Substance Use Research Charleston, SC

Research study to explore the effects of ma*****na use on memory and (MUSC)
The Medical University of South Carolina is conducting a research study to explore the effects of ma*****na use on memory and thinking. We are looking for adults aged 50-80 who regularly smoke/ingest ma*****na. Click the link below or call 843-792-5573 to learn more about the PUMA Study.

https://redcap.link/PUMA

Substance Use Research Charleston, SC The Addiction Sciences Division at MUSC conducts treatment and non-treatment studies in the field of

Do you smoke ma*****na? Research Study at MUSC

We are looking to recruit women that use ma*****na and live in the greater Charleston area for a study at MUSC. Our study is looking at how regular ma*****na use can affect the endocannabinoid system. Our study involves no medications, participants will be compensated, and the study is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

This study is listed on SCresearch.org under "Endocannabinoid Dysregulation in Cannabis Dependence and Acute Cannabis Withdrawal" (you can find it by searching for "cannabis" on the front page). If you are interested in learning more about the study, please call me (Erin) at 843-876-3528.

Thanks!

Smoke a lot of w**d? Wish you smoked less? An MUSC research study may help. Call Emma at 843-901-0360 if interested. Again, that’s Emma at 901-0369. Compensation up to $1210 is available.

⠀
⠀
What is co***ne?⠀
⠀
Co***ne is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug made from the coca plant leaves native to South America. Although it can be used for valid medical purposes, such as local anesthesia for some surgeries, recreational co***ne use is illegal. As a street drug, co***ne appears like a fine, white, crystal powder. Street dealers often mix it with things like flour, cornstarch, or talcum powder to increase profits. They may also mix it with other drugs such as the stimulant known as amphetamine, or synthetic opioids, including fentanyl. Adding synthetic opioids to co***ne is particularly risky when people using co***ne don’t realize it contains this dangerous additive. Increasing numbers of overdose deaths among co***ne users might be related to this tampered co***ne.⠀
⠀
Popular nicknames for co***ne include:⠀
⠀
• Blow⠀
• Coke⠀
• Crack⠀
• Rock⠀
• Snow⠀
⠀
⠀

⠀
⠀
Common medications used to treat drug addiction and withdrawal:⠀
⠀
■ Opioid⠀
• Methadone⠀
• Buprenorphine⠀
• Extended-release naltrexone⠀
• Lofexidine⠀
⠀
■ Ni****ne⠀
• Ni****ne replacement therapies (available as a patch, inhaler, or gum)⠀
• Bupropion⠀
• Varenicline⠀
⠀
■ Alcohol⠀
• Naltrexone⠀
• Disulfiram⠀
• Acamprosate⠀
⠀
⠀

⠀

What medications and devices help treat drug addiction?⠀
⠀
Different types of medications may be useful at different stages of treatment to help a patient stop abusing drugs, stay in treatment, and avoid relapse.⠀
⠀
• Treating withdrawal. When patients first stop using drugs, they can experience various physical and emotional symptoms, including restlessness or sleeplessness, as well as depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. Certain treatment medications and devices reduce these symptoms, which makes it easier to stop the drug use.⠀
⠀
• Staying in treatment. Some treatment medications and mobile applications are used to help the brain adapt gradually to the absence of the drug. These treatments act slowly to help prevent drug cravings and have a calming effect on body systems. They can help patients focus on counseling and other psychotherapies related to their drug treatment.⠀
⠀
• Preventing relapse. Science has taught us that stress cues linked to the drug use (such as people, places, things, and moods), and contact with drugs are the most common triggers for relapse. Scientists have been developing therapies to interfere with these triggers to help patients stay in recovery.⠀
⠀
⠀

⠀
Topic: Treatment & Recovery⠀
⠀
Can addiction be treated successfully?⠀
⠀
Yes, addiction is a treatable disorder. Research on the science of addiction and the treatment of substance use disorders has led to the development of research-based m**hods that help people to stop using drugs and resume productive lives, also known as being in recovery.⠀
⠀
Can addiction be cured?⠀
⠀
Like other chronic diseases such as heart disease or asthma, treatment for drug addiction usually isn't a cure. But addiction can be managed successfully. Treatment enables people to counteract addiction's disruptive effects on their brain and behavior and regain control of their lives.⠀

