Teen brain development and drug use

Lately, (and just "for fun" :o) I've been watching YouTube videos featuring talks by Dr. Nora Volkow, the Director of the NIH/NIDA, the National Institute of Health and National Institute on Drug Addiction. Dr. Volkow is a psychiatrist and has spent her life studying the human brain and how it is affected by drugs of addiction. I believe she is taking part in some of the most current and forward thinking topics on addiction, teen brain development, teen addiction and the need for vaccines to treat addiction. 

I have written in the past on addiction and mental illness, and posed the question of whether drug addiction is a mental illness (more here). The truth is that the teen brain is delicate and the process of maturing and becoming an adult brain should not be taken lightly. Given that the teen brain goes through a huge period of development and the fact that many teens expose themselves to risk taking behaviors (which may include drug use) means that a brain that might have the predisposed condition towards mental illness will be adversely compromised if exposed to chronic drug use during the early teen years. 

Many teens think the marijuana is "harmless". Please look at the video above, particularly at the 6:45 minute mark where Dr. Volkow answers a teen's question about whether marijuana use is harmful. The answer and explanation Dr. Volkow gives made this entire lecture hall of teens think twice about using marijuana. 

In particular, I am very interested in the 'why?' behind drug use and abuse, and the role dopamine plays in the addict's choice to use, even when he states 'I don't even really enjoy it anymore.' Dr. Volkow's description on how dopamine is tied to the brain's function, and that the brain is conditioned almost more by the actions associated with preparing to use a drug than to the actual affect the brain receives by the actual drug use. Dr. Volkow states the brain of an addict sees drug use as critical to their survival. More on this can be found in this presentation on Addiction: A Disease of Free Will).

Will there be a vaccine for drug addiction? Currently, the issue is at the center of a large debate. Drug companies are not convinced it is "necessary". The bottom line is, of course, profits. But, the driving force is the fact that addiction is still very stigmatized. It is seen as a choice, or an issue of free will. "If they really wanted to stop using, they would." The true question is why would someone risk the loss of absolutely everything in life, including their very OWN life, in order to fuel their addiction? 

It is necessary to embrace addiction as a chronic disease of the brain, where drug use disrupts the circuitry of the brain that enable a person to make healthy decisions for themselves. When the stigmatization of addiction is dropped, and the healthcare system embraces addiction and mental illness as a disease, when the person dealing with a co-morbid disorder of addiction combined with mental illness can get necessary treatment from the medical community without feeling inferior or shamed by society, then things might change. When we can treat these people with empathy from a disease we call addiction, they may finally get the help they need.   

  

NAMI presents Marijuana and the Developing Brain

I would like to bring your attention to NAMI, the National Alliance for Mental Illness. Their programs are designed to help families of those suffering from a mental health condition. Mental illness touches every family. The educational information you receive through NAMI is the most up-to-date on the topic you're concerned about. You can get more information about NAMI by visiting NAMI.org.

---------------------------------------------

Marijuana and the Developing Brain:

New Risks and Realities for Ventura County 

with

Dan Hicks & Richard La Perriere

Ventura County Behavioral Health

  

Earlier this year, Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) noted that there have been significant changes over the last 20 years in Marijuana. Levels of THC -- the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana - have gone up a great deal, from 3.75 percent in 1995 to an average of 15 percent in today's marijuana. 

She notes: "Daily use today can have stronger effects on a developing teen brain than it did 10 or 20 years ago."

The potency of marijuana has increased to over 20% THC in the same time period, while availability and heavy use among adolescents have continued to rise.

This presentation will outline contemporary research on the effects of Marijuana on the teen brain, and address a range of issues now discussed across Ventura County, including availability, potency, modes of administration, levels of use, perceived harm, cognitive effects and local youth prevention strategies. 

Understanding the current local context of marijuana use and scientific studies on the effects of marijuana on the developing brain, the presenters will share views from the behavioral health field, including the risks of dependence, lasting cognitive declines, links between use and problem behavior, and implications for prevention and treatment.   

Please visit www.VenturaCountyLimits.org/initiative/marijuana

Dan Hicks is Manager, Prevention Services - Ventura County Behavioral Health Department. A graduate of Princeton University, Dan has been an alcohol and drug policy advocate for 20 years, working closely with city and county governments, public safety agencies, and retail alcohol establishments. He has facilitated policy discussions of among elected officials, police officers, parents groups and regional media, and helped establish Ventura County Limits - responsible prevention policies and practices locally.

