What kind of care do prositutes need in substance abuse treatment?

What kinds of services do women need who have been involved in prositution when they enter substance abuse treatment?

A study reported in the December, 2008 issue of the journal, Psychiatric Services, found that they are more likely to need residential services and more psychosocial services when they are in outpatient care.

Here is the conclusion from the study:

The findings suggest that women involved
in prostitution before entering
substance abuse treatment are more
likely to receive residential care than
women not involved in prostitution.
When they are treated in outpatient
settings, they are likely to receive
more psychosocial services. Such findings
are consistent with ASAM treatment
guidelines (9), which recommend
that providers assess for and respond
to various social and legal risk
factors upon treatment entry.

You can read the study by clicking here.

GCASA offers specialized services for women both in GCASA's outpatient program and in GCASA's residential services program.

"Red flags" that drinking might be a problem

Reas Kroicowl identifies "red flags" in her article on her blog, Trench Warfare that drinking might be a problem.

OK, look. Here's the skinny:

If you have a problem with alcohol, there's going to be some tiny little red flags that wave every now and again. You might be a wee bit close to the situation, as people who drink too much sometimes are, so allow me to summarize the past few years of your life. Hypothetically, of course. I'll let you know when we've reached something that is concerning for people in my profession.

Perhaps you're drinking several times a week. And have been since you were in high school.

You can read the whole brief article by clicking here.

Alcoholics may never fully regain balance

Reuters HealthDay reported on 12/18/09 on a study done at Stanford that found that alcoholics may never fully regain their balance.

The sailor's gait is due to brain damage and peripheral neuropathy.

You can read the Reuter's article by clicking here.

Cannibis as a substitute for alcohol and other drugs.

There was an interesting article in the Harm Reduction journal on 12/03/09 entitled "Cannibis As A Substitute For Alcohol And Other Drugs." It is a descriptive study of 350 patients in a medical group in Berkeley California who substituted cannibis for alcohol and other drugs.

40% of patients said that they substituted cannibis for alcohol.

65.8% of patients said that they substituted cannibis for prescription drugs.

26% of patients said that they subsituted cannibis for other illicit drugs.

65% of patients said they substituted cannibis for other substances because it had fewer adverse side effects.

57.4% of patients said that they substituted cannibis for other drugs because it provided better symptom relief.

I found this study interesting because I have observed the use of cannibis in my private practice clients who often report beneficial effects. It seems to me that cannibis is less toxic and has fewer behavioral and social negative consequences than alcohol. I have also noted that cannibis seems to have fewer adverse side effects and better symtpom relief than prescription drugs.

As a society we would be much better off to raise the drinking age to 35 and legalize cannibis and tax it like we do alcohol.

You can access the article by clicking here.

Violence risk assessment in substance abuse counseling

There is an interesting and helpful article in the Psychiatric Times on 12/14/09 entitled "Violence Risk Assessment In Everyday Psychiatric Practice: Twelve Principles Help Guide Clincians."

In substance abuse counseling, counselors often encounter patients who are suicidal and homicidal. Working with such problems takes knowledge and skill. To read this excellent article, free on line once you register, click here.

Guess how old I am today?

Dear Friends:

I was born on Christmas in 1945. Guess how old I am today?

What states has the highest drunk driving fatality rate?

Wyoming with 12.6/100,000

followed by Montana with 9.4/100,000

followed by Mississippi with 9.1/100,000

followed by South Carolina with 9.00/100,000

followed by Louisiana with 7.7/100,000.

New York State and Utah have the lowest DWI fatality rates in the United States with 1.7/100,000

I hope that you and your family and loved ones are not killed this holiday.