Another risk factor is a teen’s childhood. If they suffered from a childhood of sexual abuse, the victims tend to show anger and sadness through self-injury.

Helping Someone Who Hurts

The warning signs of self-injury can be hard to detect. Usually the addict hides the scars and injuries with long sleeves and long pants, but there are other signs. If the person you know has a history of self-injury, has small linear cuts anywhere on the body, covers themselves in heavy clothes even on warm days, or has problems managing their mood they could have a self-injury addiction.

If you have suspicion that a close friend or relative could be suffering from self-injury, it is important that you assist them in finding someone who can help. Make sure that you don’t blame them but be someone they can talk to who can help them receive professional help from a doctor or therapist. From there, the professional can decide if they need to be put on a medication or entered into a treatment facility.

Self-injury is a very serious issue, and should not be taken lightly. An addiction to self-injury is usually rooted in deep emotional issues and self-injury becomes a way to cope with negative feelings or a traumatic past. Working through these feelings and learning new coping techniques will be vital to overcoming this addiction.

Tanning Linked to Cancer

Statistics from the Journal of American Dermatology show that 30 million Americans tan indoors every year, with one million visiting the tanning salon every day. Of those millions, 71 percent are women aged 16-29. Since UV exposure for those under the age of 30 increases the risk of cancer by 75 percent, beefed up monitoring of tanning bed abuse seems the best path toward cancer prevention, particularly for young women.

Dermatologists report that UV damage is cumulative, meaning that repeated exposure builds up over time and with enough of it, melanoma is a certainty. So it is surprising that current FDA regulations treat tanning beds the same way they control Class I medical devices like bandages and tongue depressors. Because of the inherent danger, lack of stronger regulatory control has recently come into question.

Tanning Salons Encouraging Abuse

ABC news recently reported on a University of San Diego study that sought to discover how well tanning salons were adhering to present FDA regulations. According to current recommendations, no one should spend time in a tanning bed more often than three times in the first week.

The UC San Diego researchers phoned numerous salons posing as 15-year-old girls wanting to make their first visits to a tanning bed. They discovered that 89 percent of the salons called were willing to allow 15-year-olds to make six to seven visits in the first week of tanning – more than twice the FDA recommended limit. Beyond permissiveness, by selling unlimited tanning bed visits at a discounted rate, tanning salons seem to be encouraging overuse.

Addicted to Tanning?

Tanning salons seem hesitant to enforce current guidelines, but there is also increasing evidence that the tanners themselves have become part of the problem. Displaying behavior patterns similar to people with addictions, some tanners not only ignore the FDA warnings about UV dangers, they continue to tan even after being diagnosed with melanoma.

The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center performed a controlled study to try and determine the legitimacy of claims that tanners experience symptoms similar to people suffering from alcohol or drug addiction. For their study, the researchers recruited people who tanned frequently (27 of the previous 90 days) and asked them to participate in two 10-minute tanning sessions. The tanners also received a dye that would allow examiners to monitor brain activity during their tanning sessions.

During one session the tanner received UV light and during another session UV light was blocked. The person tanning did not know which session provided UV light and which did not. During the session in which UV was allowed, researchers noted increased blood flow to the area of the brain associated with reward – the area of the brain strongly connected with addiction. When UV rays were blocked, the same areas showed diminished blood flow. The study revealed a definite link between UV exposure and brain stimulation similar to that demonstrated by addicts.

The World Health Organization classifies tanning beds alongside the sun as a clear cancer risk. Research has shown that teenagers are susceptible to both addiction and UV-caused cancer. Adults may decide to ignore warnings and continue to tan. However, the full support of the American Academy of Pediatrics is behind new FDA-proposed legislation banning indoor tanning for anyone under the age of 18.

The Rise of Phenazepam Abuse

A new type of drug is making its way into the hands of drug addicts. Used for the treatment of neurological diseases such as epilepsy and anxiety, the drug phenazepam is being used illegally. Recently, scientists familiar with phenazepam issued a letter to the British Medical Journal to warn about the appearance of the drug among youth in the United Kingdom.

