70 million Americans taking mind-altering drugs
The researchers' core finding? Repeated marijuana use by teenagers lowers their IQ – permanently. Yet, according to a 2010 study by the federal Department of Health and Human Services, over 22 million Americans use illegal drugs, comprising …
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Drug-overdose deaths surging in R.I.
Every year for at least the past decade, Rhode Island has been among the top five states in the country for illicit drug use among residents ages 12 and older, according to surveys conducted by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services …
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Heroin addiction is up, people are dying: Why is a drug that could cure it …
I've had an inordinate amount of people in my life struggle with heroin addiction. I've lost people, both figuratively and literally–it steals people away, and I hate it for that. I hate the drug so deeply that even thinking about it sets my teeth on …
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CADCA Names Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Its 2014 …
CADCA's Outstanding State Member award recognizes OhioMHAS for their commitment to community substance abuse prevention and strong support of Drug-Free Communities (DFC) coalitions in their state. Ohio has been a member of CADCA for nearly 20 …
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by United Nations Photo

Northern New England tackles growing drug problem
AUGUSTA, Maine — In the rural towns and cities of northern New England, a rising drug-abuse problem is overwhelming law enforcement, affecting hundreds of infants each year and sparking calls to action by state leaders who say enough is enough. How to …
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Question by Ð4MÃN!™ (End the Fed!): Has the field of Psychiatry been infilitrated by drug companies?
Psychiatry, in a pure sense, should not involve drugging people. Psychiatrists should seek to cure their patient’s mental disorders or issues through natural means, and this is VERY possible. There is no need to drug over 30 million Americans every day. Its ridiculous.

I believe the answers is yes, so the real question may be: To what extent?

Psychiatrists are sponsored by drug companies, and are so loose with their prescription pads. They don’t do much asides from prescribing drugs. Its unfortunate, really.

Richard Louv, a scientist who studies a term he coined himself, “natural-deficit disorders” studies how so many of the mental disorders which psychiatrists work can be dealt with through other means, such as exposure to nature. It is absolutely not necessary to drug millions of Americans.
I’m not sure what the percentage is, but a substantially large percentage of the American population takes drugs for depression-related purposes.

He authored a book, titled “Last Child in the Woods” – Check it out if you want.

Best answer:

Answer by Seinen Wakichou
Yes, but to be fair, there are a lot of people who have been helped by those drugs. I think they are over prescibed, but having worked with schizophrenic homeless people in my younger days, some of the people who we were able to get medical attention were greatly improved in terms of their ability to function, care for themselves, and relate to people. That said, it is more than a coincidence that there are epidemics of disorders like Adult Attention Deficit Disorder whenever there is a drug developed to cure it.

Answer by pioneer
Our society is *gradually* letting go of the outdated belief that “mental health problems” are “diseases,” which can be best treated by doctors trained in human psychology. Because the SYMPTOMS of many “mental illnesses” like AD-HD really DO recede with strategic medications, the argument that psychiatrists should prescribe drugs for selected conditions seems valid. “Herbal remedies” (and shamans) for emotional and physical distress have been around for thousands of years in all societies, so chemicals have a long-standing place in easing human discomfort.
Some psychiatrists over-medicate and mis-medicate – for example, prescribing mood-control drugs for “depression” – which is often a misdiagnosis of unfinished (normal) grief.. A demonstrable phenomenon is the “Placebo effect” – people who are told drugs will alleviate discomfort DO “feel better,” despite the drugs being bogus (like sugar pills). Part of the problem is that many patients only trust medication, and distrust “psycho-babble” (qualified counseling).
“Developed” nations are slowly growing to accept “non-traditional” health practices long known in older civilizations, like acupuncture, massage, and meditation.
Bottom line – I disagree with your conclusions.

