It may not be just a little harmless Web surfing. A new study finds that obsessive Internet use can cause changes to the brain that mimic cocaine use.

When we hear the word “addiction,” we usually think of drugs. But the term can just as easily apply to a non-chemical compulsion. Called “process addictions” because they involve repeating a process (like gambling, shopping or having sex) instead of ingesting a substance, this branch of addictions is less understood. Many are even skeptical that these behaviors can be classified as addictions, but new studies are showing that even video gaming or the Internet can produce addictive behaviors. One recent study even found that Internet addiction affects the brain in a way that is similar to cocaine.

The study, conducted by Hao Lei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan, scanned the brains of young Internet addicts, discovering that their addiction actually changes the way their brains function, according to a BBC report. The results are helping to expand our understanding of process addictions and how they work. The study’s findings suggest that the brains of the addicted person appeared to show the same changes to the brain’s “white matter” — the connecting web of the brain — as those found in individuals addicted to alcohol, cocaine and cannabis.

This doesn’t mean you need to consider swearing off your computer, though. While many of us joke about being addicted to our tech devices, the truth is just 5 to 10 percent of users are thought to be addicted.

“Modern life requires us to link up over the ‘Net in regard to jobs, professional and social connections — but not in an obsessive way,” says Henrietta Bowden Jones, consultant psychiatrist at Imperial College, London, an expert on Internet addiction.
The exception seems to be gamers. That co-worker who shows up at the office bleary-eyed because he spent a dozen hours playing his favorite video game last night—and it’s a regular occurrence that he cannot stop even if he tries—that’s the sign of a growing problem.

Addiction Rehab at The Canyon

If you or someone you love needs help with substance abuse and a process addiction, call The Canyon at the toll-free number on our homepage. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about co-occurring disorders treatment, financing or insurance.

After an OD scare, a 911 call, and a short hospital stay, Heather Locklear’s fans are rallying around her, but it will be up to her to make the right choices now.

Why is it some celebs seem to draw ridicule while others engender sympathy when they get into trouble? Actress Heather Locklear landed in a Los Angeles-area hospital recently after her sister called 911 on January 12. The brief hospitalization was attributed to mixing prescription drugs and alcohol, according to People magazine, and the reports have fans and the famous rallying behind her with well wishes.

The former Melrose Place star’s parents quickly issued a statement through the hospital that Locklear was in no immediate danger and was healthy, while other sources suggested she was being urged by loved ones to seek treatment. Locklear, 50, has had issues with alcohol in the past, undergoing treatment in 2008 for what her reps classified as “anxiety and depression.” Just months later, she was arrested for DUI in Southern California. Now, many worry that she’s relapsed. People.com recently ran a story that cited sources who claimed the troubled actress was “out of control” in the weeks leading up to the incident.

While Locklear’s rep hasn’t commented on the actress’s condition, others suggest the end of her engagement to longtime beau Jack Wagner in November may have been a trigger. Wagner, who has been successfully in recovery, issued a cryptic message after the relationship ended, saying, “We took the pressure off and said, ‘Let’s just love each other the way we are.’” More recently, reports surfaced of a physical altercation between the exes in late December that drew the police. No charges were filed, but the incident is being reviewed by the authorities before it is determined if it will be pursued any further.

Despite the Melrose worthy drama, people are rooting for Locklear in a way they didn’t for Charlie Sheen when he was in a similar situation. Maybe it’s because she hasn’t done any interviews, but whatever the reason, we hope she’ll make the choices necessary to find lasting health and sobriety.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse Help at The Canyon

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

FAA Boss Resigns After DUI

If you’re a regular flyer, you may be surprised to find that pilots aren’t required to not drink before flying. Instead, the FAA has a limit of .04% when it comes to the blood alcohol content for commercial pilots. While that’s certainly lower than the .08% limit found in most states, it’s hardly zero-tolerance.

Those running the FAA aren’t teetotalers either, apparently.