Forensic scientists at the University of Dundee in Scotland have witnessed many cases of youth using phenazepam as a recreational drug and have warned that the drug may become a popular substitute for methadone among addicts.

About Phenazepam

Phenazepam is a benzodiazepine drug, created in the 1970s to treat conditions like epilepsy, insomnia, and anxiety. It has also been successfully used to aid in the treatment of symptoms accompanying withdrawal from alcohol dependence. While the drug is not currently controlled in the U.K. or the United States, evidence of its illegal use may require additional regulation to protect individuals from substance abuse.

The scientists recorded three cases in 2010 of phenazepam overdose in East Midlands, while six were documented in Scotland. The small flood of cases raised concern about the safety of the drug. In response, the Scottish government issued warnings and police increased confiscation of the drug.

Peter Maskell and colleagues have begun to conduct regular testing of postmortem blood samples to check for phenazepam in their lab in Dundee. Since the testing began in January 2011, the scientists have identified nine cases in which blood tests revealed a high level of phenazepam.

The cases of phenazepam use were represented by males and females between the ages of 31 to 45. Each had a history of drug abuse and the cause of death was determined to be the adverse effects of opiates in seven cases, and non-drug related causes in two of the cases.

Because of the documented cases of death related to phenazepam, experts are calling for an increased awareness of the misuse of this drug. Its availability on the Internet may allow its use to spread easily among drug addicts.

During the past year, the Navy reported as many as 17 service members having been admitted to the psychiatric ward of its San Diego Naval Medical Center due to mental complications brought on by Spice use. The otherwise healthy young males were admitted for a range of mental problems caused by Spice use, including anxiety attacks, paranoia, as well as auditory and visual hallucinations in which they heard voices or saw people who were not present. Many of their delusions involved firm beliefs that the government was after them or their families, an indication of psychosis. Most of the users were brought to the medical center by family members or commands after they failed to appear at work. While some patients’ psychotic symptoms subsided within 2–8 days after taking anti-psychotic medication, a few continued having psychotic delusions—prompting the medical residents to implore the scientific community for further research on the dangers of these unregulated chemicals.

This week, following a two-month investigation on Spice use among its members, the Air Force announced the discharge of as many as 30 airmen of varying ranks, who all face punishments such as confinement for at least five years and paying forfeiture in addition to dishonorable discharge. In a statement, the Air Force reported that it punishes its service members for the use of Spice in the same manner it would for the use of any other illegal substance or for other types of egregious misconduct.

Synthetic marijuana first appeared in the European market around 2005, after a research study on cannabinoid receptors in the brain identified several methods of synthesizing the human metabolite of THC. The study’s findings eventually fell into the hands of prospective entrepreneurs looking to profit off the chemical compounds, and the market for synthesized cannabinoids soon spread across the globe. Since 2006, a three-gram bag of the synthesized drugs—sold under such brand names as ‘Blaze,’ ‘Genie,’ ‘K2,’ ‘Sence,’ ‘Skunk,’ ‘Smoke,’ ‘Spice,’ ‘Yucatan Fire,’ and ‘Zohai’—has generally sold for $30 to $40, about half the street price of cocaine.

The substances are marketed under the guise of incense or potpourri not intended for human consumption; in actuality, Spice is merely plant material coated with unknown amounts of the synthetic cannabis which can either be smoked or injected. Because there is no oversight of the manufacturing process, there is no way to know exactly how much of the chemicals are present in each package made by the multitude of producers, and some of the ingredients remain unknown. Likewise, there are around 500 different variations of the synthetic cannabinoid compound, making it difficult to measure or regulate all of the chemicals.

