One adoptive mother’s story serves as a cautionary tale for all women.

Those warnings against drinking alcohol while pregnant are so ubiquitous these days that many of us just look right through them. Every expectant mom knows to trade in the cosmos and martinis for juice, water and milk during her pregnancy, right? But everyone doesn’t always do what they know they should. Some expectant moms don’t even know they’re pregnant until they’re in their second trimester. Still others are in denial and refuse to accept the responsibility of caring for another human being in utero.

Adoptive mom Lori Gertz discovered this the hard way. She was vilified in 2010 when she sent away her seven-year-old adoptive daughter, Ellie, to be raised by strangers. What led to this extreme act? Gertz blames fetal alcohol syndrome disorder (FASD), which causes an array of neurological deficits that can result in poor judgment, inability to bond and aggression.

In Ellie’s case, that meant violent outbursts that began in infancy and progressed from there. She threatened to kill her little sister and pulled her pregnant mother down the stairs. There were suicide attempts, psychiatric hospitalizations and consultations with nearly 40 doctors. The FASD diagnosis didn’t solve the problem, but it did give the Gertzes the information they needed to formulate a plan.

Fearing for the family’s safety, Gertz made the heartbreaking choice to relinquish her daughter to the care of a couple from Washington state who had experience with FASD, hoping it would allow Ellie to improve.

Ellie’s case isn’t a rare exception. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), approximately 125,000 women a year have serious alcohol problems throughout pregnancy. FASD affects about 40,000 newborns a year — about one percent of all live births in the United States — according to the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS). And since FASD has no cure, it’s a diagnosis that’s for life, resulting in 2 million adults being affected.

After a 15-month honeymoon with her new family, Ellie’s aggression and outbursts returned. The two families faced unfounded charges of abuse, and now they struggle to co-parent a child whose brain has been permanently damaged by her biological mother’s drinking, Gertz told ABCNews.com.

Gertz can’t undo the damage Ellie’s birth mom did during pregnancy, so she’s speaking out now to save other children from the same fate. Gertz is outspoken in warning women not to drink during pregnancy, ever, and to be “ultra-cautious” during childbearing years. “The legacy of FASD never wanes,” she cautions. She should know.

Alcohol Addiction Rehab

If you or someone you love needs help with alcohol rehab, call The Canyon at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

A new study proves the care shown by “high-touch” moms in early childhood can lessen the risk of drug use by those children in later life.

Good news: Moms may have more control than they think over keeping their kids off drugs – and it starts in early childhood. A new study conducted by Duke University and the University of Adelaide in Australia seems to prove that an attentive, nurturing mother may be able to help her children better resist the temptations of drug use later in life.

The study was conducted on rats and showed that a rat mother’s attention in early childhood actually changes the immune response in the brains of her pups by permanently altering genetic activity, according to Staci Bilbo, an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke, who led the research. Interestingly enough, high-touch mothering increased the brain’s production of an immune system molecule called Interleukin-10, leaving these rats better able to resist the temptation of a dose of morphine much later in life.

This is the first study to show how morphine causes a molecular response in the glial cells of the brain’s reward centers, which had only recently been identified as part of drug addiction’s circuitry.

To find out what that response looked like, the researchers used a technique called the “handling paradigm,” in which very young rat pups are removed from their mother’s cage for 15 minutes and then returned. “As soon as they’re returned, she checks them out vigorously,” grooming the pups and cleaning them, Bilbo said. For a control group, another set of pups were never removed. Some of them had more attentive mothers than others, just by natural variation.

The animals then were put through a test called the “place preference chamber,” a two-roomed cage in which they would be given a dose of morphine if they entered one side, or a dose of saline on the other. Over the next four weeks, the rats were returned to the two-sided chamber three times a week for five minutes, but were never given another dose of morphine. Initially, they all showed a preference for the morphine side, but over time, the handled rats showed little preference, which indicated their craving had been “extinguished,” Bilbo said.

“Two exciting things have been uncovered by this groundbreaking research,” said coauthor Mark Hutchinson, a research fellow at the University of Adelaide. “One, we have proven a mother’s touch changes brain function and two, we have demonstrated an exciting way to intervene in the cycle of drug abuse.”

Next up, Bilbo’s team plans to look at the long-term effects of maternal stress on the brain’s immune response. They’ll be working with the Children’s Environmental Health Initiative at Duke, which examines real-world environmental health effects in Durham, NC in collaboration with the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Drug Rehab

If you or someone you love needs drug rehab, call The Canyon at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

Surrounding yourself with the right people after you leave treatment is key to long-term sobriety.