Richard La Perriere has 20 years of experience with alcohol & drug treatment services, and is a Clinic Administrator in the Alcohol & Drug Programs at VCBH.

All General Meetings are Free and Open to the Public.

NAMI General Meetings are open to anyone interested in learning about mental illness. Speakers address a wide range of topics such as: research on schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, new medications, proven rehabilitation approaches, financial planning for families with a disabled member, early diagnosis and intervention, public and other community mental health services, disability benefits, etc.

Please contact NAMI Ventura County for more information on this program, and others like it by visiting this web page: http://bit.ly/1m7luTc

Is drug addiction a mental illness?

Last night, I attended an Oscar party with a group of older women I don't know very well. I know the woman who hosted the party, but none of the others who were there. So this just means they don't know me, and my passion to fight the "addiction illness" fight. Because that's what I'm fighting for here, just so we're clear :o)

At the section of the Oscars where they mourn those who have passed away in the last year, the topic of conversation turned to the tragic passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman. One woman said, "He did it to himself." I couldn't help but to respond that drug addiction is a mental illness. He no more wanted to do that to himself (fatally overdose himself on a toxic combination of drugs), but he couldn't help NOT doing that to himself.

Is drug addiction a mental illness? Yes, it is. Habitual drug use leads to addiction, in that the drug changes the brain in fundamental ways. A person's normal hierarchy of needs and desires is disrupted, as the brain substitutes new priorities connected with obtaining and using the drug. The resulting compulsive behavior weakens the brain's ability to control impulses, even despite negative consequences. These are the same behaviors that are the hallmark of other mental illnesses.

When my son received a "dual diagnosis," (now referred to as a Co-occurring Disorder) I wasn't exactly sure what that meant. Soon, I came to understand that meant he was suffering from two mental disorders at the same time. In my sons case, he suffers from a major depressive disorder, and a drug use disorder. He also has a complex partial seizure disorder, Marfan's Syndrome, and a host of other problems due to the Terbutaline he was exposed to while in utero. But, the main focus of my concern today is the dual diagnosis, and how the depressive disorder and drug use disorder affect each other.

Comorbidity, (which by the way, is a terrible name. Couldn't they have chosen a less disturbing root word than 'morbid'?) is a term used to describe two or more disorders or illnesses occurring in the same person at the same time. They can occur at the same time, or one after the other. Comorbidity implies there are interactions between the illnesses that can worsen the course of both. For my son, this is a lethal situation. Though he knows he struggles with drug seeking behavior, and understands he has a depressive disorder, his brain is wired to seek the drug, even at the risk of his own demise. So, apparently, "comorbidity" is the perfect way to describe such a condition.

Although drug use disorders commonly occur with other mental illnesses, this does not mean that one caused the other, even if one appeared first. It is often difficult to distinguish which came first. Research shows that abusing drugs may bring about symptoms of another mental illness. Increased risk of psychosis in vulnerable marijuana users suggest this possibility. It may be that a person suffering from a depressive or other disorder seeks to self-medicate with drugs to temporarily relieve their symptoms, and their brain is quickly rewired towards addiction in the process. There are also shared risk factors such as predisposed genetic vulnerabilities that may make a person susceptible to both addiction and other mental disorders, or having a greater risk of a second disorder once the first appears.

There is also the concern that drug use disorders and other mental illnesses are developmental disorders. That means that they often begin in the teen years or even younger - periods where the brain experiences dramatic developmental changes. Early exposure to drugs of abuse may change the brain in ways that increase the risk for mental disorders. And, early symptoms for a mental disorder may indicate an increased risk for later drug use.

How does one treat this type of comorbidity? Treatment calls for a comprehensive approach that identifies and evaluates both disorders. Anyone seeking treatment for drug abuse/addiction or another mental disorder should be checked for both and treated accordingly. Several behavioral therapies have shown promise for treating comorbid conditions. These approaches can be tailored to patients according to age, specific drug abuses, and other factors. Some therapies have proved more effective for adolescents, while others have shown greater effectiveness for adults. Some are designed for families, and groups, others for individuals. Make sure to check with your health care professional to make sure they are familiar with treating addictive disorders.

Much of my information in this post came from NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) Information and Facts, which I learned in a Family to Family class I'm taking offered by NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).  For more information on these and other facts having to do with Comorbidity, addiction, and other mental disorders,  please visit the NIDA web page by clicking here.