Editorial Acesso aberto Revisado por pares

Cory Monteith Dies of a Heroin Overdose at Age 31

2013; Elsevier BV; Volume: 14; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.pmn.2013.07.004

ISSN

1532-8635

Autores

Joyce S. Willens,

Tópico(s)

Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

Resumo

The news of the death of Cory Monteith spread very quickly. He began to abuse marijuana and alcohol at the age of 13 (McDonough, 2013McDonough, M. (2013, July 18). Cory Monteith, ‘Glee’ actor, dies at 31. Obituaries. The Washington Post. Retrieved July 18, 2013 from http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-07-14/local/40575328_1_cory-monteith-glee-s-finn-hudson.Google Scholar). Cory began abusing other drugs at the age of 16. By the time he was 19, he entered his first treatment center. This sad news made me wonder about the many nameless addicts who are struggling with heroin addiction.The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) conducted a survey on drug use and health in 2007. At that time, 9.4% of the U.S. population aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem. Of the people who needed treatment, 8.4% did not receive it. The health care cost of heroin averages 11 billion dollars a year. The overall cost of illicit drug use is 193 billion dollars per year (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2013aNational Institute on Drug Abuse. (2013a). Trends & Statistics. Retrieved July 18, 2013 from http://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics.Google Scholar). The United States Department of Health and Human Services considers the abuse of heroin to be a chronic brain disease. The younger people are when they become addicted, the greater chance for relapsing (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2012). DrugFacts: Understanding drug abuse and addiction. Retrieved July 18, 2013 from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-abuse-addiction.Google Scholar). Approximately 40% to 60% of people have a genetic vulnerability.Heroin causes the release of 2–10 times the normal amount of dopamine in the brain. It is well known that dopamine controls the reward and pleasure centers of the brain. The brain adapts by reducing the number of dopamine receptors in the reward circuit. This in turn reduces the abuser’s ability to enjoy the effects. Heroin brings on a trance-like calm. The effects of heroin cause the brain to change over time, which challenges the person’s selfcontrol (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2013bNational Institute on Drug Abuse. (2013b). DrugFacts: Heroin. Retrieved July 18, 2013 from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/heroin.Google Scholar). Long-term use causes an altered amount of glutamate, which can then impair cognitive functioning. In adolescents’ brains, the areas that control decision-making, judgment, and self-control are still developing. This makes them especially susceptible to risk-taking.Effective treatment is complex, and no single treatment is appropriate for everyone. Many drug addicted individuals also have other mental disorders. Behavioral therapies are the most commonly used forms of treatment. Medications may play an important role in recovery. Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone are effective. The medications, given after detoxification, suppress withdrawal symptoms and relieve cravings (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2009National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2009). DrugFacts: Treatment approaches for drug addiction. Retrieved July 18, 2013 from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-approaches-drug-addiction.Google Scholar).Data about the effects on addicts’ families are not as well known. Many suffer from theft of their valuables, automobile damage costs, shame, and feelings of helplessness. It is difficult to separate how the effects of the drug are causing the addict to behave in a different and negative way which differs from previous behavior. The news of the death of Cory Monteith spread very quickly. He began to abuse marijuana and alcohol at the age of 13 (McDonough, 2013McDonough, M. (2013, July 18). Cory Monteith, ‘Glee’ actor, dies at 31. Obituaries. The Washington Post. Retrieved July 18, 2013 from http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-07-14/local/40575328_1_cory-monteith-glee-s-finn-hudson.Google Scholar). Cory began abusing other drugs at the age of 16. By the time he was 19, he entered his first treatment center. This sad news made me wonder about the many nameless addicts who are struggling with heroin addiction. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) conducted a survey on drug use and health in 2007. At that time, 9.4% of the U.S. population aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem. Of the people who needed treatment, 8.4% did not receive it. The health care cost of heroin averages 11 billion dollars a year. The overall cost of illicit drug use is 193 billion dollars per year (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2013aNational Institute on Drug Abuse. (2013a). Trends & Statistics. Retrieved July 18, 2013 from http://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics.Google Scholar). The United States Department of Health and Human Services considers the abuse of heroin to be a chronic brain disease. The younger people are when they become addicted, the greater chance for relapsing (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2012). DrugFacts: Understanding drug abuse and addiction. Retrieved July 18, 2013 from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-abuse-addiction.Google Scholar). Approximately 40% to 60% of people have a genetic vulnerability. Heroin causes the release of 2–10 times the normal amount of dopamine in the brain. It is well known that dopamine controls the reward and pleasure centers of the brain. The brain adapts by reducing the number of dopamine receptors in the reward circuit. This in turn reduces the abuser’s ability to enjoy the effects. Heroin brings on a trance-like calm. The effects of heroin cause the brain to change over time, which challenges the person’s selfcontrol (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2013bNational Institute on Drug Abuse. (2013b). DrugFacts: Heroin. Retrieved July 18, 2013 from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/heroin.Google Scholar). Long-term use causes an altered amount of glutamate, which can then impair cognitive functioning. In adolescents’ brains, the areas that control decision-making, judgment, and self-control are still developing. This makes them especially susceptible to risk-taking. Effective treatment is complex, and no single treatment is appropriate for everyone. Many drug addicted individuals also have other mental disorders. Behavioral therapies are the most commonly used forms of treatment. Medications may play an important role in recovery. Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone are effective. The medications, given after detoxification, suppress withdrawal symptoms and relieve cravings (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2009National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2009). DrugFacts: Treatment approaches for drug addiction. Retrieved July 18, 2013 from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-approaches-drug-addiction.Google Scholar). Data about the effects on addicts’ families are not as well known. Many suffer from theft of their valuables, automobile damage costs, shame, and feelings of helplessness. It is difficult to separate how the effects of the drug are causing the addict to behave in a different and negative way which differs from previous behavior.

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