⠀

⠀
How can addiction harm other people?⠀
⠀
The Impact of Addiction Can Be Far-Reaching⠀
⠀
❗️Cardiovascular disease⠀
❗️Stroke⠀
❗️Cancer⠀
❗️HIV/AIDS⠀
❗️Hepatitis B and C⠀
❗️Lung disease⠀
❗️Mental disorders⠀
⠀
Beyond the harmful consequences for the person with the addiction, drug use can cause serious health problems for others. Some of the more severe consequences of addiction are:⠀
⠀
❗️Negative effects of drug use while pregnant or breastfeeding: A mother's substance or medication use during pregnancy can cause her baby to go into withdrawal after it's born, which is called neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Symptoms will differ depending on the substance used, but may include tremors, problems with sleeping and feeding, and even seizures. Some drug-exposed children will have developmental problems with behavior, attention, and thinking.⠀
⠀
❗️ Negative effects of secondhand smoke: Secondhand to***co smoke exposes bystanders to at least 250 chemicals that are known to be harmful, particularly to children. Involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risks of heart disease and lung cancer in people who have never smoked.⠀
⠀
❗️Increased spread of infectious diseases: Injection of drugs accounts for 1 in 10 of cases of HIV. Injection drug use is also a major factor in the spread of hepatitis C,and can be the cause of endocarditis and cellulitis. Injection drug use is not the only way that drug use contributes to the spread of infectious diseases. Drugs that are misused can cause intoxication, which hinders judgment and increases the chance of risky s*xual behaviors.⠀
⠀
❗️Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents: Use of illicit drugs or misuse of prescription drugs can make driving a car unsafe—just like driving after drinking alcohol. Drugged driving puts the driver, passengers, and others who share the road at risk. After alcohol, ma*****na is the drug most often linked to impaired driving. Research studies have shown negative effects of ma*****na on drivers, including an increase in lane weaving, poor reaction time, and altered attention to the road.⠀
⠀

⠀
Topic: Addiction & Health⠀
⠀
What are the other health consequences of drug addiction?⠀
⠀
People with addiction often have 1 or more health issues, which could include cancer, heart or lung disease, stroke, or mental health conditions. Imaging scans, blood tests, and chest X-rays can show the damaging effects of long term drug use throughout the human body.⠀
⠀
For example, it‘s now well-known that to***co smoke can cause many cancers, m**hamphetamine can cause severe dental problems, known as "m**h mouth," and that can lead to overdose and even death. Additionally, some drugs, such as inhalants, may damage or destroy nerve cells, either in the brain or the peripheral nervous system (the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord).⠀
⠀
Drug use can also increase the risk of contracting infections. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C (a serious liver disease) infection can occur from sharing injection equipment as well as from impaired judgment leading to unsafe s*xual activity. Infection of the heart and its valves known as endocarditis and skin infection cellulitis can occur after exposure to bacteria by injection drug use.⠀
⠀
Note: Addiction and HIV/AIDS are intertwined epidemics.⠀
⠀
Does drug use cause mental disorders, or vice versa?⠀
⠀
Drug use and mental illness often co-exist. In some cases, mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia may come before addiction; in other cases, drug use may trigger or worsen those mental health conditions, particularly in people with specific vulnerabilities.⠀
⠀
Some people with conditions like anxiety or depression may use drugs in an attempt to alleviate psychiatric symptoms, which may exacerbate their mental disorder in the long run, as well as increase the risk of developing addiction. Treatment for all conditions should happen concurrently.⠀
⠀

What parts of the brain are affected by drug use?

Drugs can alter important brain areas that are necessary for life-sustaining functions and can drive the compulsive drug use that marks addiction. Brain areas affected by drug use include:

1) The basal ganglia, which play an important role in positive forms of motivation, including the pleasurable effects of healthy activities like eating, socializing, and s*x, and are also involved in the formation of habits and routines. These areas form a key node of what is sometimes called the brain's "reward circuit." Drugs over-activate this circuit, producing the euphoria of the drug high; but with repeated exposure, the circuit adapts to the presence of the drug, diminishing its sensitivity and making it hard to feel pleasure from anything besides the drug.

2) The extended amygdala plays a role in stressful feelings like anxiety, irritability, and unease, which characterize withdrawal after the drug high fades and thus motivates the person to seek the drug again. This circuit becomes increasingly sensitive with increased drug use. Over time, a person with substance use disorder uses drugs to get temporary relief from this discomfort rather than to get high.

3)The prefrontal cortex powers the ability to think, plan, solve problems, make decisions, and exert self-control over impulses. This is also the last part of the brain to mature, making teens most vulnerable. Shifting balance between this circuit and the reward and stress circuits of the basal ganglia and extended amygdala make a person with a substance use disorder seek the drug compulsively with reduced impulse control.

