Addiction Blog

A Houston doctor has developed a vaccine for cocaine addiction, I saw a brief story on the news about it.That would be pretty amazing if it did work. I wonder what the side affects would be. Is it the same as those naltrexone implants?
This is some more of it:vaccine for cocaine addiction
…The vaccine does not stop the craving for cocaine, but will stop addicts experiencing a high when they take it.
The company says this prevents the people becoming re-addicted. …Antibodies
Mr Oxlade added: “The vaccine for cocaine addicts works in very much the same way a regular vaccine works.
“The reason cocaine addicts can take the drug for years without mounting any sort of immune response is because the drug has very small molecules.”
He explained that the vaccine is created by attaching the cocaine to a large protein molecule which is used to stimulate the body’s immune system to produce antibodies that recognise the drug.
Mr Oxlade added: “It stops the cocaine from being able to get across from the blood into the brain, which is where you get the high and, of course, where you get the addiction.
“If somebody takes the vaccine as part of a programme in a drug centre and after a month or so is out and takes another dose of cocaine, they won’t get the high and they won’t get the re-addiction.”
He said it was possible that addicts would simply switch to another drug, but said evidence from three US trials showed that only happened in a small number of cases.
A spokeswoman for Drugscope told BBC News Online: “This is a really interesting study. It’s clear that the vaccine seems to be working well for some cocaine addicts.
That would be something or not.Already Kosten asked the Food and Drug Administration in December to green-light a multi-institutional trial to begin in the spring and is awaiting a response. Approval would mark a breakthrough in the treatment of cocaine addiction, which now mostly involves psychiatric counseling and 12-step programs. It presumably would be the final clinical hurdle before the vaccine - more than a decade in the making - might be approved for treatment.

Hhmmm.. Introduction

The term “sexual addiction” is used to describe the behavior of a person who has an unusually intense sex drive or an obsession with sex.Sexual addiction would be hard to determine, in part because addicts are secretive. Proponents of the concept suggest it is commonly seen in combination with other addictions as well as mood and stress disorders. Sometimes when multiple addictions are present (food, alcohol, drugs, gambling), sexual addiction can be said to be the “core” addiction; other times, one of the others is seen as the “core.” Sexual addiction has in the past been conceptualized as a largely male problem, but more recent writers have suggested it may also be prevalent in women, usually manifesting in different ways.

Different behaviors associated with sexual addiction include:

* Compulsive masturbation (self-stimulation)
* Multiple affairs (extra-marital affairs)
* Multiple or anonymous sexual partners and/or one-night stands
* Consistent use of pornography
* Unsafe sex
* Phone or computer sex (cybersex)
* Prostitution or use of prostitutes
* Exhibitionism
* Obsessive dating through personal ads
* Voyeurism (watching others) and/or stalking
* Sexual harassment
* Molestation/rape

Few of them in few words:

-Compulsivity: This is the loss of the ability to choose freely whether to stop or continue a behavior

-Continuation despite consequences: When addicts take their addiction too far, it can cause negative effects in their lives. They may start withdrawing from family life to pursue sexual activity. This withdrawal may cause them to neglect their children or cause their partners to leave them. Addicts risk money, marriage, family and career in order to satisfy their sexual desires. Despite all of these consequences, they continue indulging in excessive sexual activity.

-Obsession: This is when people cannot help themselves from thinking a particular thought. Sex addicts spend whole days consumed by sexual thoughts. They develop elaborate fantasies, find new ways of obtaining sex and mentally revisit past experiences. Because their minds are so preoccupied by these thoughts, other areas of their lives that they should be thinking about are neglected.

What’s next(consequences)
Some consequences that often result from sexual addiction and indicate the existence of sexual addiction include:

* Social: Addicts become lost in sexual preoccupation, which results in emotional distance from loved ones. Loss of friendship and family relationships may result.

