Addiction Films This Year

Stories of addiction have been a part of many powerful films over the years and it seems like every year that passes more films dealing with the subject emerge. Addiction touches every family in America in one way or another and it is a disease that most people fail to truly understand its complex nature. Films are a solid vehicle to express some of the messages of addiction and recovery; some films are even darker, but accurate all the same, portraying a character that never gets better and dies because of their disease. Hollywood is not always the most accurate in the depiction of real life struggles, often because the people making the film are not addicts themselves, so they are forced to go off of what they have seen or heard about addiction.

All the way back to 1945, with "The Lost Weekend", people have been watching films that have dealt with addiction in a real way and in many ways stories of pain and suffering, as well as triumph have captivated viewers. This month there are four films coming out that all deal with addiction:

• "Barney’s Version"
• "Forever"
• "Another Year"
• "Blue Valentine"

Also this year we had:

• "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger"
• “All Good Things"
• “Solitary Man”

People seem to be drawn to movies about alcoholism and drug addiction because they fail to understand the nature of the disease and feel like Hollywood may shed some light. While some films have done better than others it is a hard subject to tackle on a number of fronts, films these days that deal with addiction generally don't have happy endings which could lead some people to believe that there is no hope. Fortunately, that is the farthest from the truth, there is always hope and what everyone loses from addiction they can get back if they are willing to surrender and work towards recovery.

Whiteside Manor wishes you a Happy New Year. Recovery is possible!

Drug Overdoses On The Rise

Drug Overdoses On The Rise

People are losing their lives to drugs and it does not appear to be plateauing or decreasing according to a new study. It doesn't matter if people are consuming legal prescription medications or illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine, the rate of accidental overdoses in America is staggering in just about all age groups. It is well known that Baby Boomers are a product of the 1960's, a generation who put the warnings aside and did illegal drugs anyway, which is why we are seeing people in their 50's and sixties succumbing to drugs. The amount of accidental overdoses is today ten times what it was in the `60's, which makes sense if you think about it because there are more drugs on the streets than ever. Prescription drugs are finding their way out of the medicine cabinet and into the hands of high school and college students which accounts for the cause of a number of overdoses. "I went in expecting to see a blip (in increased accidental poisonings) with the baby boomer(s)," Dr. Richard Miech, the studies lead author and head of Health and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Colorado Denver, told Reuters Health. After all, he said, "you've seen pictures of Woodstock."

Miech, with the help of other researchers, analyzed data from the U.S. Census, as well a register tracking the number of deaths from different causes every year. Combing the two sources doctors were able to figure out the percentage of people dying from accidental poisonings annually in every age group. Take a look at the data:

• White men and women were more than nine times as likely to die from an accidental poisoning in 2005 through 2007 than they were in 1968 and 1969
• Black men and women were about three times more likely to die from the same cause in recent years than they were 40 years ago
• The greatest proportion of overdoses happen in people in their 40's and 50's

Comparing figures to statistics from 1968:

• One in every 100,000 white women in their early 50's died from accidental poisoning, in 2007, 15 out of 100,000 did so
• Black women of the same age overdoses increased from about two people in 100,000 to almost 17 in 100,000
• Both white and black men had even larger jumps

The extremely high number of overdoses that are happening today can be attributed to the huge increase of prescription drugs being produced. More doctors prescribe strong pain narcotics to people than ever before with little, if any, criteria; people can say whatever they want to a number of doctors and get whichever drug they like, from Oxycontin to Xanax. Until, we can better manage the criteria for prescribing narcotics we will continue to see a rise in accidental overdoses.

Source:
MSNBC

Holiday Season Drinking

The holidays are a time for celebration, reuniting with family and friends for the first time all year. People tend to consume more alcohol during the Christmas season for a number of reasons, happiness or sadness, the fact that they are on vacation is often reason enough. There is another group who already drinks heavy throughout the year and Christmas becomes an excuse to drink more. There are some addicts who work a program of recovery and find it too hard to be around friends and family drinking in front of them, caving under the pressure many addicts will join in on the festivities often times leading to a disaster.

The roads become very unsafe around the holidays because of people having just one too many to drink and deciding to get behind the wheel. Often times it is alcoholics who relapse and think since they drank alcohol for so many years driving drunk would be like riding a bike; unfortunately that is not the case and drunk drivers put their life and the lives of other motorists at jeopardy. Everyone needs to work extra hard to convince people, that you know have been drinking, not to drive.

Here is a short video we encourage you to watch. Whiteside Manor hopes that everyone has a wonderful and safe Christmas and a Happy New Year. Remember, we all have the power to save lives this holiday season and never hesitate to call for help.

