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Heroin Addiction (heroin + addiction)
Selected AbstractsMaintenance Treatment of Heroin Addiction.ADDICTION, Issue 10 2004Evidence at the Crossroads No abstract is available for this article. [source] Heroin addiction in New York StateADDICTION, Issue 4 2004JOHN C. BALL No abstract is available for this article. [source] HARM REDUCTION DIGEST 34: How quick to heroin dependence?§DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 5 2006ROSS COOMBER In the popular press, and to some extent in the academic literature, there is an assumption that heroin can almost instantly addict a novice user. In this Digest, based on a paper presented at the 2005 APSAD Conference, Coomber & Sutton have extracted quantitative data from their qualitative study of a sample of ,street' heroin users to investigate how rapidly they became physically dependent. They suggest that the period from first use to addiction and regular use to daily use may be longer than many assume and that beliefs about ,instant addiction' are a harm reduction issue. Although small in scope, the study raises questions about the myth of instant heroin addiction which have implications for treatment, prevention and policy. Simon LentonEditor, Harm Reduction Digest [source] Does prescribing for opiate addiction change after national guidelines?ADDICTION, Issue 5 2007Methadone, buprenorphine prescribing to opiate addicts by general practitioners, hospital doctors in England ABSTRACT Aim To assess changes in opiate prescribing (1995,2005) following a decade of national guidelines to address substandard opiate substitution prescribing for heroin addiction. Design A repeat national survey (1995 and 2005) using random one-in-four samples of all community pharmacies in England, achieving response rates of 75% (1847/2475) in 1995 and 95% (2349/2473) in 2005. Data were obtained on 3732 (1995 data) and 9620 (2005 data) prescriptions dispensed in the preceding month from the 936 and 1463 pharmacies who were currently dispensing. Measurements We have measured impact on practice for seven specific recommended changes. Findings Between 1995 and 2005 the number of substitute opiate prescriptions doubled (×2.03). By 2005, methadone still dominated (down from 97% to 83%), buprenorphine increased (from 1% to 16%) and other opiate medications virtually disappeared. Changes in the direction of national guidelines included: increased daily dose of methadone (from 47.3 mg to 56.3 mg), more frequent dispensing (from 38% to 60% as daily instalments), more supervised consumption (from 0% to 36%) and fewer methadone tablets (from 10.9% to 1.8%). Nevertheless, despite the increased mean daily dose, only 41.0% of prescriptions for methadone were for daily doses in the recommended 60,120 mg dose range. Only one change was not in the direction of the national guidelines,the proportion of prescriptions from GPs fell from 41% to 30%, although this still represented an approximate 50% increase in the extent of GP prescribing. Conclusion Doubling in provision of opiate substitute treatment has occurred, alongside significant improvements in the nature of this treatment. These positive changes have occurred in the direction of six out of seven of the UK national guidelines. [source] CLINICAL AND IMAGING STUDY: Glucocorticoid negative feedback in methadone-maintained former heroin addicts with ongoing cocaine dependence: dose,response to dexamethasone suppressionADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Bruno Aouizerate ABSTRACT Combined cocaine and illicit opiate use is common. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that cocaine dependence in former heroin-addicted patients maintained on methadone treatment is associated with enhanced glucocorticoid negative feedback. Multiple dose dexamethasone suppression tests, using a conventional 2.0 mg dose, and two lower doses, 0.5 mg and 0.125 mg, were performed in 10 methadone-maintained former heroin addicts with ongoing cocaine dependence (C-MM), 10 stabilized methadone-maintained former heroin addicts with no ongoing drug or alcohol use (MM), and 22 normal volunteers (NV). At 9 hours, there was no difference in plasma adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and/or cortisol levels among groups on the baseline day, as well as after the two lower doses of dexamethasone. At 17 hours, C-MM and MM had significantly lower plasma ACTH and/or cortisol levels than NV. However, C-MM did not significantly differ from MM in their hormonal levels. When the hormonal responses to dexamethasone are expressed as magnitude of lowering from baseline, there was no significant difference at any dose among groups. Therefore, C-MM exhibited a normal glucocorticoid negative feedback in the morning. Using the standard interpretation of dexamethasone suppression testing based on the examination of the actual hormonal levels rather than the difference from baseline condition, C-MM appear to have glucocorticoid effects similar to MM, yet were both greater than NV in the late afternoon. Thus, further studies are needed to know whether altered glucocorticoid negative feedback is related to chronic cocaine exposure, or is the result of former heroin addiction and/or its long-term treatment with methadone. [source] Drug addicts in therapy,changes in life space in the course of one yearJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2002Marcella Ravenna Abstract In a residential community treatment setting, moods and emotional states of drug addicts were explored over a 1-year period. The specific form of treatment of heroin addiction employed in the communities is based on the importance of interpersonal relationships for psychosocial transition. Twenty-nine participants reported current mood, emotions, attributions, and motive activation using a time-sampling diary for 2 weeks at the beginning of the treatment, and 6 and 12 months later. Results show an increase in positive emotions, and in subjective strength and freedom. Furthermore, participants report higher self-esteem and use less fatalistic attributions. This is interpreted as indicating successful transition processes in terms of higher autonomy, a more extended life space and increased levels of realism. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Diary reports on emotional experiences in the onset of a psychosocial transition: becoming drug-freeJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2001Marcella Ravenna Abstract The process of becoming drug free is viewed as a psychosocial transition in the life of drug addicts. A specific form of treatment of heroin addiction within residential communities is based on the importance of interpersonal relationships for change. Well-being of 65 drug addicts during the first 2 weeks in a residential community is explored using a time-sampling diary which was completed four times a day. The influence of subjects' history, situational context, and motive activation on well-being and emotions is investigated. Results show that well-being and emotions differ mainly according to subjects' history, but not , at least at the beginning of treatment within the community , according to situations. This is interpreted as a ,state of shock' in the new environment and highlights the necessity for special individual care for subjects with a long drug career. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||