* Emotional: Anxiety or extreme stress are common in sex addicts who live with constant fear of discovery. Shame and guilt increase, as the addict’s lifestyle is often inconsistent with the personal values, beliefs and spirituality. Boredom, pronounced fatigue and despair are inevitable as addiction progresses. Compulsive sexual thoughts and/or behavior leads to severe depression, often with suicidal ideation, low self-esteem, shame, self-hatred, hopelessness, despair, helplessness, intense anxiety, loneliness, resentment, self pity, self blame, moral conflict, contradictions between ethical values and behaviors, fear of abandonment, spiritual bankruptcy, distorted thinking, remorse, and self-deceit. The ultimate consequence may be suicide. Many sex addicts suffer from broken relationships. Some experience severe marital and other relationship problems. Sexual activities outside the primary relationship result in loss of self-esteem to both partners as well as severe stress to the relationship. The sex addict is frequently absent, resulting in a loss of time in parental role modeling. Pressure is placed on the partner to provide parental support and nurturing of the children. Partners of sex addicts may develop their own addictions (co-addictions) and compulsions, psychosomatic problems, or depression and other emotional difficulties.

* Physical: Some of the diseases which may occur due to sexual addiction are genital injury, cervical cancer, HIV/AIDS, herpes, genital warts and other sexually transmitted diseases. Sex addicts may place themselves in situations of potential harm, resulting in serious physical harm or even death. Automobile accidents can result when sexual activity causes the driver’s attention to stray (e.g. watching porn movies on a mobile DVD player).

* Legal: Many types of sexual addiction result in violation of the law, such as sexual harassment, obscene phone calls, exhibitionism, voyeurism, prostitution, rape, incest, child molestation, and other illegal activities. Loss of professional status and professional licensure may result from sexual addiction. Some sex addicts go to jail, lose their job, get sued, or have other financial and legal consequences because of their compulsive sexual behavior. Legal consequences of sexual addiction result when illegal behaviors such as voyeurism, exhibitionism, or inappropriate touching, result in arrest and incarceration. Child molesting and rape in some cases are addictive behaviors. Sexual harassment in the workplace can be part of a sex addict’s repertoire, and may result in legal difficulties on the job. Over half the cases of sexual exploitation by professionals are perpetrated by sex addicts. Churches and synagogues are being subjected to greater scrutiny as more clergy are charged with some form of sexually inappropriate behavior. Sexual misconduct by licensed professionals (including physicians, therapists, clergy, and lawyers) result in loss of license, academic standing, and reputations, and victimization of those people they are mandated to help.

* Financial/Occupational: Indebtedness may arise directly from the cost of prostitutes, cyber sex, phone sex and multiple affairs. Indirectly, indebtedness can occur from legal fees, the cost of divorce or separation, and decreased productivity or job loss. Financial difficulties from the purchase of pornographic materials, use of prostitutes and telephone and computer lines, travel for the purpose of sexual contacts, and other sexual activities can tax the addict’s financial resources, sometimes to the point of bankruptcy, as can the expenses of legal representation.

If you think any good links to blogs,sites with sex addiction info:leave a comment !!!

Ask almost any current smoker why she continues to indulge in such a dangerous habit and she will normally reply, “Because I like smoking.” While she may say this in all honesty, it is a very misleading statement, both to the listener and to the smoker herself. She does not smoke because she enjoys smoking, rather she smokes because she does not enjoy not smoking.

Nicotine is a powerfully addictive drug. The smoker is in a constant battle to maintain a narrow range of nicotine in her blood stream (serum nicotine level). Every time the smoker’s serum nicotine level falls below the minimum limit, she experiences drug withdrawal. She becomes tense, irritable, anxious and, in some cases, even shows physical symptoms. She does not enjoy feeling these withdrawals. The only thing that will alleviate these acute symptoms will be a cigarette. The nicotine loss is then replenished and, hence, the smoker feels better. She enjoyed smoking.

A smoker must also be cautious not to exceed his upper limit of tolerance for nicotine or else suffer varying degrees of nicotine poisoning. Many smokers can attest to this condition. It usually occurs after parties or extremely tense situations when the smoker finds himself exceeding his normal level of consumption. He feels sick, nauseous, dizzy and generally miserable.