The synthetic cannabinoids have intense purity levels, causing what health specialists describe as an effect 200 times greater than the high obtained from marijuana. Although the chemicals are said to mimic the effects of THC—the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana—the synthetic chemicals are more potent, bind themselves more permanently to receptors in the brain and other organs, and last for much longer periods of time. Additionally, because it takes longer for users to feel the effect of the synthetic chemicals, they tend to erroneously ingest too much of the substance, thinking that more is needed to obtain a high. This mistake often results in users overdosing on the chemicals and landing in the emergency room. By 2009, the Spice and similar products became popular among the American marketplace at such locations at convenient stores, gas stations, head shops, as well as the Internet.

Parents, lawmakers, and lobbyists have called for bans on the Spice-like products, which are mostly purchased by teenagers and young adults due to their availability. Since 2010, the American Association of Poison Control has experienced over 4,500 calls to its various poison centers related to Spice use. In March 2011, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officially banned the five synthetic marijuana compounds most commonly found in products like Spice and K2. The chemicals were raised to Schedule 1 substances under the Controlled Substances Act due to their high potential for abuse and lack of safety and monitoring, making it illegal to distribute, purchase, or possess the ‘fake pot’ chemicals.

According to emergency room physicians and doctors at the naval medical center, Spice users can experience serious adverse reactions including depression, anxiety attacks, dangerously elevated heart rates, increased blood pressure, convulsions, and disorientation, as well as a high risk of nausea, vomiting, paranoia, and hallucinations—the leading symptoms of psychosis.

Sources: US Air Force, Brandice J. O’Brien, Investigation Nabs 30 Air Force Spice Users, June 14, 201

Navy Times, Gidget Fuentes, Doctor: Spice Could Threaten Mental Health, June 6, 2011

The 2009 CAMH Monitor survey, whose results were published June 13, 2011, showed that the amount of adults reporting daily drinking increased from 5.3 percent in 2002 to 9 percent in 2009. The average number of drinks consumed weekly also increased from three drinks in 2002 to 4.6 drinks in 2009. The amount of adults drinking at risky levels remained at 22 percent.

The study did find a significant decline in binge drinking, which fell from 12.6 percent in 2006 to 7.1 percent in 2009. This decline was especially significant among young adults, as their numbers dropped from 24 percent to 11.5 percent.

It also found that the trend of driving within an hour of consuming two or more drinks has declined, from 13.1 percent in 1996 to 6.9 percent in 2009. However, this trend seems to have reversed among young adults, as there was a significant increase in driving within an hour of consuming two or more drinks among 18- to 29-year-olds (from 7.7 percent in 2005 to 12.8 percent in 2009.)

Dr. Robert Mann, Senior Scientist at CAMH and lead investigator on the study, said that the study demonstrates that although the number of people who drink alcohol hasn’t changed, the way they are drinking has changed, as people are drinking more often and could be consuming more alcohol when they drink, even if there are fewer binge drinking occasions.

Dr. Mann noted that the more access people have to alcohol, the more they will drink, which leads to more instances of drinking and driving. He added that random breath testing and lowering legal driving limits to 0.05 percent could reduce drunk-driving deaths, noting that implementing the 0.05 percent legislation in British Columbia seems to have resulted in a 50 percent decrease in drunk-driving deaths.

As for marijuana, the study found that cannabis use has been steadily increasing, from 8.7 percent in 1996 to 13.3 percent in 2009, among both men and women in all age groups. There was also a near two-fold increase in marijuana use among those between the ages of 18 and 29, from 18.3 percent to 35.8 percent.

Dr. Mann said that these increases are concerning, as cannabis may increase the risk of psychosis for people who are predisposed to schizophrenia, and it may worsen the symptoms of other mental disorders.

The study also found a significant increase in cannabis use among older adults, with use by those aged 50 and older increased from 1.4 percent to 4.7 percent between 1996 and 2009. Among past-year users, this number increased from 1.9 percent to 13.9 percent during the same period.

The study did find a decrease in reported cigarette smoking in adults, from 19.7 in 2008 to 18.6 percent in 2009. Although 14 percent of all adult Ontarians report daily smoking, this is a positive sign that smoking has declined since 1996, from 26.8 percent to 18.6 percent in 2009. Dr. Mann noted that the anti-smoking legislation in Ontario likely played a role in this decrease.