Some drugs like opioids also affect other parts of the brain, such as the brain stem, which controls basic functions critical to life, such as heart rate, breathing, and sleeping explaining why overdoses can cause depressed breathing and death.

You got this!

it can be difficult to stay sober during stressful times. if COVID-19 has affected your mental health negatively, DM us and we’ll send you some free or low-cost resources to check out!

*****na ****ne **d

⠀
⠀
Preventing Drug Misuse and Addiction⠀
⠀
Why is adolescence a critical time for preventing drug addiction?⠀
⠀
Early use of drugs increases a person's chance of becoming addicted. Remember, drugs change the brain & this can lead to addiction amongst other problems. So, preventing early use of drugs or alcohol may go a long way in reducing these risks.⠀
⠀
Risk of drug use increases greatly during times of transition. For an adult, a divorce or loss of a job may increase the risk of drug use. For a teenager, risky times include moving, family divorce, or changing schools. When children advance from elementary through middle school, they face new & challenging social, family, & academic situations. Often during this period, children are exposed to substances such as ni****ne & alcohol for the first time. When they enter high school, teens may encounter greater availability of drugs, drug use by older teens, & social activities where drugs are used.⠀
⠀
A certain amount of risk-taking is a normal part of adolescent development. The desire to try new things & become more independent is healthy, but it may also increase teens' tendencies to experiment with drugs. The parts of the brain that control judgment & decision making do not fully develop until people are in their early to mid-20s; this limits a teen's ability to accurately assess the risks of drug experimentation & makes young people more vulnerable to peer pressure.⠀
⠀
Since the brain is still developing, using drugs at this age has more potential to disrupt brain function in areas critical to motivation, memory, learning, judgment, and behavior control. So, it's not surprising that teens who use alcohol & other drugs often have family & social problems, poor academic performance, health-related problems (including mental health conditions), & involvement with the justice system.⠀

NIDA. (2018, July 20). Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction

**e

⠀
Alcohol and drug addiction takes a toll on our relationships - especially on our families. When a loved one goes to treatment, begins learning how to stay sober and focuses on recalling their life from addiction, their relationships with other people require rebuilding, too.⠀
⠀
Ask yourself, “What is my motive for setting this boundary?” This can be a difficult question if your loved one has drug or alcohol addiction because you’ve likely been consumed with their needs, feelings, and well-being.⠀
⠀
If you are in recovery from addiction, it’s important to establish clear boundaries so you can readily identify any early warning signs of thoughts or behaviors that could lead to relapse.⠀
⠀
Healthy boundaries are how we are able to take care of ourselves and love others at the same time.⠀
⠀
*****na ****ne **d

⠀
What is an Instituonal Review Board?⠀
⠀
Under FDA regulations, an IRB is an appropriately constituted group that has been formally designated to review and monitor biomedical research involving human subjects. In accordance with FDA regulations, an IRB has the authority to approve, require modifications in (to secure approval), or disapprove research. This group review serves an important role in the protection of the rights and welfare of human research subjects.⠀
⠀
The purpose of IRB review is to assure, both in advance and by periodic review, that appropriate steps are taken to protect the rights and welfare of humans participating as subjects in the research. To accomplish this purpose, IRBs use a group process to review research protocols and related materials (e.g., informed consent documents and investigator brochures) to ensure protection of the rights and welfare of human subjects of research.⠀
⠀
-FDA.gov⠀
⠀
⠀
*****na ****ne **d *****naresearch

⠀
⠀
Image shown is of Brain Development in health Children and Teens (Ages 5-20)⠀
⠀
As the brain matures, experiences prune excess neural connections while strengthening those that are used more often. Many scientists think that this process contributes to the steady reduction in gray matter volume seen during adolescence (depicted as the yellow to blue transition in the figure). As environmental forces help determine which connections will wither and which will thrive, the brain circuits that emerge become more efficient. However, this is a process that can cut both ways because not all tasks are desirable. The environment is like an artist who creates a sculpture by chipping away excess marble; and just like bad artists can produce bad art, environments with negative factors (like drugs, malnutrition, bullying, or sleep deprivation) can lead to efficient but potentially harmful circuits that conspire against a person's well-being.⠀
The brain continues to develop into adulthood and undergoes dramatic changes during adolescence.⠀
⠀
One of the brain areas still maturing during adolescence is the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain that allows people to assess situations, make sound decisions, and keep emotions and desires under control. The fact that this critical part of a teen's brain is still a work in progress puts them at increased risk for making poor decisions, such as trying drugs or continuing to take them. Introducing drugs during this period of development may cause brain changes that have profound and long-lasting consequences.⠀
-NIH
⠀
*d *****na ****ne **d *****naresearch

Q: Do people freely choose to keep using drugs?

