Effects of Nicotine on Brain Chemistry

Everyone is aware of the health risks associated with smoking, but too few have been able to stop the use of the drug. As with any drug which supplants normal brain chemistry nicotine has multiple effects on the brain which make it very uncomfortable to "just stop".
The first thing nicotine does in the brain is excite the release of norepinephrine, the chemical which gives you "energy" and "alertness". The next thing nicotine does is directly fills and activates certain receptors which make it possible to concentrate and plan. Next, the chemical known as "acetaldehyde", which is generated by the burning paper, combines with dopamine in the brain and produces another compound which fills and activates the receptors which provide a sense of calm. As the external drug, nicotine, is used for these activities the brain begins to reduce production of the natural chemistries needed for the same purposes.
As a result when the person attempts to just "quit" he or she is left with a serious depleted neurochemcial state and the result is they have little energy, can't think or plan very well and are extremely nervous. Unless the normal chemistry needed is available in adequate levels the person typically returns to the use of the drug to aid the

Alcohol and its Effects on Neurotransmitters

Most people think the only negative side effect of alcohol use is intoxication. Prolonged or excessive use of alcohol has some very serious effects on the brain and many other organs. We are aware of liver problems and pancreas problems and the like but few people realize the devastating impact alcohol has on the brain.
Alcohol use results in the destruction of several neurotransmitters, especially GABA, the Opioids, Dopamine and Serotonin. The result of excessive use results in exaggerated nervous tension, a sense of inadequacy, a lack of pleasure in life and emotional instability as the transmitters responsible for these actions are lost. In addition, persons who excessively or chronically use alcohol typically have poor nutritional habits and do not take in the necessary amino acids, vitamins and minerals necessary to overcome the problem.
Taking an appropriate amino acid supplement, along with abstinence from alcohol and improved nutritional intake, can quickly begin to restore the levels of these chemistries and allow a person to function more normally to improve their life and lifestyle.
Terry Neher was nationally certified as an Addiction Counselor. Since 1986 he's counseled with clients struggling with various addictions, focusing his efforts on nutrition. He believes amino acid supplementation can help support the replenishment of balanced brain chemistry.

Heroin

Heroin, an illegal opiate drug known on the street as smack, junk, brown sugar, dope, horse, skunk and other names is derived from the resin of the poppy plant which grows predominantly in southeast and southwest Asia, Mexico and now in Colombia. It is manufactured in remote laboratories using rudimentary equipment which presses the powder into bricks for bulk shipment to destination countries like the United States. Smaller amounts are smuggled by couriers who swallow heroin-filled latex balloons before boarding commercial airlines.
Pure heroin is a white powder with a bitter taste. Most illicit heroin is a powder form which may vary in color from white to dark brown because of impurities left from the manufacturing process or the presence of additives. Pure heroin is rarely sold on the street. A "bag" --slang for a single dosage unit of heroin--may contain 100 mg of powder, only a small portion of which is heroin. The remainder could be sugars, starch, powdered milk, or quinine. Traditionally the purity of heroin in a "bag" has ranged from one to ten percent. More recently, heroin purity has ranged from one to ninety-eight percent, with a national average of thirty-five percent.

Tobacco

An estimated 46.5 million adults in the United States smoke cigarettes even though this single behavior will result in death or disability for half of all regular users. Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 400,000 deaths each year, or one in every five deaths. Additionally, if current patterns of smoking persist, over 5 million people currently younger than 18 will die prematurely from a tobacco-related disease. Paralleling this enormous health toll is the economic burden of tobacco use: more than $75 billion in medical expenditures and another $80 billion in indirect costs.Source: CDC
Nicotine is one of more than 4,000 chemicals found in tobacco smoke and is the primary component that acts on the brain. Smokeless tobacco products such as snuff and chewing tobacco also contain high levels of nicotine as well as other toxins.
Nicotine is absorbed through the skin and mucosal lining of the mouth and nose or by inhalation into the lungs. Depending on how tobacco is taken, nicotine can reach peak levels in the bloodstream and brain rapidly. Cigarette smoking, for example, results in rapid distribution of nicotine throughout the body, reaching the brain within 10 seconds of inhalation. Cigar and pipe smokers, on the other hand, typically do not inhale the smoke, so nicotine is absorbed more slowly through the mucosal membranes of their mouths, the same as for smokeless tobacco.
A typical smoker will take 10 puffs on a cigarette over a period of 5 minutes that the cigarette is lit. Thus, a person who smokes about 1-1/2 packs (30 cigarettes) daily, gets 300 "hits" of nicotine to the brain each day. These factors contribute considerably to nicotine's highly addictive nature.
HEALTH EFFECTS: Smoking tobacco is the chief avoidable cause of death in our society. Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to contract heart disease - some 170,000 die each year from smoking-related coronary heart disease. Lung, larynx, esophageal, bladder, pancreatic, and kidney cancers also strike smokers at increased rates. Some 30 percent of cancer deaths (130,000 per year) are linked to smoking. Chronic, obstructive lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis are 10 times more likely to occur among smokers than among nonsmokers.