Being a successful smoker is like being an accomplished tight rope walker. The smoker must constantly maintain a balance between these two painful extremes of too much or too little nicotine. The fear which accompanies initial smoking cessation is that the rest of the ex-smoker’s entire life will be as horrible as the first few days without cigarettes. What ex-smokers will learn is that within a short period of time, the physical withdrawal will start to diminish. First, the urges will weaken in intensity and then become shorter in duration. There will be longer time intervals between urges. It will eventually reach the point where the ex-smoker will desire a cigarette very infrequently, if ever. Those who continue to smoke will continue to be in a constant battle of maintaining their serum nicotine level.

Included in this battle is the great expense of buying pack after pack and the dangerous assault on the smoker’s body of inhaling the poison nicotine along with over 4,000 other toxic chemicals which comprise the tars and gasses produced from the combustion of tobacco. These chemicals are deadly by themselves and even more so in combination.

So the next time you think of how much you once seemed to enjoy cigarettes, sit back and take a serious, objective look at why you have such an idealization of this dangerous product. Consider all the consequences. You will probably realize that you feel physically and mentally better now than you ever did as a smoker. Consider all of this and NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!

Why do cigarettes seem to lose that special appeal for the veteran smoker? Have cigarettes changed so drastically over the years? No, that is not the problem at all. Cigarettes haven’t changed, smokers have. For the longer an individual smokes, the more dependent the smoker becomes on his nicotine fix. In his early days of smoking, the smoker derived much pleasure from the pharmacological action of nicotine. It made him feel alert, energetic, or maybe even had a calming, relaxing effect. It helped in studying and in learning. Sometimes it made him feel more mature, confidant, and more social. It pretty much did whatever he wanted it to, depending on the circumstances surrounding him while he smoked it. In these early days, he smoked maybe 5 to 10 per day, usually just when he wanted the desired effect.

But gradually, something happens to the smoker. He becomes dependent on cigarettes. He no longer smokes to solve a problem, to celebrate, or to feel great. He smokes because he NEEDS a cigarette. In essence he smokes because he is a smoker, or, more accurately, a smoke-a-holic. No longer does he get those special smoker highs–now he smokes because not smoking makes him feel withdrawal. Not smoking means feeling nervous, irritable, depressed, angry, afraid, nauseous, or headachy just to mention a few effects. He grasps for a cigarette to alleviate these symptoms, all the time hoping to get that special warm feeling that cigarettes used to give him. But, to his dismay, all that happens is he feels almost normal after smoking a cigarette. And 20 minutes later the whole process starts up again.

Once he quits smoking, life becomes nice again. No longer does he go into withdrawal 20 to 80 times per day. He can go anywhere any time he wishes and not have to worry about whether he will be able to smoke at his needed intervals. When he gets a headache or feels nauseous, he knows he is coming down with an infection, not feeling the way he does every day as a smoker from too much or too little smoking. In comparison to his life as a smoker, he feels great. But then something insidious starts to occur.

He begins to remember the best cigarette he ever had in his life. It may be one he smoked 10, 20 or maybe even 40 years earlier. He remembers that special warm feeling of that wonderful cigarette. If he thinks about it long enough, he may even try to recapture the moment. Unfortunately, however, the moment will recapture him. Once again he will be in the grip of an addiction which will cause him to be smoking more and enjoying less. This time he may not get off. This wonderful cigarette will cost him his freedom, his health and eventually his life. Don’t make this mistake when you quit. Remember how cigarettes were the day you stopped, for that will be what they are like the day you go back, no matter how far apart those two days are. Remember the way they were and NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!

Article reprint from http://www.quitsmoking.com/

When did you start smoking? Were you young? Why did you
start? To be cool? To fit in?

I bet you didn’t start smoking to get a nicotine fix. When you
first started smoking it was probably because your friends were
doing it, you were curious or felt pressured to try it, so you
smoked just to smoke. Pretty soon though, smoking became
something more for you–it became a part of your life. And this
was a part that you probably found yourself regretting very soon
after you realized that you “needed” cigarettes.

After the “coolness” wore off and you decided maybe your
parents *were* right–smoking wasn’t very glamorous–where did
you find yourself then? Did you try to quit, but you felt sick
if you didn’t smoke another? Did you miss your cigarettes or
your smoking breaks? Did you find yourself nervous and
fidgety, not knowing what to do with your hands?

