Effects of Ambien Abuse

Drug Effects

Some people who abuse Ambien, a sleep aid, begin using it just as directed by their physicians. It is prescription-only as it is meant to only be used for the short term – there is a problem with Ambien creating addiction if it is used for the long-term.

But a person who becomes dependent on this drug may feel that he (or she) has no choice but to continue to use it, no matter what he has to do to get it. This is the most significant effect of Ambien abuse – addiction.

What if a doctor decides that the patient should stop using Ambien? An addicted patient may feel he must seek another doctor who will provide the prescription. If he conceals the fact that he was refused Ambien by his earlier doctor, he is beginning to commit prescription fraud to get the drugs he feels he needs. For some people, this will be another significant effect of Ambien abuse – fraudulent or illegal activity so that the drug can continue to be obtained.

Avoiding Withdrawal Effects from Ambien

woman experience withdrawal from ambien

Because Ambien is addictive, this means that the body is going to build a tolerance to the drug, possibly requiring higher dosages to maintain the effect that is wanted. If a person does not get the drug in time, he will suffer the withdrawal effects of Ambien. These include nausea, fatigue, irritability, worse insomnia than before taking the drug, stomach cramps, shakiness and confusion. When a person starts feeling the sickness of withdrawal, he will usually be driven to get more of the drug to avoid the most serious phase of withdrawal.

But Ambien (known generically as zolpidem) withdrawal can have much more serious effects than that. With most drugs, more severe symptoms accompany withdrawal from a high dosage of the drug, like when a person has been abusing it for its sedative qualities, or when he has developed a high tolerance. In this situation, a person may suffer from panic attacks, psychosis and even suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts.

In June 2012, Junior Seau, a football player who was with the USC college team and the NFL for nearly two decades, committed suicide. After leaving the NFL and going through problems with his family, Junior suffered serious sleep problems – not uncommon among people who have had many concussions. He was taking Ambien – reportedly, more than prescribed – and drinking and not resting properly after using the drug. When his toxicology report came in, Ambien was the only drug that was found.

In Australia, a 2012 review of 91 violent or unnatural deaths in which zolpidem was present showed that 60% of them were suicides.

Abusing Ambien for Sedating Effects

drunken effect of ambien

It is not unusual for a person to abuse Ambien even if they are not having trouble sleeping. By taking more than directed, a person can experience a sedation that is similar to drunkenness. But Ambien suppresses the body’s ability to breathe. Should he also abuse alcohol or opiates like prescription painkillers, the combination can result in death due to asphyxiation.

Ambien’s effect of memory loss is well-known. Some people using this drug find out later that they have gotten out of bed and done things around the house, had sex or even drove somewhere in the car, all without remembering anything. Ambien may be used as a date-rape drug because of this quality.

Finding Sobriety Again

Very often, when addiction goes on for a long period, the addicted person loses his ability to create a new, sober life. He is going to have to not only get through withdrawal safely, he is going to recover the skills to start a new life. Many addicted people have the idea that the drug they rely on is the only way they can feel normal, the only way they can function each day.

The Narconon drug and alcohol program has almost five decades of experience helping people come all the way back to a sober lifestyle. This program not only addresses the debilitating effects of drug abuse on the mind and body, but also resolves why a person turned to drugs in the first place. As a result, a person can graduate from the program into a new life free from drug use.

For a person suffering from Ambien addiction, the Narconon program can provide the hope of new sobriety. This enables him to avoid the dangerous effects of the drug, like the suppression of breathing and possibility of suicidal thoughts.

If someone you care about is struggling with Ambien addiction, don’t wait until things could get worse.

Effects of Alcohol

Treatment of Drug Addiction

Probably the most popular drug in the world, alcohol, is also the oldest drug in recorded history. It’s been a part of every culture in the world for centuries and in many countries, it is their worst drug problem. According to the World Health Organization, there are 3.3 million alcohol-related deaths each year, compared to an estimated 207,400 drug-related deaths reported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Alcohol is essentially a poison. The one thing that all types of alcohol have in common is that they are fermented—or more simply put—food that is rotten. When alcohol enters the body it has a toxic effect and begins to cause the body to burn up vitamins and minerals. This includes vitamin B1 which is important for proper function of the nervous system. Thus you have an array of physical effects and impairment on the body that are seen rather quickly, along with other long-term effects that may not become evident right away.