The study also found that one in seven Ontarian adults (14.7 percent, or about 1.4 million people) reported having symptoms of elevated psychological distress, and almost six percent reported poor overall mental health. Those between the ages of 30 and 39 were most likely to report poor mental health, and those over 65 reported the lowest rates of poor mental health.

Mental health was strongly correlated with education level: Those who hadn’t graduated high school had higher levels of poor mental health, and those who had graduated from university reported lower levels of poor mental health. This suggests that social factors such as income play an important role in both mental and physical health.

The use of anti-anxiety medication has remained stable over the last few years, but data shows that over the past 10 years, the use of these medications has increased from 4.5 percent to nearly 7 percent of Ontario adults. There is a similar pattern among antidepressant medication. Dr. Mann said this could also be due to more people seeking and receiving treatment for mental health problems, which is a positive sign.

Regionally, those from Northern Ontario were more likely to be current smokers and to smoke daily. Those from Toronto were the least likely to drink alcohol, those from the South West region reported the highest number of drinks consumed weekly, and driving after drinking was most common in the South West and Central South regions of the province.

Source: Science Daily, Drinking, Cannabis Use and Psychological Distress Increase in Ontario, Canada, Survey Finds, June 13, 2011

Levels of Internet pornography use in the U.S. have grown dramatically in recent years, with experts saying pornography addiction is nearing epidemic levels. The behavior often linked with sexual addiction and sexual compulsivity, destroys families, careers, finances and relationships, and is connected to higher rates of depression.

For many people who are addicted to pornography, recovery is especially difficult because it is typically free and widely available. So many people have used web sites with pornography that a new extension for Web domains has been created, called “.xxx” Not only are many of the sites widely accessible, but users can escalate their addictions with features like video, sound and interactive chat rooms.

Sean McFarland, a sexual addiction specialist who has been a guest on the Oprah Winfrey show, says people with Internet pornography addictions can become so obsessed that they will do almost anything to get their next “fix.” This can include accessing pornography in the workplace setting. Most employers do not tolerate any pornography usage in the workplace, and many people have been immediately fired for the behavior.

As a person becomes more addicted to Internet pornography, the consequences like loss of job are known, but they are still unable to stop their behaviors. Sexual addictions are progressive in nature, with the person needing more and more of the material to get the same high. In many families, relationships and children are neglected while the user spends hours viewing online pornography, often in a setting secluded from the rest of the household.

Symptoms of Internet pornography addiction can also include irritability, depression, mood swings or neglected work or school responsibilities. People with this illness may also try to hide or conceal their computer or phone and may spend large amounts of money pursuing the addiction. Experts believe pornography addiction may be rooted in a desire to escape or avoid negative emotions, and can be just as addictive as some street drugs – if not more addictive, due to the widely-available status of free or low-cost Internet pornography sites.

Because it can be so difficult to stop viewing pornography online, especially as the addiction develops, self-monitoring sites have become more available. These are systems that monitor and disable a person’s use of pornography on the Internet while teaching users how to create positive and beneficial usage patterns for the Internet. Some programs are adaptable to mobile phones as well and can help people working through other compulsive or addictive situations, such as online gambling addictions.

Treatment for Internet pornography can combine Web monitoring systems with professional counseling, support groups and family counseling sessions. Several sexual addiction treatment centers are also emerging nationwide and globally.

The recent study of 1,000 students across the globe gives strength to a phenomenon called “media addiction,” and shows surprising findings, as reported in news from Digital Trends. The students were asked to go one full day – 24 hours – apart from all forms of electronic communications or media in a study from the Center for Media and The Public Affairs, University of Maryland, and the Academy on Media and Global Change, Salzburg.

No matter which continent the student lived, the results were similar – students under the age of 25 had high chances of being addicted to social media networks like Facebook, their apps and functions on their smartphone or text messaging.

Students also said similar things about their 24-hour media-free stint that a person might hear in a substance abuse treatment center. Quotes about being “lost,” “lonely,” “staring blankly” or feeling anxious, irritated and tense lead researchers to believe that a dependency on media may exist, even in the physical form.

