This article is based on research published by SAMHSA this past February in their NSDUH Report. According to the study:
- Combined 2002 to 2010 data show that nearly one in seven youths aged 16 to 18 (13.2 percent), or 12th grade aged youths, had dropped out of school
- Substance use rates among 12th grade aged youths who had dropped out of school were higher than among those who were still in school; for example, 56.8 percent of dropouts were current cigarette users compared with 22.4 percent of those still in school
- The pattern of higher use rates among dropouts than those still in school generally held for both males and females, as well as for whites and blacks; however, Hispanic 12th grade aged dropouts and those still in school had similar past month rates of alcohol and illicit drug use
Below is an exerpt from the study...
In the United States, about 75 percent of youths who enter public high school as freshmen eventually graduate from high school in 4 years (or average freshman graduation rate).1 This is an important public health issue because, in general, adults who do not graduate from high school tend to have lower paying jobs than those who do and thus are at greater risk for living in poverty, lacking health insurance, and suffering from poor health.2,3,4 Moreover, high school dropouts typically have higher rates of substance use than high school graduates.5
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) asks respondents about their age, current school enrollment status, last grade completed, and age when they last attended school. For this report, these respondent characteristics are used to identify 12th grade aged youths and whether they have dropped out of school. Youths aged 16 to 18 are categorized into three groups:
- 12th grade students—youths aged 16 to 18 who were either in or entering the 12th grade;
- 12th grade aged dropouts—youths aged 16 to 18 who had not completed high school or a Graduate Equivalent Degree (GED), were not currently attending or on vacation from school, and were considered 12th grade aged based on the last grade they had completed and their age when they stopped attending school6;
- Other—youths aged 16 to 18 who completed high school or a GED, youths aged 16 to 18 in grade 11 or lower, and youths aged 16 who were not considered "12th grade aged" (based on criteria discussed in group 2).
This issue of The NSDUH Report focuses on the first two of these groups, which are collectively referred to as "12th grade aged youths"; comparisons of past month (current) substance use between 12th grade students and 12th grade aged dropouts are provided. All findings in this report are annual averages from the 2002 to 2010 NSDUH data.
Dropout Status
Nearly one in seven (13.2 percent) 12th grade aged youths had dropped out of school, with males having been more likely than females to have dropped out (14.7 vs. 11.6 percent).7 About one quarter of Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native 12th grade aged youths (23.0 and 25.5 percent, respectively) had dropped out of school compared with 12.6 percent of youths of two or more races, 12.1 percent of black or African American youths, 11.2 percent of white youths, and 1.5 percent of Asian youths.
Substance Use by Dropout Status
Twelfth grade aged youths who had dropped out of school were more likely than similarly aged youths who were still in school to engage in current cigarette use, alcohol use, binge alcohol use, marijuana use, nonmedical use of psychotherapeutic drugs, and use of any illicit drugs (Figure 1).8 For example, 56.8 percent of dropouts were current cigarette users compared with 22.4 percent of those still in school, and 27.3 percent of dropouts were current marijuana users compared with 15.3 percent of those still in school.
Substance Use by Dropout Status and Gender
Current substance use rates among 12th grade aged male dropouts were higher than the rates among similar aged males who were still in school (Figure 2). For example, 60.1 percent of male dropouts were current cigarette users compared with 23.8 percent of males who were still in school, and 32.0 percent of male dropouts were current marijuana users compared with 17.9 percent of males who were still in school.
Current substance use rates among 12th grade aged female dropouts were generally higher than the rates for similar aged females who were still in school (Figure 3). One exception was current alcohol use, for which there was no statistical difference between the rates among female dropouts and females who were still in school (34.2 and 33.4 percent, respectively).
Click here to view full report...
