Whatever You Call It, Synthetic Pot is Poison
She recommends that those seeking treatment for youths check with their insurance companies if they're insured, visit SAMHSA's Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator or call 800-662- 4357. The Partnership at Drugfree.org provides information on …
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Health profile: Federal grant targets suicide prevention
www.drugfreeiowa.org is our substance abuse information center. It has a treatment facility locator, fact sheets and a 24/7 hotline. • Last year, we started Your Life Iowa for youths to talk about depression or suicide. 1-855-581-8111 or www …
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Addiction treatment with a dark side
… Narcotic Farm in Lexington, Ky., tested the drug on detoxified addicts. A prison that doubled as a treatment hospital, the farm was home to the government's Addiction Research Center. … The farm's pharmacist would become an executive vice …
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Question by the5500: Whats the difference between psychiatric hospital, psychiatric ward, insane asylum, mental hospital and rehab?

Best answer:

Answer by michele
They are different terms for the same place (i.e., inpatient psychiatric and substance abuse treatment). The term “insane asylum”, however, is quite antiquated. “Rehab” is more associated with substance abuse treatment facilities. “Psychiatric/mental hospital” is usually a freestanding facility that is devoted solely to treating psychiatric patients. A “psychiatric ward”, is typically housed within a general med/surg hospital.

What do you think? Answer below!

Veterans' treatment addresses both mental illness, substance abuse
G. Michael Holmes is succeeding in a Columbus Veterans Affairs program that provides combined treatment for vets who have both mental illness and substance-abuse problems. After an emotional breakdown in 2000, G. Michael Holmes learned he had …
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Drug addicts 'can quit smoking' with additional therapy
"Substance abuse treatment programs have historically been hesitant to incorporate concurrent smoking cessation therapies with standard drug addiction treatment because of the concern that patients would drop out of treatment entirely. However …
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Newport treatment program focuses on video gaming addiction
Morningside Recovery, a substance abuse and mental health recovery center in Newport Beach, announced in a press release last week that it has developed a treatment program focusing on compulsive video and online gaming. Article Tab: Morningside …
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Question by Liza Shevchuk: Natural Remedies For Brain Damage After Drug Abuse?
My older brother has done many drugs from about 16-21. Its been a year since his last use, and he’s been having some serious problems. He has high anxiety and he’s been having frequent episodes of “weird” (as he calls it) feelings. He doesn’t label it as feeling sick. During these episodes he feels jittery, emotional (even cry’s sometimes) out of control, his heart rate goes up. This also causes him to have insomnia. Maybe they’re panic attacks, but the thing is, what triggers it? This occurs randomly on a normal day. We believe its typical withdrawal symptoms, because he abused quite a few drugs. (Marijuana, cigarettes, ecstasy, crystal meth, shrooms, hookah, cocaine, inhalants, “uppers” (as he calls them))
He has gone to see his doctor several times to get treatment, and his doctor said he has migraines.
-____-
He prescribed him anti depressants and that didn’t help my brother AT ALL.
He does this herbal drop treatment (echinacea, other oils, etc) That help him sleep.
Now we’re trying to find him herbal remedies that would help repair his brain damage from all of the abuse he has done to it.
Thank you very much.

Best answer:

Answer by jannsody
I’m not sure that there will be repairing of the brain damage (presuming that he has that as I’m not a medical doctor :), but researchers believe that the brain is very “plastic” and may form new nerve pathways to *help* compensate for the injured areas.

With regard to inhalant use, my friend actually has a severe Brain Injury from huffing at the age of 12, now in her 30s. The chemicals in products used for huffing are actual *poisons* that were never meant to go through the bloodstream.

Please be *very* careful with herbal supplements or “remedies” (e.g., echinacea, ginkgo biloba, chamomile) as they can result in side effects and/or drug (medication) interactions. It’s best to check with a licensed pharmacist before taking any of them. Not everything that is “natural” is safe 😉

Regarding the panic attacks, some people have generalized anxiety (to know specific event) or other types of anxiety. The antidepressants may help to lessen the intensity and/or frequency of the anxiety symptoms. Such medications tend to take about 6-8 weeks before possibly noticing results. A caveat (warning) is that some antidepressants may cause insomnia (trouble getting to and/or staying asleep). However, there are medications that one may take to help counteract the insomnia.

Even though benzo’s (e.g., ativan, valium, xanax, klonopin) may be prescribed to help with sleep, they’re not always recommended as a medication due to their physical addictiveness. (Some withdrawal symptoms from benzo’s may include seizures, psychosis/mental break from reality, or even death.) Some psychiatrists (it’s best to get medication for mental health issues from a board-certified psychiatrist as opposed to “just” a family doctor) prescribe seroquel (or other medications), which is classified as an antipsychotic but in smaller dosages may help with sleep.

You’d mentioned that he’s gone to the doctor several times, and I’m wondering if he’s gone to a neurologist which is medical dr who can help rule out disorders of the nervous system – brain, spinal cord, nerves. I’m just thinking that to help “cover all the bases” (not trying to give false hope though, know what I mean).

I’m not sure that he’d still be going through withdrawal symptoms a year after stopping the drugs, but it’s a good idea to ask a doctor about that as well.

Pertaining to the anxiety, please show him this government site which may have some local counseling agencies: http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/ and can click the second link. Then one can click “near you” on the left-hand side of the page under “find facilities” and can type one’s city and state of residence into search. Their toll-free 24/7 referral helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Just an fyi that the first link is for those looking for substance abuse counseling/treatment, and that may be an option if he’s still “using” or having cravings for substances.

A 12-step program, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), may have some local support groups. The only requirement is having a desire to get sober. One may attend an “open” AA meeting if there is no drinking problem: http://www.aa.org

This site has some common mottos pertaining to those 12-step programs, including “One day at a time”, “First things first” and “People, places and things”: http://www.royy.com/toolsofrecovery.html

Al-Anon is a 12-step program for the *friends and family* of the problem drinker, but one may attend an “open” Al-Anon meeting if the loved one doesn’t have a drinking problem: http://www.al-anon.alateen.org

Add your own answer in the comments!