Question: I just saw my dad crush up a pill and snort it. He has bad back pain and he gets opiate drugs for it but I do not know what ones. He has alot in his medicine cabinet because he has had chronic pain for about 4 years since a car accident. I have not said anything to anyone because I am not sure what this means. My dad does not know I saw him. Does this mean my dad is an addict?

Jennifer Hamilton Says...:

Your Dad is using a "route of administration" that is not prescribed by his doctor. No doctor prescribes medication to be snorted to my knowledge. That means it is at least an "abuse" of his prescribed medication. I recommend you tell your Dad what you saw, unless he has ever been abusive to you. If you are afraid of telling him, tell another person close to you both, your mother perhaps? It is best to face these things head on. I am sorry you had to see that. You don't say how old you are, but I can imagine it is scary, no matter your age. Please let me know if you need any other assistance. God Bless.

Question: Do high functioning alcoholics eventually stop being high functioning or can some people keep it together forever?

Jennifer Hamilton Says...:

Well, that is an excellent question. I will have to answer it in general terms, however. There are many individual differences that can effect whether a person "keeps it together", such as the amount of alcohol used, the frequency it is used and the basic genetic make-up of the person. Other individual differences include healthy eating and exercise, a good social support system and exercises to stimulate mental capacity such as working puzzles and reading difficult material to challenge the brain. In other words, people have different levels of "functioning" regardless of alcohol.

That being said, alcoholism is a degenerative disease. It will eventually lead to deficits in thinking and memory. The ability to access emotions when sober is effected as well. Relationships are harmed. I have taken personal offense to the term "functioning alcoholic" because I have experienced many people who worked, paid bills, had homes and other items, but because they were unable to resolve problems in their relationships, they were not "fully functioning". I realize this is a bias I have because my father was a "functioning alcoholic", but lost his family to divorce and his children and grandchildren through an early death from the disease of alcoholism.

Question: Could second hand marijuana smoke cause me to fail a drug test?

Jennifer Hamilton Says...:

The short answer is "no", but the forum requires a lengthier reply. What I have learned through my training and professional experience is the cut off for a drug test for THC is high enough that you cannot inhale enough second hand smoke to fail a test. Now, if you are attempting to not smoke, and have been a smoker, being around those that smoke is a risky choice. That is because being around people who are using will likely lead the brain to be triggered to crave the drug. In my years of counseling, no one I have counseled has legitimately failed a drug test for THC due to second hand smoke, though many have claimed that to the judge.

Question: Does working in the recovery field help a person to stay sober? If I have a high school degree but only 1 year of college finished, and that was 6 years ago, what is the quickest way for me to get qualified to help people and work in a rehab or a recovery home or some similar type of place?

Jennifer Hamilton Says...:

Excellent question! It certainly is helpful as long as you already have a stable recovery. Ethically, it would be wrong to go into the field simply for yourself, but it seems as if you are saying you are interested in helping others. Also you need to be in a good place mentally with an accountability system so that you can go to someone if you are struggling personally or use again while working in the field.

You would need to research the field in your state. Where I am, you can work on your certification without a Masters Degree. You get a job in the field and simultaneously work on the Bachelor's Degree from where you are now in my state. You would be in an entry level position and getting field experience while getting a formal education. I recommend going ahead and getting your Masters degree and training in both Mental Health and Substance Abuse because there are many complicated cases that require training in both areas. Some states offer Licensure in Substance Abuse Counseling. If not, you could get supervision as a Licensed Professional Counselor or a Licensed Clinical Social Worker like I am.

Most treatment centers will hire those in recovery. The one close to where I am does require one year of sobriety and drug free status first. Good luck!

Question: Can people get addicted to anything that causes a dopamine spike in the brain? So anything pleasurable at all can be addictive to people with a certain predisposition?

Jennifer Hamilton Says...:

What a brilliant question.  In theory, yes.  As far as what I have been taught, the only addictions that have been proven aside from drugs of abuse are sugar and gambling.  I believe what you are saying to be true based on what I have learned about the brain.  With both and sugar and gambling, you can see a sharp decrease in functioning as the addiction progresses.  Sugar addiction that results in weight gain and poor health can kill you.  Gambling is associated with high rates of bankruptcy and suicide.  I can see where some people would argue that some things are more habits than addictions.  I think you pose a valid question and I am sorry that I do not have a definitive answer for you.  Perhaps one of the other professionals on here would have a more precise answer. 

Question: Is weed really hard to stop? My friend is smoking weed everyday and he is starting to act really weird. Sometimes when he talks it doesn’t make any sense anymore. It’s like he can’t communicate properly. I don’t know if he is high all the time but he acts weird all the time and he didn’t use to act like this. I have known him my whole life. Everyone thinks he is going crazy but they act like its this big joke. I am actually worried about him but you can’t really have a deep conversation with him anymore. His brain just seems too blurry or something.

Jennifer Hamilton Says...:

For some people, marijuana or "weed" is really hard to stop.  Some people also have the symptoms you are describing in your friend.  Not everyone uses to this extent or has this effect so many people see it as harmless.  I am amazed everyday at the people to think it is harmless.  Your friend may be doing synthetic marijuana as well.  This does have much more of an impact on the bizarre behavior you are describing.  There is a condition that is connected to psychosis that can happen from heavy marijuana use called "depersonalization".  It is where a person feels disconnected from their body and is having "unreal" sensations.  Have you tried talking to your friend about it?  Does he have any recognition of the effect it is having on him?  You may try doing that.  Many people who use marijuana are unaware of the effect it is having on them.  The part of the brain that helps you be aware if effected by their use.  Maybe you could at least convince your friend to attempt to cut back and see if that helps?  Good luck to you. 