Discussion
Dropping out of high school is related to a number of negative socioeconomic and health outcomes. This report shows that one in seven 12th grade aged youths had dropped out of high school and that 12th grade aged dropouts (with a few exceptions) had higher rates of current substance use (e.g., cigarettes, alcohol, binge alcohol, marijuana, nonmedical use of psychotherapeutic drugs, any illicit drugs) than similar aged peers who were still in school. Substance use is a public health problem that is preventable. Thus, prevention efforts targeted to adolescents generally and to those at risk of dropping out of high school more specifically might improve the educational, employment and financial, and health outcomes of many youths.
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Our mission statement at Fairwinds Treatment Center is "As we strengthen families, we strengthen society." If you have a loved one who is struggling with an addiction, contact Fairwinds Treatment Center, our admissions team can assess your situation and guide you to the best course of action to eliminate this disease from your life.
This article by Jackie Glass of the Chicago Tribune shows the epidemic of prescription drug abuse is in full force.
Prescription drug abuse an American epidemic
Exerpt...
Women, we have a problem. According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control, American women are dying from drug overdoses and the misuse of drugs at an alarming rate. As a former judge who presided over a drug court, I have seen firsthand what addiction can do to people, from all of its physical and psychological effects to the collateral damage that it can inflict on someone's life.
Drug abuse often begins with legally prescribed pain medications for legitimate injuries, but so many of these drugs are habit-forming that it doesn't take long for someone to get hooked. Once that happens, it is almost impossible to stop. Although I saw a greater number of men come before my drug court, I saw plenty of women, a significant percentage of whom were hooked on prescription pain relievers. According to that CDC study, from 1999 through 2010, there was a greater percentage increase in drug related deaths among women than men, with the number of women dying because of opioid pain relievers increasing fivefold. And since 2007, more women have died from drug overdoses than from motor vehicle-related incidents.
As a judge, I saw time and time again just how easy it is for people to obtain prescription pain meds, and I was often extremely frustrated with certain members of the medical community. Many of the participants in my drug court sought treatment from the same physicians or clinics, and the lack of attention and responsible care that some doctors exhibited was a significant problem. The CDC reported that women may be more likely than men to engage in "doctor shopping," which involves actively seeking out prescriptions from multiple prescribers to feed an addiction.
Some drug court participants even got their teeth pulled, not because it was necessary but because tooth extractions often come with prescription pain meds. In one particular instance, my court marshall had to confiscate a prescription bottle from a female participant. Her prescription for liquid hydrocodone had been filled the day before, but just one day later, the bottle was already empty. As it turns out, she had gone to the emergency room to complain about vague aches and pains, and her doctor simply sent her home with a prescription. Sometimes, that's all it takes.
Across the country, several states have passed legislation aimed at closing down so-called "pill mills," those doctors offices and clinics that prescribe pain medication indiscriminately. The effects have been mixed. As the Orlando Sentinel reported back in April, Florida's crackdown has succeeded in hampering a significant portion of the pill mills in the state, even decreasing the number of deaths due to prescription drugs. However, many addicts simply turn to neighboring states with laxer pill mill laws, or they just start abusing illegal drugs and the vicious cycle continues.
Read full article...
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If you or a loved one are struggling with an addiction, call Fairwinds Treatment Center at 727-449-0300 to discuss your situation with one of our Admissions Counselors. For 23 years, families have trusted Fairwinds Treatment Center to help their loves ones through our highly effective treatment programs for eating disorders and drug rehab. As one of only a few dually licensed psychiatric and substance abuse centers in the nation to earn accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), we are here to provide the quality care your family needs to achieve a lasting recovery.
Authors Barry Meier and Bill Marsh A very insightful article about the growth of opioid use (legal and illegal) over the past 10 years and the related costs associated was published by the New York Times last week.
"Profiting from Pain" covers the increase of opioid prescriptions to treat long-term pain, while the supporting data in "The Soaring Cost of the Opioid Economy" presents the economy this opioid epidemic has created.
Excerpt...
THE use of narcotic painkillers, or opioids, has boomed over the past decade as drug makers and doctors have promoted them for a new use: treating long-term pain from back injuries, headaches, arthritis and conditions like fibromyalgia. Insurers have also grown to see pills as a cheaper way to treat chronic pain than other methods.
