The public’s perception of substance abuse addicts is demeaning. Addicts are called names like "junkie", "stoner" or "drunk". Very seldom do you see someone with depression degraded with such a hated label.

Society’s acceptance of mental illnesses has come a long way and openly talking about PTSD or anxiety is now more commonplace. But those suffering from other mental illnesses, like prescription-drug addiction, are thrown to the side and accused of deciding their own fate. Mental health experts are now arguing that there is not difference.

The recent financial crisis is suggested to be at the root of the problem for addiction. However, the article doesn’t recognize that the misuse of prescription drugs can be directly linked to complete disregard of mental illness.

Troubles with depression and anxiety are easily explained to be triggered by adverse affects of a person’s environment, and addiction works in much of the same way. Many individuals began self-medicating which is how they are introduced to prescription painkillers. They use these pills in stressful situations, called maladaptive coping mechanism. This is where the person can become hooked and so goes the story of the drug addict.

The problem is so persistent in Ohio that a story in the New York Times recently pointed out how bad the prescription drug epidemic has hit suburbia. The writings of Sabrina Tavernise illustrate the staggering number of young people who have lost their lives to addiction.

Scioto County sees nearly one in ten babies born testing positive for drugs. Overdoses in the entire state have surpassed car accident death totals. Across the country, addiction of prescription drugs is taking more lives than crack cocaine did in the 1980s and heroin in the 1970s combined.

Researchers at the University of South Wales’ National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre hope that a cannabis mouth spray that is used to help multiple sclerosis (MS) patients could also help individuals recover from a marijuana addiction.

A Balancing Act in Sativex

Director of the study, Jan Copeland, says that the combination of ingredients in Sativex, the mouth spray, could likely help marijuana users break free from their abuse. The mouth spray contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD)-two main cannabinoids from the cannabis plant that could help fight the intensity of a craving for marijuana.

CBD is referred to by Professor Copeland as the "good" cannabinoid, while THC is the cannabinoid associated with getting users stoned. The two balance each other. In Sativex, CBD can lower the effects of THC so that an individual’s receptor systems protect the body from getting stoned.

Using the cannabis mouth spray rather than using marijuana is safer for the body in two ways. The lungs stay healthier with the spray, and most of the better CBD has been removed from the cannabis that is smoked.

Sativex for MS Users

Sativex is legal in the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Spain to help treat spasticity in individuals with multiple sclerosis. Britain’s GW Pharmaceuticals developed the drug that was legalized for MS users in 2010.

In the United States, 16 states and the District of Columbia allow the growth and sale of medicinal marijuana. But those in the U.S. who suffer from MS do not have the choice to use Sativex yet. According to GW Pharmaceuticals, the FDA has not approved the use of Sativex in the United States.

According to Professor Copeland, side effects reported for Sativex include the following:

• Sleeplessness
• Anger
• Difficulty functioning

Neurology consultant and cannabinoid expert, John Zajicek, at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth states that the side effects can usually be managed by adjusting the dosage of Sativex for the need of the patient.

Sativex for Marijuana Users

Professor Copeland says that her research team at the university has been given permission to use Sativex with individuals in their study. In a controlled environment, the team plans to administer the mouth spray in low doses every six hours.

John Zajicek believes that using Sativex to treat patients with an addiction to marijuana is a "milestone" in cannabinoid research. He believes its addition to the field will yield future benefits in the world of recovery.

Author and expert Patrick Carnes says that recovery from sex addiction can be compared to recovery from an addiction to a potent substance like cocaine – but may even be more difficult than drug recovery. As director of a Mississippi-based sex addiction treatment center, Carnes links the consequences of sexual addiction to drug addiction, such as the destruction of homes, families, careers, health and finances.

He also says that sexual addiction may be similar to gambling addiction or conditions like compulsive overeating, in that it’s an addiction rooted in a process rather than a substance. This fact, along with the reality that people are biologically engineered for sexual desire, makes sex addiction difficult to treat. While a substance user can learn to live without alcohol, for example, stopping sex altogether is not a decision most people are willing to make.

While sex addiction itself has been noted for decades, Carnes and other experts state that unprecedented surges in the availability of sexual materials online have contributed to larger numbers of adults and adolescents struggling with the condition.

