Salt, psychedelics, beta blockers offer new clues to addiction & treatment
Salt, a high blood pressure medicine and South American trance vine are all in the news, shedding new light on how addiction works, and perhaps offering new treatment avenues.
Addiction and Aging Baby-Boomers
An addiction “boom” is happening to people in 50s and 60s – too young to be old, often caring for parents, or under-employed adult children often with their own families, and still working to try to make ends meet – is causing many baby-boomers to have more issues with addiction and substance abuse then perhaps earlier in their life.
From Highballs to Eyeballing
Eyeballing is the latest campus craze – taking in straight vodka by holding a bottle up to your eye. Having started in England, it is reportedly moving onto US campuses and to Las Vegas. Devotees say it is faster than drinking and more potent because it passes easily through the mucous membrane and enters the bloodstream directly through veins at the back of the eye. Also more on new designer drugs like K9 and Spice and their rapid increases.
Treatment & Psychedelics
After some 40 years as Schedule 1 drugs, psychedelics are receiving new attention as potentially powerful aids in counseling and psychoptherapy. Dr Inaba shares his insights.
Raves and club drugs return
Raves and the use/ abuse of club drugs return, with several overdoses and one fatality at the Memorial Day rave-dance in San Francisco.
New research on psychedelics
Serious research is again being conducted on psychedelics with an eye toward treatment strategies for posttraumatic stress disorder,chronic pain, drug dependence, anxiety and depression associated with end-of-life issues.