Multimedia
The Soaring Cost of the Opioid Economy
Some patients are greatly helped by opioids, a large family of medications. Among the more widely used opioids are oxycodone, which is found in Percocet and OxyContin, and hydrocodone, which is used in Vicodin. Other potent opioids include fentanyl and methadone. Narcotic painkillers are now the most widely prescribed class of medications in the United States, and prescriptions for the strongest opioids, including OxyContin, have increased nearly fourfold over the past decade.
There is increasing evidence, however, that such drugs, along with being widely abused, are often ineffective in treating long-term pain and can have serious consequences, particularly when used in high doses. Along with the risk of addiction, side effects can include psychological dependence, reduced drive, extreme lethargy and sleep apnea.
The economic costs associated with the painkiller boom have also proved enormous, giving rise to a host of unanticipated medical, legal and social costs. Over the past decade, the legal — and illegal — use of these drugs has given birth to new businesses and expanded existing ones. These include urine-screening tests to make sure patients are taking the drugs properly, added sales of addiction treatment drugs, growing emergency-room expenses, law-enforcement budgets and skyrocketing costs for insurers.
In the short run, treating a patient with an opioid like OxyContin, which costs about $6,000 a year, is less expensive than putting a patient through a pain-treatment program that emphasizes physical therapy and behavior modification. But over time, such programs, which run from $15,000 to $25,000, might yield far lower costs.
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If you or a loved one are struggling with a prescription drug addiction or substance abuse problem, contact the admissions team at Fairwinds to discuss your situation. Call 727-449-0300 or submit the contact form here. For 23 years, families have trusted Fairwinds Treatment Center to help their loves ones through our highly effective treatment programs for eating disorders and drug rehab.
If you’re living with a mental illness it is very important to keep yourself in good health to help yourself cope with the illness.
There are some simple things to do on a day-to-day basis to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.
Learn how to manage stress by slowing down and handling one chore at a time. You can make a list to help keep your priorities straight and not get overwhelmed by tasks. If you do get overwhelmed let your family and friends know that you can’t handle so much responsibility. You can also use stress reduction techniques to keep your stress levels low. You can try getting involved in a hobby that you enjoy, practicing yoga, meditating, reading a book, or taking a walk.
Also eating a healthy diet full of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and lean protein can help keep stress levels down by providing your body with proper nutrients. If you find yourself abusing drugs and/or alcohol to deal with the mental illness, please seek help. There are many treatment options available and there is help for an addiction.
The website mentalhealthamerica.net is full of information for people who live with a mental illness.
Fairwinds Treatment Center is a dual-diagnosis facility specializing in the treatment of drug additction and eating disorders. The treatment programs at Fairwinds are most effective due to the dual-diagnosis approach, meaning we identify and focus on the mental health issues an individual may be struggling with that attributes to their addiction or eating disorder. This approach helps to ensure a lasting recovery.
For more information on how Fairwinds Treatment Center can help you or a loved one, please call 727-449-0300 or through our website here.
RESOURCE:
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net
It is well known the holiday season can be a double edged sword or sorts. Times that most consider happy can quickly trigger bouts of depression. This depression can cause an individual battling an eating disorder or drug addiction to turn to their illness as a comfort or escape.
Rather than allowing this to happen and dealig with the repercussions, there are steps one can take to stay positive through the holiday season, avoiding the pitfalls often seen this time of year with those family problems and money troubles.
Health.com interviewed several professionals on the subject of depression during the holidays and cam up with a helpful list of 11 tips for avoiding depression during the holiday season, hence avoiding trouble with an addiction, eating disorder or perhaps a relapse. Below is a list of tips compiled from their discussions.
11 Tips for Avoiding Holiday Depression Triggers
Plan ahead
Spend some time figuring out how to take care of yourself during this time, says John Sharp, MD, a psychiatrist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston.
