Archive for August, 2007
Marijuana Use Linked With Risk for Psychosis in Later Life
A new study by Désirée Lie, MD, MSEd published in Medscape in August of 2007, systematic review of longitudinal studies suggests there is sufficient new evidence that the use of cannabis (marijuana) increases the risk for later psychotic illness by roughly 40%. The study showed a trend towards an increased risk for depression in people who had used cannabis, but the evidence was not as strong.
Psychosis is a generic psychiatric term for a mental disorder, with or without organic damage, characterized by derangement of personality and loss of contact with reality and causing deterioration of normal social functioning.
The general public has considered cannabis to be relatively harmless in comparison with alcohol and opioids, however, the potential long-term hazardous effects of cannabis with regard to psychosis seem to have been overlooked, and there is a need to warn the public of these dangers, as well as to establish treatment to help young frequent cannabis users
We applaud the doctors, scientists and clinicians that continue to learn more about drug use and the brain. Addiction is a disease, whether a person is physically addicted to a drug or psychologically dependent on gambling, food, love, sex, pornography, computers, work, exercise, cutting, and shopping. We continue to learn more about the functioning of the hypothalamus and the production and release of endorphins within the brain.
We are not responsible for our addiction but we are responsible for our recovery. That is why we work so hard at Wonderland Center to help our clients find recovery and learn to live clean, sober, happy and productive lives. It is amazing to be sober!
Entrepreneurship classes are starting
In September, our team will be starting entrepreneurship training at Wonderland Center and Chandler Lodge. For many recovering addicts and alcoholics, the disease of addiction has made it very difficult to get a good job. Many addicts enter sobriety with criminal records, gaps in their resume and limited support from friends and family (we create a lot of wreckage!). One way to create opportunities and increase wealth is through entrepreneurship. When getting a job is difficult, we start our own businesses.
Our organization the 12 Angels http://www.12angels.org/ will be using materials provided by a grant from the Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City. http://www.kauffman.org/ The vision of the Kauffman Foundation is to foster “a society of economically independent individuals who are engaged citizens, contributing to the improvement of their communities.”
In a report published by the National Alcohol and Drug Addiction in 2006 “the largest component of the cost of substance use disorders is the loss of productivity* and its impact on businesses. In 2002, drug use disorders alone contributed to a loss of productivity amounting to $128.6 billion based on work in the labor market and household production that was never performed, but could reasonably be expected to be performed if it were not for drug misuse. Alcoholism alone is estimated to cause 500 million lost workdays annually.”
It is time to increase the quantity and type of programs offerred to recovering addicts and alcoholics. We believe “social entrepreneurship” will help lead our recovery in the area in productivity! We support Wonderland Center and Chandler Lodge as models of social entrpreneurship!