Question: If I was a cocaine addict a long time ago is there ever a chance I will be able to use some drugs (not cocaine or any hard drugs) on a recreational basis? I have not used cocaine for over 5 years now and I confess I wouldn’t mind smoking a joint or having a beer or two every once in a while to take the edge off of things. It’s not a strong desire. If it was like I was craving these things I would be afraid to try them…it’s more like just…why not??? I have played the whole abstinence game for a while but I don’t know if I believe that I am somehow defective for the rest of my life. I feel pretty in control so I think that means I have self control, right?

Jennifer Hamilton Says...:

Wow.  Talk about a loaded question!  I will do my best to give you an honest, well-thought out, educated answer.  First of all, if you were indeed cocaine dependent, you are still cocaine dependent in relation to your brain's reward pathway.  Your question of whether you can use recreationally can only definitively be answered by attempting to use recreationally.  The danger of doing so is rather severe.

Let me explain.  Once you wake up the reward pathway in your brain by using alcohol or marijuana, your Pre-frontal cortex of your brain, where you are making your good decisions and having your ability to show self-control, gets impacted.  As little as two beers causes this area to not "light up" or have actiivity in a Positive Emission Topography (PET) scan.  This can mean that something that you would not choose to do, like use cocaine or other "hard" drugs all of a sudden can seem like a real good idea. 

Not to mention, you are at increased risk of using alcohol or marijuana in an abusive way or becoming dependent on one or both psychologically and especially alcohol physically with continued use.  Truth is, any time you use enough of something to cause impairment, you risk some problem either with life, the law, relationships and with higher amounts of frequent use, your health. 

The question to me becomes "is it worth all of that risk?" and if the answer to that question is "yes", then doesn't that answer in and off itself indicate that getting "high" or "taking the edge off" holds a bit too much importance for you to risk using. 

Have you tried other things that take the edge off?  Things such as exercise, meditation, clean diet, fulfilling relationships, physical touch, sex, massage, music, recreational activities, the list goes on and on.  Maybe consider seeing a counselor who could help you with your current stressors rather than returning to the use of chemicals. 

Question: I don’t even enjoy weed anymore but I just cannot fall asleep without at least one joint under my belt. I have tried to stop but the insomnia just kills me. I am an elementary school teacher and I can’t just not sleep for a week?! What am I supposed to do?

Jennifer Hamilton Says...:

Your best bet may be to go to your doctor and tell him/her everything and enlist the help of a professional that can guide you.

Losing sleep is very difficult to contemplate.  Did you have insomnia before you began using?  One of the withdrawal effects from the THC slowly leaking out of the system is either insomnia or hypersomnia.  You seem to be having the insomnia, no fun indeed.

Have you attempted to slowly cut back on what you are smoking at night?  You may attempt to do that and though I am not a doctor, many people do well with the over the counter Melatonin that is sold in pharmacies and discount stores. 

You may see if you slowly cut back on the amount of marijuana at bed time and ease into a small dose of Melatonin, if the combination helps you sleep.  You may also attempt to download a sleep hypnosis app to use on your phone if you have a smartphone.  Using the techniques to induce natural sleep taught on an app can help you fall asleep and stay asleep better than when you use chemicals. 

I would begin with your doctor and attempt to slowly wean yourself.  Congratulations on your motivation to stop using.  I believe you will feel better overall when you no longer use it at all. 

Question: Was doing ecstasy about once a week for the last couple of years and smoking herb most every day. Found meditation and liked it more than being high. Wanted my clarity back so quit everything in one night 4 months ago. Still don’t feel normal. Can’t concentrate. Feel scattered. Can’t sleep. Can’t remember. Depressed. Anxious. I am very worried. Friends tell me it takes time to feel normal again. I am scared it is not coming. What do I do?

Jennifer Hamilton Says...:

I encourage you to seek out the help of a competent medical professional.  If you can find an Addictionologist in your area, that would be ideal.  This is a psychiatrist who specializes in addiction.

I am not sure where you live, but if you can get to one of Dr. Amen's (Daniel) clinics, they could do SPECT scans of your brain for you and give you recommendations of what kind of diet, supplements and lifestyle choices would help your brain best recover as well as medication recommendations if needed.  Ecstasy is known to continue to cause problems with memory even once you discontinue use.

Worry will not help your process.  Find someone who will help you to regain what has been damaged.

Good luck. 

Question: My boyfriend does heroin every weekend. He says he has been doing drugs for years and he can keep it under control. We have been together for about 2 months. Last night he convinced me to try some. I snorted it. I can’t describe how good it felt. But after I came down I felt really stupid for doing it. My boyfriend says heroin is not too addictive unless you inject it like junkies do. He says snorting it is ok as long as you don’t do it every day. I am hoping he is right but I liked it so much that it scares me a little bit. It was nothing like smoking a joint, which is the only drug I had done before.

Jennifer Hamilton Says...:

Your boyfriend is either extremely misinformed or lying to you.  Does what he told you even make sense if you think of it logically?  What makes a substance "addictive"? Does that change based on how it is used?  Heroin use has spread to people who would normally never have become addicted to it BECAUSE they now are able to make a "cleaner" version that can be snorted.  Drug users who would not have been willing to inject the drug become hooked by snorting it and eventually, as a natural progression of the addiction, begin to inject it.  It is an extremely addictive opiate that produces  euphoria when used and after physical dependence sets in (it can happen very quickly) severe physical illness when you try to stop.  Not to mention the psychological dependence of wanting to do something more and more that feels that good.  PLEASE do not ruin your life.  Please ask yourself if this is what you want for your life.  Many people are unable to quit this drug once they start.  They end up using a drug to take the place of this drug that allows them to function more normally in society such as Methadone or Suboxone.  These meds are expensive and many people have to stay on them for life. It is also easy to overdose and die on this drug.