Come up with restorative routines, such as reading a book or napping, and write them on a calendar. In between shopping and baking, make sure these routines don't fall by the wayside.
"Figure out what basics are going to help you get through the holidays and make them a priority," Dr. Sharp says.
Avoid family conflict
There are a couple ways to save your sanity at family gatherings, says Jeffrey Greeson, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, in Durham, N.C.
If you know there are going to be conflicts, prepare a neutral response, such as, "Let's talk about that another time," or, "I can see how you would feel that way."
Then escape to the restroom, offer to help in the kitchen, or go hang out with the kids. And it always helps to call a good friend if you need a sympathetic ear.
Forget perfection
Debbie Thurman, a 57-year-old from Monroe, Va., suffered from depression for years, and the holidays made it worse. From decorating to finding the perfect gifts, she felt overwhelmed.
At a support group's suggestion, she listed the simple things that really made her family happy, and she began traditions that helped the less fortunate.
"When you take your eyes off of yourself and focus on those who have far less than you do, you can't be depressed," she says. "I learned to be grateful for the blessings I had, and I had a lot."
Learn to grieve
If you are mourning a loved one, it's a good time to talk about your feelings or reach out to support groups.
"There's no one right way to feel," says Deborah Jonsson, public relations manager at Avow Hospice, in Collier County, Fla. It's not uncommon to feel angry at the person for leaving you alone or feeling guilty if you do enjoy yourself during the holidays.
"All feelings are a sign that you're human and reflect where you are in your healing process," Jonsson says.
Schedule some sleep
Holiday activities easily can interfere with your sleep schedule. But studies have shown there is a link between sleep loss and depression, so you need to be extra careful about cutting back on sleep to get everything done.
Try to get to bed and wake up at approximately the same time every day; avoid large meals and physical activity such as dancing within a few hours of bedtime; and make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary, free from TV or other distractions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Get help
When Thurman's children were young, she and her husband lived far away from their extended family. When she needed support during "black bouts of depression," she leaned on close friends.
She and her husband had two couples in particular that helped them through difficult times. "These friends were godsends," she says.
"I credit them with quite possibly helping to save my life," she says. "I also drew encouragement from a small support group of women who were dealing with depression."
Prioritize workouts
Exercise—one of the first activities to get lost in the holiday shuffle—should be placed high on your to-do list.
"The more stress we are under, the less time we feel like we have, and the more irritated our mood, the more we need to continue exercising," Greeson says. "Get out and do something; it helps use those calories from rich, fatty, sugary holiday foods."
Exercise has been shown to improve mood. Taking a brisk walk for 35 minutes five days a week (or 60 minutes three times a week) can do the trick.
Consider your light exposure
If you are consistently tired, irritable, and down at this time of year, it may not be due to the holidays as much as to the lack of exposure to the sun, Dr. Sharp says.
Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, can be treated by long walks during daylight hours or exposure to a light box for about 30 minutes a day.
If you think you may be suffering from SAD, talk to your doctor about treatment options.
Focus on what matters
The holidays shouldn't be all about the presents, but financial woes can make it easy to lose sight of that.
Rein in the stress (and cost) by organizing a gift exchange with friends or family. You can also bake your gifts, or create traditions such as having a large potluck meal followed by a walk outside or board games by the fire.
"I think saying no is more of a relief instead of stretching and spending more than you have and still not doing enough," Dr. Sharp says.
Don't binge on food or alcohol
For some, overindulgence is as much of a holiday tradition as opening gifts. Carmen Harra, PhD, an author and psychologist in Hollywood, Fla., recommends more restraint.
"Have one piece of pie, not three," she says. "Apart from being unhealthy for your body, you will feel guilty afterward."
Harra recommends preparing for holiday dinners by eating healthy meals the week prior. And don't use alcohol to deal with holiday depression. Alcohol can intensify your emotions and leave you feeling worse when it wears off.
Cut back on commitments
If you feel like you just can't get through one more holiday gathering, it's OK to sit them out.
