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Volume 2, Issue 4
Depression and
Substance Abuse
Xanax Abuse on the Rise
Xanax is the most popular psychiatric drug on the market. It’s
also one of the most abused. In the United States, doctors write
nearly 50 million prescriptions for Xanax every year. That’s more
than one prescription written every second.
Xanax is in a class of drugs called benzodiazepines (benzos).
These are anti-anxiety medications prescribed for people with
high levels of stress or panic attacks. Xanax “bars” (pictured
above) are gaining popularity among teens. These bars are
scored so they can be broken into smaller doses. The term
“barred out” means being highly sedated from abusing the drug.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, benzos help send 60,000 people per year to publicly-funded rehab centers. Most people in treatment for benzos
abuse other substance as well. The most common secondary
drug of abuse is opiates, then alcohol and then marijuana. In the
12-to-17-year-old range, the most common secondary drug of
abuse is marijuana.
According to the 2015 Monitoring the Future survey, 15 percent
of 12th graders view tranquilizers, including Xanax, as easy to
obtain.
Youth who experience a major
depressive episode are twice as
likely to begin using alcohol or
illicit drugs, compared to youth
who have not.
- SAMHSA
12.5%
of the U.S. population aged 12
to 17 had a major depressive
episode in the past year.
5.2%
of the U.S. population aged
12 to 17 has a substance use
disorder.
rosecrance.org
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Xanax Abuse
(continued)
In 2011, there were around 175,000 emergency
room visits related to Xanax abuse. This number
increased 95% from 2005 (SAMHSA Drug Abuse
Warning Network). When mixed with alcohol or
opiates, the effect can slow a person’s breathing
to the point of death. This drug was present in
the deaths of Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson
and Whitney Houston.
One of the problems with these drugs is that the
body quickly builds a tolerance to them, meaning
that more of the drug must be taken to get the
same effect, even after just a few weeks. This
buildup of tolerance can occur again and again,
until one’s dosage gets very high.
According to the National Institutes of Health, this
type of drug should not be taken for more than
a few months due to the risk of addiction. There
are also dangerous side effects, especially when
taken at higher doses.
Serious effects include depression, thoughts of
suicide, aggressive behavior, chest pain, tremors,
confusion and hallucinations. Other effects are
blurred or double vision, nausea, vomiting, and
memory problems.
Since Xanax is a drug with such high abuse and
addiction potential, use of it should be very shortterm and under close observation of a doctor.
Supplies of the drug should be kept out of the
reach of anyone who might abuse them.
If you see a student who might be struggling
with any type of substance use, anxiety or
depression, your SAP Counselor can help
with an appropriate referral.
For some, depression worsens during holidays
often at the greatest risk. If someone is feeling
disconnected or depressed, they might choose
to avoid social interactions. Unfortunately, withdrawing can make the feelings of loneliness and
symptoms of depression worse. One of the best
ways to deal with social isolation is to reach out
to friends or family for support. Steve Smith,
Director of the Rosecrance Berry Campus, says
not to underestimate the importance of talking to
someone about how you’re feeling.
For most, the holidays are a time of joy and celebration, but others experience extreme stress
and anxiety this time of the year.
One of the biggest predictors of depression is
social isolation. People who have a small social
circle, or lack the opportunity for socialization are
“Talk therapy, even brief talk therapy during those
periods where you know you’re dealing with
significant stressors is good,” Smith said. “We
all know with stress, we tend to bottle it up, so
the more you can talk about it, the easier it is to
process it and actually work through it and realize
it doesn’t have to be a huge impediment to enjoying the season.”
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®
Holiday Depression
(continued)
Major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern
is a type of recurrent depression that is caused
by the seasons changing. Many people with this
disorder develop depression symptoms during
the fall, and continue to feel sad throughout the
winter.
You can improve your mood by practicing selfcare during the holidays. Smith says the best
ways to beat the winter blues are to maintain a
healthy diet, stay away from alcohol and stay
active. As little as 30-minutes of cardiovascular
exercise can provide an immediate mood boost
similar to the effects of an antidepressant medication.
Sources: Michael Kerr, Healthline.com; Steve Smith,
Rosecrance Berry Campus
Avoiding the Holiday Blues
Statistics show that about 15% of the U.S
population experience some sort of seasonal depression around the holidays or “the
winter blues” and about 5% meet the criteria for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD),
a chronic form of depression caused by
seasonal changes. SAD is more common
the farther north you live and among women
and young adults (American Academy of
Family Physicians).
If the holiday season is getting you down,
it might be time to begin a new tradition.
• Plan a family outing or vacation, instead of
spending the holidays at home.
• Don’t give in to holiday pressures.
• Feel free to leave an event if you aren’t
comfortable.
• Volunteer - helping others can be very helpful
for you too.
• Get back to Nature - going for a walk in the
park may help you relax and feel better.
Practicing Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a great way to help manage
stress and improve symptoms of depression.
Mindfulness consists of cultivating awareness
of the mind and body and living in the here and
now. Mindfulness is an evidence-based practice
and is integrated throughout our treatment
programs at Rosecrance.
It can be seen in the form of yoga, meditation
or walking the Labyrinth (pictured above). The
idea is to teach clients to PAUSE, CONNECT,
and ENGAGE through the use of their senses.
Clients leave treatment with self-soothing techniques that will be applicable to their lives outside of the treatment setting.
Data collected from adults in treatment at Rosecrance show an overall improvement of symptoms (anxiety, mood, and focus) of 62%.
Of the 90 clients tested, 56% also had an improvement in their systolic blood pressure after
participating in a mindfulness session, with an
average improvement rate of 10.28 mmHg.
Source: Keri Fager, Experiential Therapies Supervisor at
Rosecrance Harrison Campus
rosecrance.org
®
Social Media
On an average day in December, more than 11,000
young people aged 12-17 will use alcohol for the first
time, compared to an average of 5,000-8,000 the rest
of the year (SAMHSA).
Follow Rosecrance online at:
@rosecrancenews
facebook.com/lifeswaiting
youtube.com/rosecrancenews
45% of teens have seen pictures on
Facebook or other social networking
sites of kids getting drunk, passed
out, or using drugs.
Compared to teens that have never
seen these pictures on social media,
teens that have are:
• Almost 3 times likelier to use tobacco
• More than 3 times likelier to use alcohol
• 4 times likelier to use marijuana
Source: 2012 CASA Columbia National Teen Survey
Rosecrance offers detox for teens in Rockford
Rosecrance provides medically monitored
detoxification for 12 to 19 year olds at its teen
residential campus in Rockford. Providing onsite detox offers a better continuity of care and
motivation for teens to remain in treatment.
Professional medical staff monitor clients
around the clock, and each case is staffed
individually with the admitting physician.
Rosecrance Griffin Williamson Campus
1601 N. University Dr. Rockford, IL 61107
Most insurance and Medicaid are accepted.
Call Rosecrance at 815.391.1000 to schedule
a free confidential consultation.
rosecrance.org
®