Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
In 2009, 16 million Americans 12 years of age and older had taken a prescription pain reliever, tranquilizer, stimulant, or sedative for nonmedical purposes at least once in the year prior to being surveyed, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration). Although any type of medication has the potential to be abused, certain groups of prescription drugs are most commonly abused.
Although any type of medication has the potential to be abused, certain
groups of prescription drugs are most commonly abused.
CNS depressants: Drugs in the
benzodiazepine class are central nervous system (CNS) depressants used to treat
anxiety disorders and sometimes for the short-term treatment of insomnia.
Examples include alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium), and triazolam (Halcion).
Barbiturates: Barbiturates are also CNS
depressants. They include phenobarbital (Luminal), pentobarbital (Nembutal), and mephobarbital (Mebaral).
Barbiturates are prescribed to treat insomnia, tension, and anxiety.
Drug abuse, also called substance abuse or chemical abuse, is a disorder that
is characterized by a destructive pattern of using a substance that leads to
significant problems or distress. It affects more than 7% of people at
some point in their lives. Teens are increasingly engaging
in prescription drug abuse, particularly narcotics (which are prescribed to
relieve severe pain), and stimulant medications, which treat conditions like
attention deficit disorder.
What is drug addiction?
Drug addiction, also called substance dependence or chemical dependency, is a
disease that is characterized by a destructive pattern of drug abuse that leads
to significant problems involving tolerance to or withdrawal from the substance,
as well as other problems that use of the substance can cause for the sufferer,
either socially or in terms of their work or school performance. More than 2.6% of people suffer from drug addiction at some time in their life.
The term dual diagnosis refers to the presence of both a drug-abuse or
dependence issue in addition to a serious mental-health problem in an
individual. Substance abuse or dependence unfortunately occurs quite commonly in
people who also have severe mental illness. This is important given that
people with a serious mental illness are far more at risk of engaging in
violence, being incarcerated, or contracting infection with the
human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Individuals with dual diagnosis are also at higher
risk of being noncompliant with treatment.
What types of drugs are commonly abused?
Virtually any substance whose ingestion can result in a euphoric ("high")
feeling can be abused. While many are aware of the abuse of legal substances
like alcohol or illegal drugs like marijuana (in most states) and
cocaine, less
well known is the fact that inhalants like household cleaners are some of the
most commonly abused substances. The following are many of the drugs and types of drugs that are
commonly abused and/or result in dependence:
Alcohol: Although legal,
alcohol is a toxic substance, particularly to a
developing fetus when a mother consumes this drug during pregnancy.
Amphetamines: This group of drugs comes in many forms, from prescription
medications like methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) and
dextroamphetamine and
amphetamine (Adderall) to illegally manufactured drugs like methamphetamine
("meth"). Overdose of any of these substances can result in seizure and death.
Anabolic steroids: A group of substances abused by bodybuilders and other
athletes, this group of drugs can lead to terrible psychological effects like
aggression and paranoia, as well as devastating long-term physical effects like
infertility and organ failure.
Caffeine: While it is consumed by many, coffee, tea and soda drinkers, when
consumed in excess this substance can produce palpitations, insomnia, tremors
and significant anxiety.
Cannabis: More commonly called marijuana, the scientific name for cannabis
is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In addition to the negative effects the drug
itself can produce (for example, infertility, paranoia, lack of motivation), the fact
that it is commonly mixed ("cut") with other substances so drug dealers can make
more money selling the diluted substance or expose the user to more addictive
drugs exposes the marijuana user to the dangers associated with those added
substances. Examples of ingredients that marijuana is commonly cut with include
baby powder, oregano, embalming fluid, PCP, opiates, and cocaine.
Cocaine: A drug that tends to stimulate the nervous system, cocaine can be
snorted in powder form, smoked when in the form of rocks (crack cocaine), or
injected when made into a liquid.
Ecstasy: Also called
MDMA to denote its chemical composition
(methylenedioxymethamphetamine), this drug tends to create a sense of euphoria
and an expansive love or desire to nurture others. In overdose, it can increase
body temperature to the point of being fatal.
Hallucinogens: Examples include
LSD and mescaline, as well as so-called
naturally occurring hallucinogens like certain mushrooms, these drugs can be
dangerous in their ability to alter the perceptions of the user. For example, a
person who is intoxicated with a hallucinogen may perceive danger where there is
none and to think that situations that are truly dangerous are not. Those misperceptions can result in dangerous behaviors (like jumping out of a window
because the individual thinks they are riding on an elephant that can fly).
Inhalants: One of the most commonly abused group of substances due to its
accessibility, inhalants are usually contained in household cleaners, like
ammonia, bleach, and other substances that emit fumes. Brain damage, even to the
point of death, can result from using an inhalant just once or over the course
of time, depending on the individual.