Cocaine Addiction Treatment

Cocaine is a highly potent stimulant that is considered to be one of the greatest drug threats to the world because of the violence associated with trafficking and use, the physical and psychological effects associated with its use, and the costs to society as a whole. Wholesale cocaine traffickers purchase cocaine from importers and regional distributors usually in kilogram or multi-kilogram allotments. This is generally the manner in which cocaine is shipped from Colombia or other cocaine producing countries to the United States and other consuming countries. Once the cocaine reaches its "consuming country," other wholesalers package the powder cocaine into retail quantities (ounces or grams) or convert the powdered cocaine into crack for retail sales.
There is great risk whether cocaine is ingested by inhalation (snorting), injection, or smoking. It appears that compulsive cocaine use may develop even more rapidly if the substance is smoked rather than snorted. Smoking allows extremely high doses of cocaine to reach the brain very quickly and brings an intense and immediate high. The injecting drug user is at risk for transmitting or acquiring HIV infection/AIDS if needles or other injection equipment are shared.

Alcohol Rehab

Alcohol is a legal depressant, a liquid obtained by fermentation of carbohydrates by yeast or by distillation. There are many different types of alcohol, but Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is the type of alcohol that is used to make alcoholic beverages.
The use of Alcohol may not become a problem when used moderately. Moderate use of alcohol is defined as up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people. A "drink" is defined as 12 oz. of beer or a wine cooler, a 5 oz. glass of wine, or 1.5 oz. of 80 proof distilled spirits.

Physical Symptoms (for both adults and adolescents)

Change in appearance – sudden gain or loss of weight
Poor physical coordination
Loss of appetite, increase in appetite or any changes in eating habits
Fatigue
Bloodshot or watery eyes
Consistently dilated pupils
Nausea, vomiting
Frequent colds, sore throat, coughing
Chronically inflamed nostrils, runny nose
Dizzy spells, stumbling, shaky hands
Consistent run down condition
Speech pattern changes, slurred speech, faster speech, slower speech
Irregular heartbeat

Signs & Symptoms of Alcohol or Drug Abuse

Behavioral Symptoms (for both adults and adolescents)
Mood Swings - virtually all mood-altering drugs produce mood swings from euphoria to depression. A user may be passive and withdrawn one minute and angry or hostile the next.
Personality Changes - a normally energetic and outgoing person becomes chronically depressed and uncommunicative.
Defensiveness - blaming or claiming to be persecuted or victimized.
Overly Emotional - inappropriately happy, depressed, hostile, or angry.
Overly self-centered - always has to have their own way and will do anything to have it.
Tendency to Manipulate - making excuses for failure or finding ways to have other people handle their problems or bear the consequences of their actions or behaviors.
Strained Communication - unwillingness or inability to discuss important issues or concerns.
Withdrawal from Family Activities - refusing to eat at family meals, participating in celebrations or holidays or making any adjustments to family life.
Change in Dress and Friends - sudden deterioration of long friendships/relationships, deterioration in personal appearance and hygiene, spends time with suspicious friends and/or co-workers.
Lack of self-discipline - inability to follow rules, complete household chores, school assignments, work-related duties, keep appointments or commitments.
Apathy - little or no interest in meaningful activities such as clubs, hobbies, sports, or other activities.
School and Work Problems- Excessive tardiness, absences, drop in grades drop in job performance, missed deadlines, failure to turn in assignments and take tests or perhaps suspension or expulsion
Anxious Behavior - Chronic jittery, jerky or uneven movements, fearfulness, compulsiveness and talkativeness.