Safe-Drinking Programs for the Homeless

Alcohol is the cheapest drug in the world, so then it makes sense that it would be used by more individuals than any other drug. Homeless alcoholics, bottom of the barrel drunks, will ingest just about anything with alcohol; from mouthwash right down to rubbing alcohol (isopropyl); if it has alcohol in it then it's fair game. While a number of people have suggested raising the price of alcohol to make it harder for alcoholics to get their drug, others believe that there should be centers where homeless alcoholics could go to get free booze. The idea being that if homeless people didn't have to pay for alcohol they would not drink dangerous products that contain traces of alcohol.

A Safe-drinking program is plan devised by researchers at the centre at the University of Victoria who believe that if countries continue to raise the price of alcohol we will see the homeless ingesting more and more harmful substances, anything from rubbing alcohol to antifreeze. "These are ghastly things, they're terrible things for their bodies," said lead researcher Tim Stockwell of the non-beverage alcohol. "If you're addicted and you're getting withdrawal symptoms ... people will get desperate and they'll do desperate things." People in the grips of addiction will do just about anything to get their "fix", if they can no longer afford their drug of choice they will use just about anything despite the apparent consequences.

Programs, like those for safe-drinking, would not be all that different than programs that have been set up for other groups of addicts. There are many people, I'm sure, that would have a problem with using tax-payers' money to purchase and distribute alcohol to alcoholics, but, programs like these have worked in the past to lower crime, hospital visits, and even deaths. The researchers state: "It's kind of saving money. I know people think this is crazy, spending taxpayers' money giving alcohol to this population, but we do it for methadone, for heroin addicts, why not for alcohol addicts?"

While most of the research regarding safe-drinking programs was done in Canada, researchers in the United States and even Australia have hopped on board with the idea. What are your thoughts on the subject of safe-drinking?

Alcohol-Related Deaths Record High

Alcohol is the cheapest drug on the market, the price is too low, just about anyone with a dollar and some change can afford to buy another drink. Alcoholism is a worldwide problem and the number of people drinking, or should I say, can afford to drink is extremely high. Last year, more people than ever died from alcohol abuse in Northern Ireland, especially those people living in economically deprived locations across the country. It seems like every year that passes alcohol gets a little bit stronger and a little bit cheaper fueling the fire of an age old addiction problem. The number of alcohol related deaths has risen by around 50 percent in the last decade with 283 deaths, the age group most affected were people 45-54 and poor, people are dying up to 24 years early according to the AP.

"There is a clear correlation between the growing tide of health harm and cheap, easily available alcohol", said British Liver Trust spokeswoman Sarah Matthews. Alcohol has been embedded into every aspect of our lives, ranging from sports on television and characters in our favorite TV shows, there is hardly a market you can go into anywhere in the world where alcohol is not available. It is no wonder that so many people die every year from abusing a drug that is so easily available. "Coupled with the fact it is sold at pocket money prices, where a bottle of Coke is more expensive than cider, it calls into question what message this sends out to people," she added. "While there is certainly not a one-hit wonder approach to reducing these deaths, there is a package of measures that can have an impact such as better information, a minimum price per unit, mandatory drinks labelling and an end to the retailers using alcohol to drive footfall into their stores."

There needs to be more legislation regarding how alcohol is sold, gimmicks and sales or even ladies' night should go out the window. The less businesses are allowed to entice their customers the less people will drink simply because they will not be able to afford it. The amount of people dying every year from alcohol will never decrease as long as we do nothing to stop it. Alcohol companies should be held financially responsible for the havoc they help create worldwide with their product; that way they will have to charge more for their product and people will be able to afford less.

Teens More Likely to Drive Drunk

Often times the most dangerous consequences of drugs and alcohol is when one decides to drive under the influence of them. There is no way to predict what might go wrong when you are behind the wheel; minors are especially unaware of this fact considering that teenagers think they know everything. It turns out that teens are more likely to drive under the influence than any other age group according to a new survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The administration found that, in the last year on average, 13.2 percent of all persons 16 or older drove under the influence of alcohol and 4.3 percent of this age group drove under the influence of illicit drugs.

The numbers varied from state to state which is not all that surprising considering the different variables, how strict a state is on drunk driving and how well teenagers are educated regarding the dangers of being intoxicated behind the wheel is not always the same. Here you can view how the numbers varied:

• Highest Drunk Driving - Wisconsin (23.7 percent) and
  North Dakota (22.4 percent)
• Highest Drugged Driving - Rhode Island (7.8 percent)
  and Vermont (6.6 percent)
• Lowest Drunk Driving - Utah (7.4 percent) and
  Mississippi (8.7 percent)
• Lowest Drugged Driving - Iowa (2.9 percent) and
  New Jersey (3.2 percent)

In 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) census, one in three motor vehicle fatalities (33 percent) with known drug test results tested positive for drugs. "Thousands of people die each year as a result of drunk and drugged driving, and the lives of thousands of family members and friends left behind are forever scarred, said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. The more intensive the alcohol and drug education courses are, the better numbers we will see; states need to continue staying tough on intoxicate drivers in order for the numbers to drop. "State Estimates of Drunk and Drugged Driving is based on the combined data from the 2002 to 2005 and 2006 to 2009 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and involves responses from more than 423,000 respondents aged 16 or over", according to Consumer Affairs.