"One of the things about holiday stress we forget is that Thanksgiving and Christmas are both 24 hours and that's it," says Pauline Wallin, PhD, an author and clinical psychologist in Camp Hill, Penn.
Wallin recommends figuring out what you need to get through those 24 hours, such as volunteering, going on vacation, or visiting a shelter or someone who is alone. Focusing on others can help alleviate depression.
If someone you know is fighting a tough battle this year with a drug or alcohol addiction, or perhaps they are battling a severe eating disorder. Call Fairwinds at 727-449-0300 to speak wirh one of our admissions counselors to see if Fairwinds Treatment Center is a good fit.
The Holiday's are upon us. This can be a very stressful time of year for those struggling with an eating disorder and/or a substance abuse illness. People tend to start to put things off until after the Holidays, but treatment to eliminate an eating disorder, addiction or both should not be one of them.
In some cases it may be beneficial to be in a treatment facility during this time of year in order to bypass the family and social events that tend to produce damaging results for those with an ED or CD, while instead using this time to work towards recovery.
Fairwinds Treatment Center treats our patients like family. We are fully aware they have made an important decision to save their own life, and we take that very seriously and make sure our patientsare as comfortable as possible
Should you or a loved one be struggling with an eating disorder such as anorexia or blulimia, or perhaps drugs and alcohol are involved as well, please consider Fairwinds Treatment Center.
Patients at Fairwinds Treatment Center will:
- Meet with a psychiatrist EVERYDAY to help them address and overcome the issues at the source of their illness.
- Receive top level care from our full-time medical staff which includes highly trained nurses and seven specialized therapists.
- Attend and participate in a wide variety of therapeutic activities including, art therapy, family therapy, group therapy and fitness/wellness groups.
- Complete treatment with a fresh outlook on life, ready for a lasting recovery.
Fairwinds Treatment Center was founded in 1989 and is one of only a few dually licensed eating disorder and substance abuse treatment facility in the United States. We specialize in the treatment and recovery of both adolescent and adult eating disorders, male and female.
If you would like to discuss our treatment plan and how it works, please contact our admissions department at 727-449-0030 or email fairwinds@fairwindstreatment.com.
Happy Holidays,
The following article was posted on the Huffington Post this morning Craig and Marc Kielburger, co-founders of Free the Children. This article outlines the struggles of a young girl who lost her battle with bulimia and drug addiction and how her family noy honors her life by helping others who struggle with the similar illnesses.
Imagine watching a loved one slowly wither and having no idea what's wrong, or how to save them. Michale Cerswell was a beautiful teenager with a wicked sense of humour. Along with her sisters Leysa, Naomi, and Andrea, she grew up on her father Jim's dairy farm located in Simcoe County, north of Toronto, Ontario. Their mother, Kelly Hall-Holland, was a chartered accountant.
At 14, in 1996, the family began to notice that after meals Michale would frequently slip away to the bathroom. They could hear her throwing up.
Michale had fallen victim to one of Canada's most common mental illnesses -- an eating disorder. One in five Canadian high school girls and one boy for every 10 girls will develop an eating disorder. One in 10 of those who develop anorexia die. Yet without a source of information or support for eating disorders in Simcoe County, the Cerswell family was lost.
"It seemed so foreign, it was so easy to be in denial," Leysa recalls.
Because Michale was able to hide many of the symptoms of her eating disorder, the family accepted Michale's reassurances. And for almost nine years, she struggled in near silence with her body issues, never seeking treatment.
Years of near-starvation exacted a toll on Michale's body. In 2005, she developed chronic pancreatitis -- one of many complications that can arise from eating disorders, along with kidney damage and heart problems. For the Cerswells, practically every moment of their lives from then on would revolve around supporting Michale in her fight to heal.
Jim put his career on hold to become his daughter's full-time caregiver. When she wasn't in the hospital, Michale lived with him on the family farm.
The greatest challenge was finding treatment.
