EBay, Ellison Embrace Microgrids in Threat to Utilities
They allow a home or business owner, a college systems engineer or a farmer on a mountainside to generate, distribute and regulate their locally produced power with an ease and sophistication that only utilities had a few years ago. Not much of …
Read more on Bloomberg

Alleged ginseng hunt ends in rescue of 3
The situation began around 6:18 p.m. Wednesday, when the Patrick County 911 center received a cell phone call from a man who said he had gotten lost on the mountain while hunting for ginseng, according to the release. Deputies and other first …
Read more on Martinsville Bulletin

Question by Liza Shevchuk: Natural Remedies For Brain Damage After Drug Abuse?
My older brother has done many drugs from about 16-21. Its been a year since his last use, and he’s been having some serious problems. He has high anxiety and he’s been having frequent episodes of “weird” (as he calls it) feelings. He doesn’t label it as feeling sick. During these episodes he feels jittery, emotional (even cry’s sometimes) out of control, his heart rate goes up. This also causes him to have insomnia. Maybe they’re panic attacks, but the thing is, what triggers it? This occurs randomly on a normal day. We believe its typical withdrawal symptoms, because he abused quite a few drugs. (Marijuana, cigarettes, ecstasy, crystal meth, shrooms, hookah, cocaine, inhalants, “uppers” (as he calls them))
He has gone to see his doctor several times to get treatment, and his doctor said he has migraines.
-____-
He prescribed him anti depressants and that didn’t help my brother AT ALL.
He does this herbal drop treatment (echinacea, other oils, etc) That help him sleep.
Now we’re trying to find him herbal remedies that would help repair his brain damage from all of the abuse he has done to it.
Thank you very much.

Best answer:

Answer by jannsody
I’m not sure that there will be repairing of the brain damage (presuming that he has that as I’m not a medical doctor :), but researchers believe that the brain is very “plastic” and may form new nerve pathways to *help* compensate for the injured areas.

With regard to inhalant use, my friend actually has a severe Brain Injury from huffing at the age of 12, now in her 30s. The chemicals in products used for huffing are actual *poisons* that were never meant to go through the bloodstream.

Please be *very* careful with herbal supplements or “remedies” (e.g., echinacea, ginkgo biloba, chamomile) as they can result in side effects and/or drug (medication) interactions. It’s best to check with a licensed pharmacist before taking any of them. Not everything that is “natural” is safe 😉

Regarding the panic attacks, some people have generalized anxiety (to know specific event) or other types of anxiety. The antidepressants may help to lessen the intensity and/or frequency of the anxiety symptoms. Such medications tend to take about 6-8 weeks before possibly noticing results. A caveat (warning) is that some antidepressants may cause insomnia (trouble getting to and/or staying asleep). However, there are medications that one may take to help counteract the insomnia.

Even though benzo’s (e.g., ativan, valium, xanax, klonopin) may be prescribed to help with sleep, they’re not always recommended as a medication due to their physical addictiveness. (Some withdrawal symptoms from benzo’s may include seizures, psychosis/mental break from reality, or even death.) Some psychiatrists (it’s best to get medication for mental health issues from a board-certified psychiatrist as opposed to “just” a family doctor) prescribe seroquel (or other medications), which is classified as an antipsychotic but in smaller dosages may help with sleep.

You’d mentioned that he’s gone to the doctor several times, and I’m wondering if he’s gone to a neurologist which is medical dr who can help rule out disorders of the nervous system – brain, spinal cord, nerves. I’m just thinking that to help “cover all the bases” (not trying to give false hope though, know what I mean).

I’m not sure that he’d still be going through withdrawal symptoms a year after stopping the drugs, but it’s a good idea to ask a doctor about that as well.

Pertaining to the anxiety, please show him this government site which may have some local counseling agencies: http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/ and can click the second link. Then one can click “near you” on the left-hand side of the page under “find facilities” and can type one’s city and state of residence into search. Their toll-free 24/7 referral helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Just an fyi that the first link is for those looking for substance abuse counseling/treatment, and that may be an option if he’s still “using” or having cravings for substances.

A 12-step program, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), may have some local support groups. The only requirement is having a desire to get sober. One may attend an “open” AA meeting if there is no drinking problem: http://www.aa.org

This site has some common mottos pertaining to those 12-step programs, including “One day at a time”, “First things first” and “People, places and things”: http://www.royy.com/toolsofrecovery.html

Al-Anon is a 12-step program for the *friends and family* of the problem drinker, but one may attend an “open” Al-Anon meeting if the loved one doesn’t have a drinking problem: http://www.al-anon.alateen.org

Add your own answer in the comments!

Question by Nicole A: Who are some people important to the prevention of drugs or alcohol?
Does anyone have any names of people who have been an important part in the prevention of drug, alcohol, or tobacco use? At meeting for this prevention club I am in I think we are going ot start talking about some important people. We’ve already got Enrique Camarena, so anyone else?

Best answer:

Answer by Ginny
I knew some celebrities who suffered under this dangerous concept called “Addiction”. But they managed to take treatments through some best rehab centers and got recovered from their addiction disorders. Yet these people have created a great impact on the public, especially teens and made them understand that addiction is a dangerous disorder.
Some of those celebrities list which i came across are,
Tara Reid
Diana Ross
Ben Affleck
Robert Downey Jr

What do you think? Answer below!

Rehab centers struggle to keep drugs out
When Bethany Ehrhart, 23, wanted to kick her addiction to painkillers, her mother, Darlene, found the money for top-of-the-line treatment at the world-renowned Betty Ford Center. A week after her arrival at the celebrity rehab in Rancho Mirage, Calif …
Read more on USA TODAY

Health law could overwhelm addiction services
“There is no illness currently being treated that will be more affected by the Affordable Care Act than addiction,” said Tom McLellan, CEO of the nonprofit Treatment Research Institute and President Barack Obama's former deputy drug czar. “That's …
Read more on The Southern

The price of addiction: A treatment primer for opioid dependence (Series)
There are a lot of unsung heroes working in the trenches in Portland to help those who have fallen into opiate dependence. Alison Noice, director of addiction medicine treatment at CODA, is one of them. CODA is the oldest opioid addiction treatment …
Read more on Portland Business Journal (blog)

The price of addiction: Treatment options for opioid dependence (Series)
Other treatment programs focus mainly abstinence, which is not nearly as successful a way to treat the addiction. Withdrawal is intense, with such symptoms as nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, fatigue, chills, fever, insomnia, loss of appetite, anxiety …
Read more on Portland Business Journal (blog)

Dr. Miriam Adelson Awarded for Work with Drug Addiction Treatment
Her program has treated almost 800 patients since its founding 20 years ago. Its innovative treatment requires that all patients have already gone through rehab at least once before. Adelson's clinic reported that 70 percent of its patients remained …
Read more on Washington Free Beacon

Alibaug 'rehab centre' has no licence, experts to treat drug addicts
The founder of a de-addiction centre near Alibaug, where patients were kept in appalling conditions and "tortured", does not have a licence or a qualified medical team to run a rehab clinic, it emerged on Sunday. Addiction is considered a mental …
Read more on Mumbai Mirror

Compulsory detention for drug use undermines treatment in Laos
But Lao's eight treatment-and-detention centres still operate based on a 2008 drug law that authorizes involuntary detention for drug users, who are effectively treated as criminals. As required by law, all the country's drug treatment centres are …
Read more on IRINnews.org