Lowell ASAP Alcohol/Drug/Substance Abuse Help Program

Lowell Alcohol/Drug Education

Substance abuse, also known as Alcohol/Drug abuse and substance use disorder, is a patterned use of an Alcohol/Drug/Substance Abuse in which the user consumes the substance in amounts or with methods which are harmful to themselves or others, and is a form of substance-related disorders. Friends and family may be among the first to recognize the signs of substance abuse. Early recognition increases chances for successful treatment.Alcohol – Alcohol affects every organ in the drinker’s body and can damage a developing fetus. Intoxication can impair brain function and motor skills; heavy use can increase risk of certain cancers, stroke, and liver disease.

Drugs – The term “bath salts” refers to an emerging family of Drugs containing one or more synthetic chemicals related to cathinone, an amphetamine-like stimulant found naturally in the Khat plant. Club Drugs tend to be used by teenagers and young adults at bars, nightclubs, concerts, and parties. Club Drugs include GHB, Rohypnol®, ketamine, and others. MDMA (Ecstasy), Methamphetamine, and LSD (Acid), are considered club Drugs and are covered in their individual Drug summaries. Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant Drug made from the leaves of the coca plant native to South America. It produces short-term euphoria, energy, and talkativeness in addition to potentially dangerous physical effects like raising heart rate and blood pressure. Hallucinogenic compounds found in some plants and mushrooms (or their extracts) have been used—mostly during religious rituals—for centuries. Almost all hallucinogens contain nitrogen and are classified as alkaloids. Many hallucinogens have chemical structures similar to those of natural neurotransmitters (e.g., acetylcholine-, serotonin-, or catecholamine-like). While the exact mechanisms by which hallucinogens exert their effects remain unclear, research suggests that these Drugs work, at least partially, by temporarily interfering with neurotransmitter action or by binding to their receptor sites.

According to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), more than half of all adults in america drink Alcohol, with almost 7% meeting criteria for an Alcohol abuse disorder. Among Americans aged 12 or older, the use of illegal Drugs has increased over the last decade from less than 9% of the population using illegal Drugs in the last month in 2002 to 9.4% (24.6 million people) in 2013. Of those, 8.2 million people met criteria for a substance use disorder in the past year. The misuse of prescription Drugs is second only to marijuana as the nation’s most common Drug problem after Alcohol and tobacco, leading to troubling increases in opioid overdoses in the past decade. And estimated 25.5% (66.9 million) of Americans aged 12 or older were current users of a tobacco product. While tobacco use has declined since 2002 for the general population, this has not been the case for people with serious mental illness where tobacco use remains a major cause of morbidity and early death.

In addition, Drug and Alcohol use can lead to other chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Addressing the impact of substance use alone is estimated to cost Americans more than $600 billion each year.

Individual and group counseling include a variety of treatments used to treat behavioral health problems. Counseling and more specialized psychotherapies seek to change behaviors, thoughts, emotions, and how people see and understand situations. Counseling is provided by trained clinicians such as psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and counselors.

Counseling can take a number of forms depending on the type of therapy being used, the goals of the treatment, and other factors in the life of the person receiving therapy. Some courses of counseling last for months or even years, while others can be brief. One brief, goal-oriented strategy, which may be used by itself or as a part of broader course of counseling is the Alcohol/Drug awareness self-help online course.