"I can count the number of available child psychiatrists who are trained to treat eating disorders on two hands," laments Dr. Leora Pinhas, a past President of the Eating Disorders Association of Canada and a Senior Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.
Pinhas says there are only about 20 hospital treatment programs across Canada -- none in Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and P.E.I. There are approximately 20 hospital beds in all of Ontario.
As a further complication, Michale had become addicted to oxycontin, a powerful painkiller she was prescribed to manage the agony of the pancreatitis. Pinhas notes it's not uncommon for problems like drug addiction to walk arm-in-arm with eating disorders. Michale faced a catch-22 -- eating disorder programs wouldn't take patients with an addiction and addiction treatment programs were unequipped to handle eating disorders.
Click here to read the full article
Side note: Fairwinds Treatment Center is one of only a few treatment facilities in the United State fully equipped to treat patients with both eating disorders and additions.
If you or someone you know are struggling with an eating disorder it is crucial to get them into an appropriate care facility as soon as possible. The admissions team at Fairwinds can be reached at 727-449-0300 or admissions@fairwindstreatment.com
Craig and Marc Kielburger are founders of international charity and educational partner, Free The Children. Its youth empowerment event, We Day, is in eight cities across Canada this year, inspiring more than 100,000 attendees. For more information, visit www.weday.com
Follow Craig and Marc Kielburger on Twitter: www.twitter.com/craigkielburger
Fairwinds Treatment Center invites you to be a part of an exciting one day event on Saturday, September 22nd.
Our focus is going to be "Helping Families Identify Difficult Situations & Move Towards Solutions." If anyone in your family, a loved one, or friend is struggling from an eating disorder, addiction, or mental health issue, this event is your chance to get support. Our speakers include the President of Family First, Mark Merrill and the Founder of The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness, Johanna Kandel. Attendees will also have the opportunity to hear from our Clinical Director, registered Dietician and a therapist. We are very excited to be offering this full day of information to families. Please follow the link below to register for the event.
Agenda Below:
For more information or to register, click here.
Fairwinds Treatment Center helps individuals and their families get their lives back on track. We specialize in helping people overcome dangerous and deadly disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, alcoholism and drug addiction.
Being a dually licenced psychiatric facility, Fairwinds physicians and therapists engage an integrated treatment plan, incorporating several treatment models combined with psychiatric methods to identify the root of the disorder in order for specialized treatment to begin and to ensure a lasting recovery.
If you or a loved one are batting an eating disorder or substance abuse problem, take action now. Contact Fairwinds Treatment Center here, or call 727.449.0300
Fairwinds Treatment Center recently released two new public service announcements to be aired on select channels. The following is the substance abuse message aimed at creating awareness of how an addiction can affect the most innocent members of a family.
For over 20 years, families have trusted Fairwinds Treatment Center to help their loves ones through our highly effective treatment programs for eating disorders and drug/alcohol rehab. As one of only a few dually licensed psychiatric and substance abuse centers in the nation to earn accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), we are here to provide the quality care your family needs to achieve a lasting recovery.
If you have a family member or close friend who is battling an addiction, now is the time to help them take the first step towards recovery. Contact Fairwinds Treatment Center here, or call 727-449-0300.
A new, interesting documentary has been released about the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill Wilson. Bill W. highlights how Bill Wilson found a different way to sobriety during a time when alcoholics were treated with lobotomies, shock therapy, or imprisonment. Bill dealt with alcoholism for many years on his own and believed there was another kind of treatment available that didn’t chastise people struggling with this disease. Bill founded Alcoholics Anonymous as a new way for people who needed help with alcoholism to get help and has since created a fellowship of over two million men and women. Since then, Alcoholics Anonymous has been accredited to many other 12 Step recovery groups.
This documentary is a tribute to an outstanding individual who has helped so many people find a path to recovery.
Watch the Trailer here…
If you or someone you care about are battling an addiction to alcohol, contact Fairwinds Treatment Center here or simply call 1-800-226-0301.
http://www.page124.com/trailer/