ORCHID Recovery Center Debunks Myth Regarding Stimulant Use and Later Drug Abuse
Palm Springs, Florida (PRWEB) July 02, 2013 -- ORCHID Recovery Center, an addiction treatment center located in Palm Springs, Florida, has recently released a statement to the press regarding the announcement that stimulants, such as Ritalin and Adderall, that are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not linked to a lower risk of future substance abuse issues, as previously thought. According to an article published by The New York Times, this discovery was released by the American Medical Association and was made by three researchers working at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The article explains that this finding is in direct opposition to a 2003 study that "had concluded that the introduction of stimulant medication to children with A.D.H.D. reduced the risk of such abuse later in life, a finding that has been repeated by doctors and pharmaceutical companies not only to assuage parents' fears of medication but also to suggest that the pills would protect their children from later harm." The most recent study analyzed data compiled by 15 other initiatives and "determined that, on average, medications like Adderall and Ritalin had no effect one way or the other on whether children abused alcohol, marijuana, nicotine or cocaine later in life."
Liz Jorgensen, who works as an adolescent addiction specialist at Insight Counseling, comments: "I always doubted the whole 'protection' argument, and I wasn't the only one, but that message was really out there. Hopefully, this message will be heard loud and clear."
A representative from ORCHID Recovery Center responds to this study by calling attention to the ways in which parents can help prevent substance abuse in their children. "Parents have, for years, thought that giving kids these stimulants to treat ADHD might also reduce the odds that their children face addiction later in life," the representative comments. "Unfortunately, we are now, 10 years later, seeing that this simply is not so. But this doesn't mean that parents are powerless to keep their kids away from drug and alcohol abuse. By creating strong relationships with their children and communicating with them about their school, their friends, and their personal lives, parents can help to prevent kids from abusing substances and can educate them about the ways in which doing so can prove detrimental to their health."
The representative goes on to note that, even if parents do everything "right," there are so many factors that contribute to substance abuse that it is not their fault if their children do develop addiction issues. In this case, the representative asserts, it is crucial that parents are supportive without enabling their children and that they turn to professional treatment facilities in order to secure the best care possible for their kids—no matter their age.
ORCHID Recovery Center understands that substance abuse is a serious issue and encourages anyone who is facing addiction or who has a loved one who is battling this problem to contact a professional as soon as possible.
ABOUT:
ORCHID Recovery Center provides a holistic treatment approach to women who are looking to achieve sobriety after facing substance abuse. The care that the facility offers includes various positive activities, such as yoga and nutrition training, in a setting that promotes relaxation, comfort, and healing.
Mackenzie Fielding, PR Management Inc., 484-362-9658, [email protected]
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