Nicotine: The addictive substance found in
cigarettes, nicotine is actually
one of the most habit-forming substances that exists. In fact, nicotine
addiction is often compared to the intense addictiveness associated with opiates
like heroin.
Opiates: This group is also called narcotics and includes drugs like
heroine, codeine, Vicodin, Percocet, and Percodan. This group of substances
sharply decrease the functioning of the nervous system. The lethality of opiates
is often the result of the abuser having to use increasingly higher amounts to
achieve the same level of intoxication, ultimately to the point that the dose
needed to get high is the same as the dose that is lethal for that individual by
halting the person's breathing (respiratory arrest).
Phencyclidine: Commonly referred to as
PCP, this drug can cause the user to
feel extremely paranoid, become quite aggressive and to have an unusual amount
of physical strength. This can make the individual quite dangerous to others.
Sedative, hypnotic, or antianxiety drugs: As these substances quell or
depress the nervous system, they can cause death by respiratory arrest of the
person who either uses these drugs in overdose or who mixes one or more of these
drugs with another nervous system depressant drug (like alcohol or an opiate).
Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus, which infects humans when it comes in contact with a break in the skin or tissues such as those that line the vagina, anal area, mouth, or eyes.
Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver due to the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is usually spread by
blood transfusion, hemodialysis, and needle sticks, especially with intravenous
drug abuse. Chronic hepatitis C may be treated with interferon, usually in combination with anti-virals.
Stress occurs when forces from the outside world impinge on the individual. Stress is a normal part of life. However, over-stress, can be harmful. There is now speculation, as well as some evidence, that points to the abnormal stress responses as being involved in causing various diseases or conditions.
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a ballooning or widening of the main artery (the aorta) as it courses down through the abdomen. The most common cause of aortic aneurysms is
"hardening of the arteries" called arteriosclerosis.
Alcoholism is a disease that includes alcohol craving and continued drinking despite repeated alcohol-related problems, such as losing a job or getting into trouble with the law.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychiatric condition, can develop after any catastrophic life event. Symptoms include nightmares, flashbacks, sweating, rapid heart rate, detachment, amnesia, sleep problems, irritability, and exaggerated startle response. Treatment may involve psychotherapy, group support, and medication.
Schizophrenia is a disabling brain disorder that may cause hallucinations and delusions and affect a person's ability to communicate and pay attention. Symptoms of psychosis appear in men in their late teens and early 20s and in women in their mid-20s to early 30s. With treatment involving the use of antipsychotic medications and psychosocial treatment, schizophrenia patients can lead rewarding and meaningful lives.
Impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction, is a common
problem among men characterized by the consistent inability to sustain an
erection sufficient for sexual intercourse or the inability to achieve
ejaculation, or both. Impotence can have emotional causes but most often it is
due to a physical problem.
The hepatitis B virus is a unique, coated DNA virus belonging to the Hepadnaviridae family of viruses. The course of the virus is determined primarily by the age at which the infection is acquired and the interaction between the virus and the body's immune system. Successful treatment is associated with a reduction in liver injury and fibrosis (scarring), a decreased likelihood of developing cirrhosis and its complications, including liver cancer, and a prolonged survival.
Brain aneurysm (cerebral aneurysm) is caused by microscopic damage to artery walls, infections of the artery walls, tumors, trauma, drug abuse. Symptoms include headache, numbness of the face, dilated pupils, changes in vision, the "worst headache of your life," or a painful stiff neck. Immediate treatment for a brain aneurysm is crucial for patient survival.
Suicide is the process of intentionally ending one's own life. Approximately 1 million people worldwide commit suicide each year, and 10 million to 20 million attempt suicide annually.
Bipolar disorder (or manic depression) is a mental illness characterized by depression, mania, and severe mood swings. Treatment may incorporate mood stabilizer medications, antidepressants, and psychotherapy.
Borderline personality disorder is a serious mental illness characterized by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image, and behavior. This instability often disrupts family and work life, long-term planning, and the individual's sense of self-identity. Originally thought to be at the "borderline" of psychosis, people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) suffer from a disorder of emotion regulation.
Rhabdomyolysis is a rapid deterioration and destruction of skeletal muscle. Some of the causes of rhabdomyolysis include severe burns, muscle trauma, coma, seizures, electrolyte imbalance, medications (statins), viruses, bacteria. Treatment of rhabdomyolysis depends on the cause.
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) has many symptoms, signs, and causes. Therapy is one treatment option for antisocial personality disorder. It is closely related to other personality disorders (PD), such as borderline personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.