Symptoms of Sexual Addiction

The symptoms of sexual addiction can be hidden at first by many patients, but as the addiction progresses, the person may be unable to control compulsive or obsessive thoughts about sex. They may lose a job for viewing pornography online at work, or destroy their family life by becoming involved with multiple sex partners. Others with sex addiction may demonstrate obsessive masturbation or have uncontrollable urges to participate in cybersex.

Contrary to stereotypes about sexual addiction, many people use the behavior not for sexual pleasure but as a way of escaping negative emotions or to avoid their inability to form close relationships. Over time, the “high” that comes from sexual activities diminishes and the person must seek more frequent or more intense encounters to feel “normal” again.

Types of Treatment for Sexual Addiction

Due to the psychological and emotional components of sexual addiction, many treatment options involve family-based counseling. Through the course of counseling sessions, the internal issues that have prompted the addiction can be addressed.

At the same time, the spouse of a person with sexual addiction can receive counseling to cope with strong feelings of anger or shame. Because sexual addiction affects the spouse or partner in profound ways, as well as the children in the home, family counseling is often recommended.

Counseling on an individual basis for sexual addiction can concentrate on the underlying self-esteem problems or intimacy problems that may be at the root of the addiction. The ramifications of the behavior can also be addressed, and solutions presented. Persistent thought patterns can be brought to light as the therapist helps the patient understand the connections between their thoughts and their behaviors, with new, healthy behavior skills as another focus area.

Similar to treatments for alcohol and drug addictions, hypnotherapy has been utilized as a treatment option for sexual addiction. The therapy can be offered in combination with psychotherapy or used independently. The hypnotherapy treatments can help identify and deal with triggers for the behavior, and also help guide the patient toward healthy, managed reactions to these triggers. The therapist can also suggest ways to prevent a negative situation from turning into an uncontrollable urge to engage in sexual behavior.

Some patients have benefitted from prescription-based approaches, such as anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medications, offered in conjunction with counseling and other treatments. Through tools like self-help groups, such as Sex Addicts Anonymous, individuals can learn to better identify their behavior triggers and establish new preventative ways of thinking and coping with life stressors. The recovery group is based upon the core principles of Alcoholics Anonymous, and only asks that members have willingness and a desire to find freedom from sexual addiction.

No single treatment has emerged as the leader in treating sexual addiction, and researchers continue to study factors, including the ways the brain’s reward system may play a role in sexual addictions. Like other addictions, overcoming sexual addiction is built upon a person’s willingness to seek help and their commitment to ongoing recovery.

John F. Kelly, lead author of the study and associate professor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, as well as associate director of the Center for Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, said that although spirituality is an important aspect of AA, it isn’t the only way to help recovering addicts.

He said that he has heard that AA is too spiritual and not spiritual enough, and that although spirituality is only one way to help recovering addicts, the study’s findings support the idea that AA works partly by enhancing people’s spirituality.

For the study, more than 1,500 adults were assessed at 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 months into their recovery process. The study examined the participants’ attendance to AA meetings, their religious or spiritual practices, and their alcohol-use outcomes to determine whether spirituality is associated with behavioral changes.

The researchers found that there was a significant association between an increase in AA meeting attendance with increased spirituality and a decrease in the frequency and intensity of alcohol consumption over time. Interestingly, the same amount of recovery was seen in both agnostics and atheists, which suggests that while spirituality is important in behavioral change, it is not the only method used in AA.

Keith Humphreys, a career research scientist with the Veterans Health Administration and a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University, said that many people will find it surprising that alcohol-dependent individuals with little or no interest in spirituality attended AA meetings and seemed to have more success than those who already had a strong sense of spirituality. He added that this suggests that AA reaches a wider audience than people may think.

The researchers noted that although spirituality can be an important aspect of recovery, it is still unknown how these beliefs work in regard to recovery methods. Kelly said that they have found that participating in AA leads to recovery because the program helps members improve their social network, as well as their coping skills, motivation to remain abstinent, and psychological well-being.

Kelly added that it will be important to conduct more research and replicate the study’s findings to better understand how spiritual practices and beliefs can influence behavioral changes in the recovery process.