Several students couldn’t endure even 24 hours without their media outlets and chose to cop out of the study. The strongest addictions seemed to be toward the social media network Facebook and cell phone usage.

On the positive side, some students said they spent more time talking in person with people in their lives or found themselves participating in family activities without the constant distraction of their media forms.

Now researchers have found that the life-threatening practice is popular among an age group not known to be vulnerable to intentionally inhaling vapors. A new report issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for 2008 shows that 54 percent of those admitted for treatment for inhalant use were adults over the age of 18.

The ages of the adults breaks down with approximately 52 percent of the adults aged between 18 and 29, 32 percent between the ages of 30 and 44 and 16 percent over 45 years old.

Inhalants can be very dangerous, with experiences involving mind-altering effects. When inhalants are used on an ongoing basis, the user may experience irreversible damage to the brain, kidneys and lungs.

The report issued by SAMHSA based on the National Survey of Drug Use and Health shows that approximately 1.1 million adults over the age of 18 had used inhalants over the last year. When compared to usage of other drugs, the use of inhalants is staggering: there are approximately 988,000 users of crack cocaine and 571,000 users of heroin.

H. Westley Clark, MD, JD, MPH, director of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, explains that inhalant abuse can affect individuals at any age, and that death is also possible for any user of inhalants. Though the focus has previously been on the dangers that inhalants pose for kids, the new report shows the need for awareness of inhalants among all age groups.

The report also underscores the need for product safety awareness. Consumers should be aware that legal products are not necessarily safe. Just as parents are being asked to keep a close watch on their prescription drugs due to the popularity of prescription drug misuse, the same caution should be used in handling household chemicals.
The use of inhalants produces a high similar to that experienced with the use of alcohol. However, unlike with alcohol use, inhalants can cause organ damage with one session of repeated inhalant uses, and even result in death.

Parents should watch for signs that their children are misusing household chemicals, monitoring levels of chemicals and making note if a product appears in an unusual place. Likewise, family members should seek help immediately if they have reason to believe an adult relative is misusing a household product to experience a high.
 

The researchers found that patients who underwent gastric bypass had a much higher blood-alcohol content and took much longer to return to a sober state after drinking, compared with results prior to having the procedure.

Senior author of the study, John M. Morton, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S., associate professor of surgery at Stanford University, said that severe obesity is a public health crisis in the United States, and that although gastric bypass surgery is an effective treatment for some people, researchers want people to be aware of the risk of overusing alcohol after the procedure, which can lead to weight gain, nutritional deficiencies, and alcohol dependence.

For the study, 19 morbidly obese patients underwent alcohol metabolism tests before having gastric bypass surgery. Their alcohol metabolism was tested again at three and six months after the procedure. Patients also reported the symptoms they experienced while drinking and answered questions about their drinking habits.

After drinking 5 ounces of red wine, the patients’ blood-alcohol content was significantly higher after the operation (0.024 percent pre-operation compared to 0.059 percent three months after the operation). At six months after the operation, the patients’ blood-alcohol content was even higher (0.088 percent, more than the legal driving limit). It also took patients 49 minutes to reach a zero blood-alcohol content prior to the operation compared to 61 minutes at three months at 88 minutes at six months after the operation.

Other studies have found that some gastric bypass patients trade one addiction for another, such as replacing overeating with drinking alcohol or using drugs. Patients with binge-eating behavior prior to the operation have also been found to be more likely to become alcohol-dependent after the operation.

Dr. Morton said that gastric bypass patients need to understand that their body will respond to alcohol differently after the surgery, and that they need to be careful when it comes to alcohol consumption. He recommends that gastric bypass patients limit alcohol consumption to one drink (one 12-ounce beer, one five-ounce glass of wine, or one shot of liquor) every two hours, and to never drive after consuming any alcohol.

Science Daily, Alcohol Has Stronger Impact on Gastric Bypass Patients, Study Finds, March 10, 2011

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