Botulism is an illness caused by a neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. There are three types of botulism: food-borne, wound, and infant. Symptoms include muscle paralysis, dry mouth, constipation, slurred speech, and blurred vision. If food-borne and wound botulism are detected early enough, they may be treated with an antitoxin. Infant botulism is treated intravenously with BabyBIG (Botulism Immune Globulin).
Smoking is an addiction. More than 430,000 deaths occur each year in the U.S. from smoking related illnesses. Secondhand smoke or "passive smoke" also harm family members, coworkers, and others around smokers. There are a number of techniques available to assist people who want to quit smoking.
Hypothermia is having a body core temperature of less than 35 C or 95 F. Most causes of hypothermia are preventable. Risk factors for hypothermia include age, mental status, medical conditions, and medications. Symptoms of hypothermia generally depend upon the severity of the condition. Treatment depends upon the severity of hypothermia. If not treated early, hypothermia can lead to cardiac arrest, coma, or death.
Alcohol is the most frequently used drug by American teenagers. Teens that drink are more likely to drive under the influence, have unprotected sex, and use other drugs, like marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. Symptoms of alcohol abuse in teens include lying, breaking curfew, becoming verbally or physically abusive toward others, making excuses, smelling like alcohol, having mood swings, and stealing.
Psychotic disorders are a group of serious illnesses that affect the mind. Different types of psychotic disorders include schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, brief psychotic disorder, shared psychotic disorder, delusional disorder, substance-induced psychotic disorder, paraphrenia, and psychotic disorders due to medical conditions.
Corticosteroid drugs such as prednisone and prednisolone are commonly used to treat asthma, allergic reactions, RA, and IBD. Steroids such as these do have serious drawbacks such as steroid withdrawal symptoms such as: fatigue, weakness, decreased appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Speak with your healthcare provider prior to tapering off steroid medications.
Fatigue can be described in various ways. Sometimes fatigue is described as feeling a lack of energy and motivation (both mental and physical). The causes of fatigue are generally related to a variety of conditions or diseases for example, anemia, mono, medications, sleep problems, cancer, anxiety, heart disease, drug abuse, and more. Treatment of fatigue is generally directed toward the condition or disease that is causing the fatigue.
Chronic pain is pain (an unpleasant sense of discomfort) that persists or progresses over a long period of time. In contrast to acute pain that arises suddenly in response to a specific injury and is usually treatable, chronic pain persists over time and is often resistant to medical treatments.
Child abuse falls into four categories: neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. There are certain risk factors that predispose a child to being abused and an adult to abusing a child. Risk factors for children are age, children with learning disabilities, adopted and foster children, children with congenital abnormalities, and a past history of abuse. Parental risk factors include young or single parents, those who suffered abuse themselves, adults with substance-abuse problems or psychiatric disease, and those who didn't graduate from high school.
Date rape drugs such as GHB, rohypnol, and ketamine are sometimes used to assist in a sexual assault. Symptoms and signs of intoxication by one of these drugs depends upon the type of drug ingested.
Learning disabilities can cause an individual to have trouble learning and using skills such as reading, listening, writing, reading, speaking, reasoning, and performing mathematics. There is no cure for learning disabilities. Parents and teachers working together to properly diagnose learning disabilities can properly plan a course of education. For some, medication may be appropriate as complimentary treatment.
Aortic dissection is a small tear in the large blood vessel that leads from the heart and supplies blood to the body. There are two types of aortic dissection, type 1 and type 2. Signs and symptoms of aortic dissection include a tearing or ripping pain, nausea, sweating, weakness, shortness of breath, sweating, or fainting. Treatment depends on the type of aortic dissection, and the severity of the tear in the aorta.
Depressive disorders have been with mankind since the beginning of recorded history. In the Bible, King David, as well as Job, suffered from this affliction. Hippocrates referred to depression as melancholia, which literally means black bile. Black bile, along with blood, phlegm, and yellow bile were the four humors (fluids) that described the basic medical physiology theory of that time. Depression, also referred to as clinical depression, has been portrayed in literature and the arts for hundreds of years, but what do we mean today when we refer to a depressive disorder? In the 19th century, depression was seen as an inherited weakness of temperament. In the first half of the 20th century, Freud linked the development of depression to guilt and conflict. John Cheever, the author and a modern sufferer of depressive disorder, wrote of conflict and experiences with his parents as influencing his development of depression.
In 2009, 16 million Americans 12 years of age and older had taken a prescription pain reliever, tranquilizer, stimulant, or sedative for nonmedical purposes at least once in the year prior to being surveyed, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration). Although any type of medication has the potential to be abused, certain groups of prescription drugs are most commonly abused.
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