Source: Science Daily, Attending Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings May Increase Spirituality and Help Decrease Frequency and Intensity of Alcohol Use, December 14, 2010

It’s unclear what role Tobias’s addiction to the online game played in the death, but addiction experts say the problem is just as serious as any substance abuse problem. Although online gaming addiction isn’t recognized as a disorder by the American Psychiatric Association as a disorder, gambling addiction is expected to be included in the next version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and the American Medical Association has called for more research on online gaming.

Liz Woolley founded On-Line Gamers Anonymous a year after her 20-year-old son committed suicide after his addiction to the role-playing game EverQuest led to his eviction and the loss of his job. The 12-step program’s message boards provide support to at least 800 people per day.

Many people become addicted to online games because they are isolated and reaching out for interaction via the Internet. Most of the problematic games cannot be “beaten” or “won,” and involve actions that keep people coming back. Woolley said that most of the members can’t quit on their own.

Another treatment options for those in need is the reSTART Internet Addiction Recovery Program, an inpatient treatment facility in Fall City, Washington. Executive director Hilarie Cash said that most patients come to treatment with addictions to large-scale online role-playing games such as World of Warcraft or Second Life. Games like FarmVille, where players tend to virtual crops and build a farm, are being added to the list.

Source: Jacksonville.com, Kate Howard, Online addiction no game, experts warn, October 30, 2010

Selena Bartlett, PhD, Director of the Pre-Clinical Development Group at the Gallo Center, said that ezlopitant is an NK1-receptor antagonist that blocks the action of substance P, a neurotransmitter that may be involved in the brain’s reward system, which is associated with addiction and cravings. Bartlett said that substance P is released in the brain in response to stimuli, and must bind with neuron receptors to have an effect. Ezlopitant prevents the binding.

The rats that were given ezlopitant were significantly less motivated to drink sugar water, saccharin water, and an alcohol solution. Bartlett said this could be because the NK1 receptor is involved in the reward system of the brain that controls cravings for sweets as well as drugs and alcohol.

Previous studies have shown that NK1-receptor antagonists such as ezlopitant has decreased alcohol cravings in humans, and Bartlett says that their study found that the decreased consumption of sweetened water in rats was even greater than the decreased consumption of alcohol, which suggests that the receptor might be linked to compulsive eating. This could be an important discovery for treating food addiction.

Source: Science Daily, Biochemical Pathway May Link Addiction, Compulsive Eating, September 2, 2010

Researchers from the Scripps Research Institute wanted to see whether dysregulation of the function of mGluRs plays a role in increasing cocaine administration in rats. They tested rats with daily one-hour or six-hour access to cocaine for differences in cocaine use after being treated with LY379268, an mGluR2/3 agonist, and MTEP, an mGluR5 antagonist.

During the development of the rats’ addiction, LY379268 and MTEP changed in capacity to reduce cocaine use. LY379268 became more effective and MTEP became less effective in rats that had six-hour access to cocaine.

Corresponding author Dr. Yue Hao explains that their study shows that during the transition from “casual” cocaine use to addiction, dysregulation occurs in mGluR function, suggesting that functional changes in mGlu receptions may play a role in cocaine addiction.

Dr. John Krystal, editor of Biological Psychiatry, the journal in which the study was published, said the study underscores the complexity of treating cocaine addiction because different extents of cocaine use may affect brain systems differently. These findings could lead to effective treatments for different kinds of cocaine use.

Source: Science Daily, Drugs to Treat Cocaine Abuse? Effectiveness May Depend on How One Uses Cocaine, August 10, 2010

In May, Desormeaux was markedly intoxicated during a live radio interview on Sirius XM Radio, just days following the Kentucky Derby where he had received some disapproval regarding his racing performance. On July 1, Desormeaux failed a breathalyzer test before the Woodbine races in Canada where he was scheduled to ride the prize-winning thoroughbred Hold Me Back who later won the $200,000 Dominion Day Handicap under fellow jockey Tyler Pizarro. Desormeaux claims he had flown in from New York for Woodbine after drinking the night before at a friend’s birthday party. Desormeaux was removed from his mount by the stewards after failing the necessary breathalyzer test in which jockeys must present a blood alcohol concentration below 0.020 an hour prior to the race to qualify. He was fined $100 and suspended for one day from racing. Following the incident, Desormeaux lost some sponsors, including WinStar Farm, which owns Hold Me Back.