Federal Aviation Administrator Randy Babbitt was forced to resign this week, just three days after he was arrested on a drunk driving charge near his suburban Washington, DC home. The scandal really started, though, when the local police department issued a news release following the incident, which is apparently standard practice.

It didn’t help that Babbitt’s boss, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, didn’t hear about the DUI arrest from his employee but instead through the police department’s public announcement.

Babbitt didn’t speak publically, but he did release a brief statement to the media announcing that he submitted his resignation. The 65-year-old, who is a former airline pilot and president of a major pilots’ union, said serving as FAA administrator had been “the highlight of my professional career.” His statement went on to say that he was “unwilling to let anything cast a shadow on the outstanding work done 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by my colleagues at the FAA.” Missing from his statement was any reference to his arrest, although they were obviously related.

Fairfax City, Virginia police arrested Babbitt late Saturday night after they allegedly saw him driving on the wrong side of the road. Babbitt was alone in the car, and was cooperative, police said. The police department also said Babbitt failed a sobriety test, but they did not release the results of any blood-alcohol test.

Alcohol Rehab

If you or someone you love is in need of 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.

Some state laws prohibit those using medical marijuana from buying guns or ammunition. Is it a reasonable precaution or a rights violation?

Firearms dealers in states like Montana are up in arms (pun intended) over federal regulations that don’t allow them to sell guns or ammunition to registered users of medical marijuana. While it may seem prudent to some, marijuana and gun-rights groups insist it denies Second Amendment rights to individuals who are following state law.

Most Americans aren’t even aware that federal law already makes it illegal for someone to possess a gun if he or she is “an unlawful user of, or addicted to” marijuana or other controlled substances. Now, a Sept. 21, 2011 letter from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, issued in response to numerous inquiries from gun dealers, clarifies that medical marijuana patients are included in that definition.

“There are no exceptions in federal law for marijuana purportedly used for medicinal purposes, even if such use is sanctioned by state law,” said the letter by Arthur Herbert, the ATF’s assistant director for enforcement programs and services.

Federal firearm licensees, or FFLs, can’t sell a gun to someone who answers “yes” when a required form asks whether the buyer is a controlled substance user.

While there hasn’t been any change in federal law, this clarification has brought the issue to the forefront, particularly in the 16 states that have legalized medical marijuana use. Some are planning to appeal the regulation, particularly in Oregon.

Marijuana Addiction

If you or someone you love is in need of treatment for marijuana addiction or other substance abuse issues, call La Paloma 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.

Michael Jackson’s doctor is held responsible for the pop star’s death, but he may serve little to no time for his crime.

It’s official. Dr. Conrad Murray has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson, which could result in up to four years in prison. While that’s little comfort for Jackson’s family and fans, who hold the doctor responsible for the pop star’s death at age 50, the news gets even worse. It’s unlikely Murray will spend much time in jail at all. His lack of a prior criminal record and overcrowding in California’s prisons may find the infamous doctor serving far less than the maximum. He could even get only house arrest or probation.

Not that there won’t be other penalties. Following the verdict, Judge Michael Pastor ordered Murray remanded into custody while he awaits sentencing, citing “public safety” concerns for sending the disgraced doctor to jail. Murray’s felony conviction will also result in the automatic suspension of his medical license in California. And now that the criminal case is over, civil cases against Murray seem a certainty.

Michael Jackson died June 25, 2009 while preparing for a highly anticipated comeback tour. Murray was accused of causing the singer’s death by administering the powerful anesthetic Propofol and not properly supervising his patients or taking proper steps after Jackson stopped breathing. The drug, usually used only in a hospital setting, was supposedly administered to help Jackson sleep.

The judge made his feelings clear as the trial closed. “This is not a crime involving a mistake of judgment,” Pastor said. “This is a crime where the end result was the death of a human being.”

Drug Addiction

If you or someone you love needs help for drug addiction, 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.

While more people aren’t seeking treatment as a result of the 2008 Mental Health Parity Act, that doesn’t mean it isn’t making a difference.