All these symptoms of withdrawal give you clues into your
addiction. In fact they help you answer the question, “What’s
your addiction?”

Every smoker is addicted to a slightly different combination
of what I’ll call “stimulants.” I don’t use this in the “drug”
sense of the word. Instead, what I mean by stimulants is the
addictive property or addictive “thing” that hooks you into
smoking and keeps you there, locked in its grip.

What grips you and hooks you? That’s what you must endeavor
to uncover. What do you *like* about smoking? What good do
you find in it? Write it down. Understand it.

If you dig deep, very deep, you’ll probably find stimulants that
you didn’t expect to find.

Do you like the fire from the match or lighter? Do you find
yourself in a Humphrey Bogart movie every time you cover
your hand to protect your match from the wind? Is smoking
still a way for you to rebel against your parents? society? Are
you calmed by the chemicals? Does smoking suppress your
appetite and keep you trim? Do you need something in your
hands and mouth? Are you unpleasantly lonely if you don’t
have a pack of cigarettes in your pocket? Are you often bored
with life, except when you smoke? Is your mind made clearer
when you light up? Do you feel irregular if you don’t get your
cigarettes?

What does smoking do for you? Yes, it can give you “positive”
experiences, or so you think. The problem is that you have
conditioned your mind and body, through prolonged exposure to
smoking, to experience positive, even euphoric, feelings when
you smoke. Non-smokers don’t experience the roller-coaster
ride of the high and lows. Instead they maintain a much higher
level of “well-being", most all the time. They don’t need a
cigarette to relax–they just learn how to relax naturally.

The great news for you today is that you can learn to replace
cigarettes with other “things” that give you the positive
experiences. You can learn to relax; you can learn to clear your
mind in far more productive ways, than smoking. Finding
replacements for your addictions is a topic for another
email, but I know you can begin to do this yourself.

Here’s some simple steps to take now to learn what you are
addicted to and then to combat your addiction

1. For two days, every time you smoke, pay attention to
and write down, the feelings you had just prior to smoking each
cigarette. Were you tired? Bored? Hungry? Fidgety?

2. Write down the “good” that you feel came from smoking
that particular cigarette. Did it help you relax? Ease your
boredom? Help you wake up? Fall asleep?

3. Study your list. You’ll probably notice a pattern very
quickly.

4. Be creative and find things to distract you when you notice
yourself having a feeling that brings on the desire for a smoke.

5. In addition to distracting yourself, you should find
replacements for the “good” that you get from smoking. If you
smoke to relax, figure out how to relax without a cigarette. If
you smoke to clear your mind, figure out how to clear your mind
without a cigarette.

6. Remember, this ain’t easy, so don’t feel bad if the solutions
don’t come right away. This does take work and frustration is
normal!

Good luck in understanding “What’s your addiction?”

** Article © Copyright Fred Kelley of QuitSmoking.com. Visit the web site at http://www.quitsmoking.com
for great information and products designed to help you
quit smoking.

Having activities and hobbies you enjoy,from collecting stamps to ballroom dancing to hiking,will give you pleasure in noncompulsive ways that can reduce the edge on the other areas of your life.Being able to relax and be with yourself in ways that don’t even fit the label ‘activities’-such as just walking or sitting in your back yard or barbecuing-can be equally valuable.Spectator activities,like reading,following dance,drama and art,and sports also fall in this category(well sprts in fair moderation,not evenly can become addiction too !).
What you should find after you pursue these interests for a while is that you have develop a new area of competence and expertise.That is ,you know more than the average person about the activity and you can take pleasure in your mastery of this area.
Addiction is largery a matter of misplaced energy,in both physical and moral sense.Think of the addict hustlingfor drugs on the street,squandering real skills on antisocial pursuits.In the television program about shopping addiction somone in the audienceremarked that the ’shopaholicks’ on the panel appeared rather self-centered and ’should find something to do’.In other words,they were so busy trying to get their needs met through a futile compulsion that they missed obvious opportunities to redirect their energy more constructively.This observation, however uncongenial to the tlevision panelists,was very revealing about addictions of all kinds-and how they can be finish.
by enhancing yourself-discipline and self-esteem , physical mdiscipline can be a very strong first step away from addiction whatever you have .