Scientists are now looking into solving drug abuse cases by studying on a certain medication that could possibly be the most effective drug for treating addiction. This specific drug is also known to control phobias. The US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory provides further evidence that a drug known as D- cycloserine could play a role in helping to extinguish the craving behaviors associated with drug abuse, or specifically, with the addiction to psychotropic drugs. Their study found that mice treated with D-cycloserine were less likely to spend time in an environment where they had previously been trained to expect cocaine than mice treated with a placebo.
A graduate student from Stony Brook University working under Brookhaven Laboratory, Carlos Bermeo said that since the association between drugs and the places where they are used can trigger craving and/or relapse in humans, a medication that could aid in the reduction or even extinction of such responses could be a powerful tool in the treatment of addiction.
The D-cycloserine was originally developed as an antibiotic. But this drug has also shown to extinguish conditioned fear in pre-clinical (animal) studies, and has been successfully tested in human clinical trials for the treatment of acrophobia or fear of heights. This finding led the researchers to wonder whether D-cycloserine could extinguish drug seeking behaviors as well. Last 2006, a group of scientists not associated with the Brookhaven Lab tested this hypothesis in rats. They found out that D-cycloserine facilitated the extinction of “cocaine conditioned place reference”-- in which the tendency for the animals to spend more time in a chamber where they had been trained to expect cocaine than in a chamber where they had no access to the drug whatsoever. This study builds on the previous work and adds information on the drug dose effect, the lasting properties of the treatment, and the locomotor effects of this compound.
In the study, the group worked with C57bL/c mice. The animals were first trained to receive cocaine in a specific environment. Once conditioned, place preference was established (animals willingly spent more time in a cocaine-paired environment than in a neutral environment), the mice were treated with either D-cycloserine or saline and were allowed to spend forty minutes in either the previously cocaine-paired environment in which the drug was no longer available, or the neutral environment. According to one of their researchers, this paradigm would be analogous to a clinical approach where the addict is returned to their natural environment where drug use was done, but this time with no drug available. He added that reduced seeking of the drug in the same environment—that is the extinction behavior—is a great indicator of future success in treatment and reduced chance of relapse.
However, these researchers said that it is important to remember that these are very preliminary results from a small animal study, and much further research will be required before testing this drug in humans. Nonetheless, it is inspiring to know that this drug may show promise in treating cocaine addiction that continues to take a toll on society and for which no pharmacological treatment currently exists. Such research studies would take us a step closer in treating phobias, as well as drug abuse.
Learn more about Addiction and Low Self Esteem
Find helpful ways to Stop Smoking Pot
Monday, February 1, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
How to Keep Your Goal of Drug Relapse Prevention
The goal of drug relapse prevention is to assist you in finding a successful rehab program or to find a way to stay clean in the outpatient context. The key to preventing relapse to alcohol or other drugs starts with a good foundation in a successful rehabilitation program. Keep in mind that each day has lots of tempting situations due to stress but you can do it and stay clean.
A good program will help you to address relationships and how to handle future problems with alternative solutions for life. There are also ways that you as a friend or loved one can help someone avoid the “drama” of having a relapse. Once you learn these tools, you will have a better understanding of why drug and alcohol relapse happens and how to prevent it.
Often relapse can occur when someone feels lonely, isolated, depressed, etc. If the person has gone through a drug rehabilitation center then he or someone he knows realizes there is a problem. The hardest part about being a friend to someone with this problem is staying quiet. When a user feels depressed and alone, she begins to look at the bottle of whatever and think it looks awfully friendly. Implementing successful drug relapse prevention tools can help -- and remember, you are not alone.
Be particularly aware that during challenges such as that when you know that your friend has lost her job, feels alone, is dealing with family issue etc., that it is a great time to intervene. Talk to your friend. Let her know that if she needs anything, she can talk to you. If she wants someone to hang out with, she can call you. Whatever the case may be, being there for your friend is a great way to prevent a relapse. If you yourself are the one dealing with drug temptations then turn to support during these times.
Offer to be available to talk with your friend if she feels like she may relapse. Invite her over to your house or out to dinner so her mind is on other things. Let her know that you\'ll be willing to take her to an AA or NA meeting if she feels compelled to relapse.
Keep a visualization for yourself of the life you want. If you are helping someone else through these challenges help them to keep a picture on their fridge of the ideal life they truly want.
Read more about Drug Relapse Prevention and check out the video on Drug Addiction Poetry to learn ways to get and stay clean.
A good program will help you to address relationships and how to handle future problems with alternative solutions for life. There are also ways that you as a friend or loved one can help someone avoid the “drama” of having a relapse. Once you learn these tools, you will have a better understanding of why drug and alcohol relapse happens and how to prevent it.
Often relapse can occur when someone feels lonely, isolated, depressed, etc. If the person has gone through a drug rehabilitation center then he or someone he knows realizes there is a problem. The hardest part about being a friend to someone with this problem is staying quiet. When a user feels depressed and alone, she begins to look at the bottle of whatever and think it looks awfully friendly. Implementing successful drug relapse prevention tools can help -- and remember, you are not alone.
Be particularly aware that during challenges such as that when you know that your friend has lost her job, feels alone, is dealing with family issue etc., that it is a great time to intervene. Talk to your friend. Let her know that if she needs anything, she can talk to you. If she wants someone to hang out with, she can call you. Whatever the case may be, being there for your friend is a great way to prevent a relapse. If you yourself are the one dealing with drug temptations then turn to support during these times.
Offer to be available to talk with your friend if she feels like she may relapse. Invite her over to your house or out to dinner so her mind is on other things. Let her know that you\'ll be willing to take her to an AA or NA meeting if she feels compelled to relapse.
Keep a visualization for yourself of the life you want. If you are helping someone else through these challenges help them to keep a picture on their fridge of the ideal life they truly want.
Read more about Drug Relapse Prevention and check out the video on Drug Addiction Poetry to learn ways to get and stay clean.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)