Dangers of Emergency Contraceptives
It isolates the most at-risk women (teenagers and those in unstable relationships) from getting the medical care they need to diagnose sexually transmitted diseases and access appropriate contraceptive counseling. And in certain situations, emergency …
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Level Green seminar to warn about drug dangers
Bane's experience in drug intervention and therapy includes a 20-year stint as Gateway High School's coordinator of student assistance before that position was eliminated. In that role, Bane worked with students who needed to be referred to counseling …
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DUI Trial Starts for Torrance Substance Abuse Counselor
A defense attorney conceded today that a substance abuse counselor downed two airplane-sized bottles of vodka shortly before fatally striking a pedestrian, but claimed the victim leapt at the car, while a prosecutor said the motorist drove two miles …
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Question by Jenn: A job as a drug and alcohol counselor?
Do I have to get some type of degree to become and drug and alcohol counselor or get certified to be one?

Best answer:

Answer by engakwasdky
Yes and Yes.

As far as degrees go, you will have to get at least a bachelor’s degree in social work or other mental health field (psychology, sociology, etc.). Now, some facilities will hire you with just a bachelor’s degree and give you the title of a “counselor”, but MOST facilities require you to have a master’s degree in mental health counseling, counseling psychology, or social work. And as a word of advice, most places require you to have a master’s degree in social work (MSW) for insurance billing purposes.

Certification depends on where you live, but I believe each state has it’s own board of addictions certification. You may be able to search for the requirements on Google (or I may be able to help if I knew what state you reside in). In many cases, you will be able to obtain employment and work as a counselor while waiting for certification. Some certs will require you to be employed as a counselor for a set number of years so they know you have experience and actually know what you are doing. In other words, certification is not necessarily something you need to do before you start job searching. However, not to confuse you, but if you do get your MSW most counseling agencies require that you have your license to practice as a social worker. This is something that all social workers have the option of doing regardless of the field of social work they are entering (i.e., hospital social work, gerontology, etc.).

Let me know if you have any more questions! The field of drug/alcohol dependency is rapidly growing, so counselors are in high demand!

The realities of being the other woman
Meanwhile, I received “just checking on you” calls during the day and drive-by quickies en route to errands or picking up his child. “The relationship may have some benefits, but not for long,” explained licensed drug and alcohol abuse counselor Sothia …
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Drug Court Saves Taxpayers .7 Million in Payne & Logan Counties
"We're working toward that certification, in addition to the substance abuse certification we already have, which will enable our counselors to better treat the clients we're serving," Bagwell said. Currently the average age of participants in … For …
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Council approves Main Street Inn rehab rezoning
The change approved by council will allow a residential center for the treatment of drug and alcohol dependency, as well as the mental-health needs of nonviolent patients admitted voluntarily. The facility is not allowed to treat … It will not serve …
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Mental Health Expert Ben Brafman Addresses Renewal in January
It is unclear exactly how many American's suffer from food addiction, but we know that the number of people seeking help for obesity, and disordered eating is on the rise. These are people who may need addiction treatment to turn their behavior around.
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Breaking the cycle: Heroin's deadly grip on addicts
The Food and Drug Administration has pushed for tougher regulations for opioid painkillers, including stricter labeling and more studies before they are put on the market. Because prescription drugs can cost so much on the street, some opioid …
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Readers sound off on good Samaritans, drug addiction and the Super Bowl
It just increases our prison population with nonviolent offenders and costs much more than treating addiction with compassion and understanding. The war on … And there was super talent and great food and drinks — and a red carpet, too. I had the …
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Simsbury Created Committee To Address Mental Health, Drug Abuse
SIMSBURY — A new committee is forming in town that joins the town, the board of education, clergy and the community together to address mental health and substance abuse. The community of care committee, which was recently endorsed by the board of …
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Minister: Daily nine people die in Iran due to drug abuse
About 63 percent of drug addicted people are married, 52 percent are employed and 75 percent are high educated, he said, adding that poverty, unemployment and being single are not the reasons for drug abuse. Commenting on the huge economic costs of …
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Research Links Severe Mental Illness And Substance Use
Fully understanding the relationship between mental illness and substance use is particularly important when considering past studies on the mortality and causes of death in those afflicted by severe mental illness. On average, persons with severe …
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