For many years, mental health and substance use disorders weren’t covered under an employee’s regular group plan or they were treated very differently than other health issues. Thanks to the Federal Mental Health Parity Act of 2008, employers who provide health insurance plans that include mental health and addiction disorders are now required to provide benefits that are equal to those given for general medical care. But three years later, is this act actually making a difference in the number of individuals seeking treatment?

Parity Insurance Not Being Used

Sadly, parity in insurance coverage of substance abuse treatment has not led to increased use of this service or an increase in costs, according to new research. That doesn’t mean the Parity Act has failed, though. In fact, it has done what it was designed to do — lower out-of-pocket expenses for covered individuals.

Those who were against the passing of the Parity Act, argued that if coverage was made more readily available, use will rise dramatically. Experts argue that’s not the case.

“There is always a fear that for substance abuse and mental health, every time a plan is more generous, the utilization will skyrocket, the costs will be so high, and all the insurance companies will start complaining that they won’t be able to afford these services. But this is not true,” lead study author Vanessa Azzone, PhD, researcher and biostatistician in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, told Medscape Medical News.

“I think these findings, along with those found in other studies, clear the air for all the people who have been criticizing parity law for mental health treatment,” Dr. Azzone added.

While previous research on the impact of mental health parity mandates has helped to pave the way for the passage of federal legislation, there have been few studies on the effects of parity mandates for substance abuse treatment benefits. That will continue to change as parity laws remain in place and time passes, allowing for more studies.

Drug Addiction

If you or someone you love is in need of treatment for drug addiction, 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.

These popular and dangerous controlled substances are no longer available in convenience stores thanks to the DEA.

They’ve been causing confusion and concern for months now. Finally, in the wake of a growing number of overdose visits to emergency departments, the US Drug Enforcement Agency is officially making psychoactive bath salts (PABS) a controlled substance.

Seeing the immediate danger of these incorrectly named drugs, the DEA made the decision to use its emergency scheduling authority to temporarily control methylenedioxypyrovalerone and two other synthetic stimulants: mephedrone and methylone.

Just what does that mean for convenience stores and other retailers who had been selling these chemicals, often to teens who are eager to experiment without any thought to the consequences? As of September 7, 2011, possessing and selling these chemicals or products that contain them is illegal in the US. This will be the case for at least one year, giving the DEA and the US Department of Health and Human Services time to consider whether the substances should be permanently controlled.

“This imminent action by the DEA demonstrates that there is no tolerance for those who manufacture, distribute, or sell these drugs anywhere in the country, and that those who do will be shut down, arrested, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart, said in a statement.

Why “Bath Salts” Were Banned

What led the DEA to determine that these so-called “bath salts” were a growing threat to the public? In the last six months, the DEA has received increasing reports from poison centers, hospitals and police involving one or more of these now-controlled substances.

The drugs have grown in popularity because of their easy availability and low cost. In addition, the product’s labeling as bath salts made them seem innocuous and even harmless. Users claim the drug provides a high similar to that of methamphetamine. PABS are also known as “alertness enhancers” or aphrodisiacs and are sometimes called “legal cocaine.”

Despite their name, these bath salts aren’t used in the tub. PABS are taken orally, nasally, intravenously or even rectally. Doses as low as 3 to 5 mg will produce an effect, but the average dose ranges from 5 to 20 mg, making the risk for overdose high because packages can contain up to 500 mg. Bath salts also can be cut with other psychoactive substances, making it harder for ER doctors to determine a cause of overdose and know how to properly treat it.

Effects of PABS

The physical effects of PABS are diverse and dangerous, including tachycardia, hypertension, arrhythmias, hyperthermia, seizures, stroke, myocardial infarction and even death. Behavioral and mental effects include panic attacks, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, psychosis, aggressive or violent behavior (such as self-mutilation, suicide attempts and homicidal activity), insomnia, anorexia and depression.

Meth Addiction Treatment

This latest move by the DEA isn’t likely to completely stop the use of bath salts altogether, but it should definitely curb usage of this dangerous substance and keep it from leading to new cases of drug addiction. If you or someone you love is battling an addiction to PABS or any drug addiction, 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.