If someone leaves alcohol rehab and returns to the same group of friends that shared or enabled their harmful behaviors, they have a much higher likelihood of relapsing. Instead, changes need to be made to surround yourself with people who are also pursuing sobriety and who can encourage you to find alternative, healthy ways to respond to triggers and stress.

Celebrity DJ Samantha Ronson, also known for dating troubled actress Lindsay Lohan, was arrested this month and charged with drunk driving. She was pulled over at 10:31 am near the California desert town of Baker, several hours northeast of Los Angeles, after being clocked driving 89 mph. Now the 33-year-old faces two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and having a blood-alcohol level of .08 or above, according to the Los Angeles Times. The police report says Ronson “displayed signs of alcohol intoxication” and was arrested after taking field sobriety tests.

Have the bad habits of her ex rubbed off on Ronson? We don’t know if Ronson and Lohan are still in touch, but it wouldn’t be the first time someone was influenced negatively by those they spend time hanging around. It’s why parents are so worried about their teens falling in with the proverbial “wrong crowd.” It’s also why drug treatment and alcohol treatment programs try to teach patients that who they spend time with really does matter – a lot.

Do you think it matters? Who are the people in your life who help you have fun and stay sober?

The last in a series of posts addressing different issues you may face after drug rehab, today we are talking about the most romantic issue of all: new relationships in recovery. Good idea? Bad idea? What are the pros and cons?

The Positive: What Those New in Recovery Gain from a Romantic Relationship

New relationships are fun. They take your mind off your problems and give you something to look forward to. If you’re having a hard time filling your days with positive, non-drug abusing activities, a new relationship can provide you with a number of options. Plus, feeling good about someone else can make you feel better about yourself and help you avoid some of the depression that often goes along with early recovery as you begin the process of rebuilding what you’ve lost to addiction. New relationships often bring with them a hope for the future and an excitement of possibilities – what could be bad about that?

The Negative: What You Risk by Pursuing a New Romantic Relationship in Recovery

If there were only the positive, good feelings that come with new romance, then there wouldn’t be a problem for newly recovering addicts and alcoholics. Unfortunately, there’s a reason why every relationship you enter – except possibly one – will end: romance isn’t easy. If you’re dating someone new to recovery as well, there are often a lot of emotions and expectations on both sides that can cause problems. If you’re dating someone who has a “normal” relationship with drugs and alcohol, you may feel tempted when you see them drinking or getting high. If you’re dating someone who’s been in recovery for awhile, resentments and irritations are a risk. In all these situations, relapse is more a matter of “when” than “if” and relapse can mean losing everything you’ve worked for and returning to a full blown, active addiction.

Romance or Not to Romance: When You Want to But You Probably Shouldn’t

During the first year after drug and alcohol addiction recovery, stability is the goal but rarely the reality. That takes time and lots and lots of work. If you’re spending your time losing yourself in someone else, then you aren’t spending time creating the independent life that you want for yourself. In almost every case, it is recommended that you avoid pursuing new romantic relationships in the first year after you leave drug rehab. Focus instead on yourself, your health, your goals for your life and then, and only then, will you be equipped to handle the pitfalls and stresses that usually come with romantic relationships after drug rehab.

Antonio Banderas, actor and husband of actress Melanie Griffith, recently reported to the UK tabloids that his wife was making great strides in her fight against prescription drug addiction.

Says Banderas: “We had problems and she had problems which she had to put together. She did and she’s working again, and I am so happy.

“She was addicted to pills – that was her problem, but she totally recovered in the last three years and has been totally sober and great. We had to deal with that – professionally. I am telling you now about our personal life, but professionally that is why she just disappeared. Because in Hollywood that is anathema.”

Recognizing Prescription Drug Addiction

It’s not always easy to see when prescription drug use turns into an addiction that requires medical attention. Because most prescription drug addictions start with a legitimate prescription and many painkillers and other addictive medications have significant side effects, it’s often hard to tell what is “normal” and what isn’t. In general, here are a few tips that can help you identify prescription drug addiction in yourself or someone else:

• Continuing prescriptions when they are no longer necessary. Too often, those with a short-term pain issue (after surgery or an accident) are given a month’s worth of a painkiller prescription when they only need 10-days’ worth. If you continue to take the medication when your body no longer needs to fight pain, addiction can develop.
• Taking more than prescribed. If you feel that your pain is not assuaged by your prescribed dose, contact your doctor before making any changes on your own to the timing or amount of your dose.
• Drinking while on prescription medication. A synergy happens when you combine alcohol and prescription painkillers or sedatives. This means that together the two substances are exponentially more potent than the sum of the effects taken separately. If you are regularly abusing alcohol or taking other drugs in addition to your prescription, addiction may be an issue.