A: The initial decision to take drugs is typically voluntary. But with continued use, a person's ability to exert self-control can become seriously impaired; this impairment in self-control is the hallmark of addiction.
Brain imaging studies of people with addiction show physical changes in areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decision-making, learning and memory, and behavior control. These changes help explain the compulsive nature of addiction.

Q: Why do some people become addicted to drugs, while others do not?

A: No single factor determines whether a person will become addicted to drugs.

As with other diseases and disorders, the likelihood of developing an addiction differs from person to person, and no single factor determines whether a person will become addicted to drugs. In general, the more risk factors a person has, the greater the chance that taking drugs will lead to drug use and addiction. Protective factors, on the other hand, reduce a person's risk. Risk and protective factors may be either environmental or biological. Swipe to see examples of risk and protective factors regarding drug use! To know more about risk factors, check out yesterday’s post on it! 😄

**d *****naresearch #420 *****nafacts *****nasmoker @ Charleston, South Carolina

“Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences.It is considered a brain disorder, because it involves functional changes to brain circuits involved in reward, stress, and self-control, and those changes may last a long time after a person has stopped taking drugs. —- Addiction is a lot like other diseases, such as heart disease. Both disrupt the normal, healthy functioning of an organ in the body, both have serious harmful effects, and both are, in many cases, preventable and treatable. If left untreated, they can last a lifetime and may lead to death. -
Image Information:

Source: Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health.

Modified with permission from Volkow et al. 1993.

Note: These PET scans compare the brain of an individual with a history of co***ne use disorder (middle and right) to the brain of an individual without a history of co***ne use (left). The person who has had a co***ne use disorder has lower levels of the D2 dopamine receptor (depicted in red) in the striatum one month (middle) and four months (right) after stopping co***ne use compared to the non-user. The level of dopamine receptors in the brain of the co***ne user are higher at the 4-month mark (right), but have not returned to the levels observed in the non-user (left).”

“Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences.It is considered a brain disorder, because it involves functional changes to brain circuits involved in reward, stress, and self-control, and those changes may last a long time after a person has stopped taking drugs.

—-

Addiction is a lot like other diseases, such as heart disease. Both disrupt the normal, healthy functioning of an organ in the body, both have serious harmful effects, and both are, in many cases, preventable and treatable. If left untreated, they can last a lifetime and may lead to death.

-
Image Information:

Source: Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General's Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health.

Modified with permission from Volkow et al. 1993.

Note: These PET scans compare the brain of an individual with a history of co***ne use disorder (middle and right) to the brain of an individual without a history of co***ne use (left). The person who has had a co***ne use disorder has lower levels of the D2 dopamine receptor (depicted in red) in the striatum one month (middle) and four months (right) after stopping co***ne use compared to the non-user. The level of dopamine receptors in the brain of the co***ne user are higher at the 4-month mark (right), but have not returned to the levels observed in the non-user (left).”

Managing stress is a key part of staying sober. Stress relief tip: Take 10 deep breaths - in through your nose and out through your mouth. You will feel your body start to relax. Repost

Happy Monday everyone! We hope you’re staying safe out there with this awful weather and virus! 😄 *****na

Don’t know where to get help? DM us and we’ll send you free or low-cost resources!

We hope everyone is hanging in there as we get through this challenging time of COVID-19!

Is ma*****na addictive? “The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) suggests that about 9% of people who abuse ma*****na will develop an addiction to the drug in time. And that risk rises to 17% if users start a ma*****na habit during the teen years, and it rises to 25-50% in those who use the drug everyday.” -American Addiction Centers **d *****naresearch #420 *****nafacts *****nasmoker

If taking drugs makes people feel good or better, what’s the problem?

When someone first used a drug, people may perceive what seem to be positive effects. They also may believe that they can control their use. However, drug use can quickly take over an individual’s life. Over time, if the drug use continues, other pleasurable activities become less pleasurable, and the person had to take the drug just to feel “normal”. Even though the drug may cause problems for the user and their loved ones, they have a hard time controlling their need to take the drug. Some people may start to feel the need to take more of a drug or take it more often, even in the early stages of their drug use. These are the telltale signs of an addiction.

-NIDA. (2018, July 20). Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction on 2020, April 3