Everybody Hurts, Sometimes...

"Everybody Hurts, Sometimes", that does not have to be the theme this holiday if you or someone you know is planning to drink. The holidays are a time of mixed emotions and for some people who have suffered from addiction, a time where relapse is a huge possibility unless you are vigilant. There are always people who you can reach out for and talk to when times are hard, 12 Step meetings, friends, and family. Extra vigilance is required this time of the year and life changing mistakes can be avoided. We all have the power to be responsible and we all have the ability to serve someone who is in need of support.

We encourage you to watch this short video montage of the last 20 years of the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) commercials in Australia, a campaign that has had a hand in saving hundreds of lives since 1989. On December 10th 1989 the first TAC commercial went to air. In that year the road toll was 776; by year 2008 it had fallen to 303. Don't be a statistic this holiday season, if you are not sure you can drive then don't risk it.

NOTE: As a word of caution, this video is extremely graphic.

Source:
TAC

Liquor-Laced Whipped Cream

The holidays are usually accompanied by more drinking than usual as people have more free time to let loose, with a host of different types of alcoholic beverages like hard eggnog or hard cider in many American households. Now, people have the ability to make simple desserts or even hot chocolate a little bit heavier with liquor-laced whipped cream which can be acquired in a number of liquor stores. It's called Cream, with an alcohol content of 15 percent and a number of different flavors to accompany any one's pallet. 15 percent, believe it or not, is about three times the percentage of alcohol by volume that's in beer, the equivalent of one bottle of wine. Parents who decide to bring liquor-infused whip cream home should very cautious about where they decide to store the concoction, teenagers might take a liking to such a treat that has the ability to get them drunk.

When Cream is refrigerated the alcohol separates from the cream, parents should keep the product in a cabinet, out of sight out of mind. Products, like Cream, are geared to younger audience and have become quite popular amongst college students; it is probably fair to say that when college lets out for the holidays and kids go back to their homes they may be tempted to consume such products. Alcoholic hybrid products have become favorites across the country on a number of campuses, products like the controversial Four Loko, which has been sending students to the ER at an alarming rate, have been under a lot of fire. It's probably fair to say that it will not be long before Cream catches the attention of state officials.

"People don't always know how much alcohol they are ingesting with these kind of products," said Michael Botticelli, director of the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, in an e-mailed statement. Nick Pasquarosa, the school resource police officer in Yarmouth, Cream is going to add to a preexisting problem: Alcohol use is pervasive among teens and adults must keep bottles — from bourbon to laced whipped cream — out of reach. "Kids aren't sophisticated drinkers," he said. "Whether it tastes like moonshine or Kool-Aid, they'll want to get their hands on it if they think it's cool."

Source:
South Coast Today

Stigma Prevents Addicts from Seeking Treatment

Let's face it, no one wants to be known to be an alcoholic or drug addict, especially by their peers; the stigmas associated with substance abuse are the main deterrents for people seeking help. The fact of the matter is that the majority of people do not fully understand the complex nature of addiction and that it is not a question of will power and is indeed a medical disease. This lack of understanding keeps addicts in the shadows, hiding their problems as long as they are capable. A study done by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health researchers found that people diagnosed with alcoholism in their lifetime were more than 60% less likely to seek treatment because they thought they would be stigmatized once their status is known.

"Based on a survey of 34,653 individuals in the general population (6,309 of whom had an alcohol use disorder) drawn from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), researchers found that individuals with an alcohol use disorder who perceived negative stigma were 0.37 times less likely to seek treatment for their disorder compared to individuals with similarly serious alcohol disorders who did not perceive stigma", reported PHYSORG.

Here is the data:

• Younger people were less likely to seek help
• Men felt like theirs was more stigma than women (38.1% vs. 37.7%)
• Non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanic adults overall believed theirs was a higher mean stigma compared to Whites (39 % vs. 37%)
• People with severe problems were able to look past stigma and seek treatment
• People with lower income and education, or those who had been married in the past perceived stigma more

"People with alcohol disorders who perceive high levels of alcohol stigma may avoid entering treatment because it confirms their membership in a stigmatized group," said Katherine Keyes, PhD, in the Mailman School of Public Health Department Epidemiology. "Given that alcohol use disorders are one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in the United States, the empirical documentation of stigma as a barrier to treatment is an important public health finding. Greater attention to reducing the stigma of having an alcohol disorder is urgently needed so that more individuals access the effective systems of care available to treat these disabling conditions."