Fight Prescription Drug Addiction

If you believe that prescription drug addiction is a problem for you and you don’t feel that you can simply step down your prescription over time with any success, prescription drug rehab is the next best move. Contact us at The Canyon today and learn more about your options in prescription drug addiction treatment and how we can help you fight the disease.

This month, we’re presenting a series of blog posts on how to get through after drug rehab. Today, our discussion focuses specifically on relapse prevention and what you should do when you feel like you’re going to get high or drink. Though you likely learned a little bit about relapse prevention during drug rehab, it’s not always easy to remember the actionable steps you should take when faced with the temptation to relapse in real life. Here’s what to do:

1.       Call someone. If you have a sponsor, this is the time to call the number they gave you. If you have a supportive friend or family member, call them. Talk about what’s happening to you and, if necessary, arrange to meet them somewhere right away and spend some time until the feeling passes.

2.       Get to a 12-step meeting. In some places, there are 12-step meetings available to you around the clock. Go online or call their 1-800 number to find the next meeting that’s closest to you and get there.

3.       Walk away. If you are in a situation where someone is offering you a drink or to get high and you feel like the next words out of your mouth might be a “yes” or you are concerned about being rude or looking stupid, simply walk away. “No, thanks” or “no, that’s alright,” is all you need to say and then turn and walk out the door. Don’t stop walking until you get somewhere safe.

4.       Blow off some energy. Many people report feeling antsy, like they can’t sit still and just can’t seem to do anything to distract themselves from the thought of getting high right before a relapse. If you feel that way, do something active to work off the energy: lift weights, go running, play paintball, walk an energetic dog, go for a bike ride, vigorously clean the house. Anything physical that will help you get rid of the excess energy that is pushing you toward relapse.

5.       Write it out. If you feel calm but still tempted to get high but can’t get anyone on the phone (e.g., therapist, 12-step sponsor, supportive friend or family member) then talk it out to yourself on paper. A journal is an excellent device to work through what you’re feeling and why, write what happened leading up to the feeling that you wanted to get high, what has worked to help you avoid relapse in the past, and how to avoid or get out of the situation if it comes up again.

If you have yet to enroll in a drug addiction treatment program, contact us at The Canyon today to learn more about how we can help you heal from drug and alcohol addiction.

Stay tuned for our next post in the series, After Drug Rehab: Paying Off Your Drug Addiction Treatment Bill.

This month, we’re looking at the steps that you need to take after drug rehab in order to maintain recovery. There are a number of threats to your sobriety, and they can come from everywhere. The next few posts are dedicated to giving you the guidance you need to get through and avoid relapse whenever possible after drug addiction.

Have anything to add? Any suggestions that worked for you? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Getting the Support You Need After Drug Rehab

There are a number of different resources for emotional and physical support after you leave drug rehab and all of them can be the defining factor in your sobriety. Here are a few examples:

• Job support. As you begin the process of starting a new life without drugs and alcohol, you’ll most likely need to find a job. There are community resources (like food stamps and cash aid) that can get you started while also offering you help with the creation of a resume, job fairs, job interview training and more. Some communities even have resources where you can get interview-appropriate clothing if you need it. Money is a big problem that causes people to relapse. Take advantage of your community’s resources!
• Peer support. Meeting other people who are going through the same issues that you are as they acclimate to a life without drug and alcohol addiction can be crucial. It’s good to know that you’re not alone and to avoid isolation – isolation almost always leads to a slip or relapse. Instead, attend 12-step meetings for recovering alcoholics and addicts, go to group therapy and/ or volunteer in drug addiction outreach.
• Family and friends. Not all of your family and friends are going to be supportive of your continued recovery after drug rehab. Some who are continuing to drink and use drugs will, of course, want you to join them. Others who have a “normal” relationship with illicit substances may believe that you can have the same thing if you try. It’s important to find friends and lean on the family members who are willing to take midnight phone calls or last minute requests for time or help when you feel like you just need someone to hang out with or talk to in order to avoid relapse – leave the rest behind until you are more grounded in your new life in recovery.

Stay tuned for our next post in the series, After Drug Rehab: Create Your Own Treatment Plan.