Desormeaux told the media on July 20 that his actions were embarrassing and unprofessional, although he expressed that his behavior during the radio interview was pardonable since he was on vacation at the time and thus was not expected to ride.

Desormeaux has announced that he is currently undergoing counseling in New Hyde Park, NY, to help him deal with his problem drinking, where he will receive treatment from a psychotherapist and guidance by a sponsor. Desormeaux will be required to check in with his counselors every day, and will be following an alcohol program referred by the Racetrack Chaplaincy in New York while in Saratoga. He has reported to media resources that he wishes to improve his professional conduct and will do what is necessary to meet that goal. Desormeaux’s representatives are supporting his effort for recovery and hope to see the three-time Eclipse award winner return to the track clean and with more confidence.

Several jockeys throughout racing history have been affected by substance abuse. Many professional jockeys began practicing the sport during their childhood, where the substance abuse usually begins. With a lack of proper supervision while undergoing years of intense training, these teen jockeys can find it difficult to break their drug habits once they reach professional status in adulthood. Famous jockeys such as Miguel Mena, Garret Gomez, Noberto Arroyo Jr., Pat Day, and Jerry Bailey have all dealt with their substance abuse problems before the public, with some incidences landing them in jail or in ongoing inpatient recovery programs.

Jockeys may be encouraged to partake in substance abuse or even eating disorders to stunt their growth and maintain light weight for riding purposes. While drug habits may have helped them reach stardom or were ignited as a direct cause of their celebrity, these jockeys can risk losing their entire careers over a single incident involving substance abuse.

Bloom told "Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez she’s sent a letter to that effect on behalf of Michael Lohan to the judge overseeing Lindsay’s case.

Lindsay is currently on probation for a 2007 DUI conviction, but has said publicly she’s sober.

The letter, Bloom observed, asks that "in the event that Lindsay is in violation of the term of her probation, namely that she attend weekly alcohol education classes, then Michael would like the judge to order her into a residential rehab program. And he’s done extensive research behind-the-scenes and found a program that he thinks would be the best for her. It’s close to her family on Long Island. The family could all participate in family therapy. She could be given appropriate treatment for what he thinks are her problems, namely prescription drug abuse." How can any judge tell whether Lohan has indeed violated the terms of her probation?

"It’s a simple matter," Bloom replied, "and we have (from) credible sources that she has missed a couple of classes. The judge’s order was very clear that she had to attend once a week. The alcohol education program will submit a report to the court as to whether she’s in violation or not by the next hearing date, which is May 20.

"But we know that, behind-the-scenes, the judge and the attorneys on both sides are already operating on the assumption that she is in violation, and the judge is deciding what to do in the event that she is in violation and that could include incarceration.

"Michael Lohan does not favor incarceration for his daughter. Instead, he wants her to go to rehab."

Bloom says a move like the one Michael Lohan is making isn’t unusual, pointing out that, "Family members weigh in frequently when a close family member, a defendant, is facing sentencing or facing additional terms of their probation. We saw that in the celebrity case recently where Michael Douglas weighed in the sentencing of his son. And Michael and Lindsay do have a relationship. They text. They do speak to each other occasionally, and he loves his daughter very much. For his shortcomings and his flaws and his mistakes that he’s made in his life, which he freely admits (he’s been in jail himself; he’s been clean and sober for six years), he loves his daughter and he wants the best for her."

As for those claiming Michael Lohan is simply an opportunist, Bloom asserted, "There are a lot of lies on the gossip (Web) sites about Michael Lohan. He has never asked for a dime from his daughter, nor has he received a dime from his daughter.

"He’s not seeking to control her or control her estate. If you read the letter that we wrote on his behalf, he’s asking that she be ordered to residential rehab. He certainly wouldn’t get any money from that in any way. He’s also asking that, if the judge does not see fit to order that, that she be subjected to random drug testing as an additional term of her probation, as many people who are on probation for drug offenses are."