Alcohol may affect each person differently, whereas one person can build up a tolerance and appear to “handle” their alcohol well, while another may completely lose control after just a few drinks. This is due to a number of factors relating to a person’s physical and mental condition including how much nutrition is in their system at the time. Yet no matter how much a person tries to counteract the negative effects created by alcohol consumption, sooner or later it catches up with them, particularly if they build up tolerance and continue to increase the amount they drink. Over a period of time, the long-term effects can create some very serious conditions.

The following is a guideline to some of the short and long-term effects of alcohol:

Short-term effects of alcohol:

  • Loss of motor control
  • Impaired judgement
  • Slurring of speech
  • Drowsiness
  • Headaches
  • Upset Stomach
  • Vomiting
  • Blackouts
  • Unconsciousness
  • Coma

Long-term effects of alcohol:

  • Alcohol poisoning
  • Cirrhosis and other liver damage
  • Pancreatitis
  • Nerve damage
  • Brain damage due to death of brain cells
  • Malnutrition
  • Loss of productivity
  • Destroyed relationships

Whether you are concerned about your own alcohol consumption or you are trying to help another who may be drinking too much, Salamat Clinic can help. Give us a call today

The Effects of Drugs

Treatment of Drug Addiction

Who should learn about the effects of drugs?

  • A young person should learn about these effects before he or she ever touches a drug.
  • A parent that knows the effects of these drugs can explain the dangers to his or her children.
  • Community members can arm themselves with full knowledge of the effects of drugs and then pass this information on to other community members.
  • Educators and counselors can strengthen their drug-free messages by knowing the exact harm that can result from each drug.

Below, you will find links to the many pages on our website that deal with the harmful or even fatal effects of these drugs. Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone else who can use it to protect or even save lives.

Drug Effects

  • Alcohol effects
  • Ambien effects(Zolpidem)
  • Amphetamine effects
  • Bath Salt effects (Cathinones)
  • Barbiturate effects (Seconal, Nembutal)
  • Benzodiazepine effects (Valium, Xanax)
  • Cathinone effects
  • Club Drug effects (Ecstasy, Ketamine)
  • Cocaine effects
  • Crack Cocaine effects
  • Codeine effects
  • Desomorphine effects (Krokodil)
  • Dextromethorphan effects (Cough medicine)
  • Dilaudid effects
  • Ecstasy effects
  • Fentanyl effects
  • Hashish effects
  • Heroin effects
  • Hydromorphone effects (Dilaudid)
  • Ice effects (Methamphetamine)
  • Inhalant effects
  • Khat effects
  • Kratom effects
  • LSD effects
  • Marijuana effects
  • MDPV effects
  • Mescaline effects
  • Methamphetamine effects
  • Methadone effects
  • Methylone effects
  • Morphine effects
  • Oxycodone effects (OxyContin)
  • Oxymorphone effects (Opana)
  • PCP effects
  • Piperazine effects
  • Prescription Drug effects
  • Prescription Pain Pill effects (Lortab, Vicodin)
  • Purple Drank effects (Cough medicine)
  • Rohypnol & GHB effects
  • Sedative effects
  • Soma effects (Carisoprodol)
  • Spice effects (K2, Synthetic marijuana)
  • Suboxone effects (Buprenorphine)
  • Synthetic Drug effects
  • Tramadol effects
  • Tranquilizer effects
  • Valium effects
  • Vicodin effects
  • Xanax effects

Why Do Addicts Lie and Manipulate?

Treatment of Drug Addiction

Nearly every family of an addicted person encounters this shocking fact: The addicted lie and manipulate those around them. Even those who have long been close to one’s heart—like one’s children or a spouse—will lie to one’s face, These were people who were loved and trusted, sometimes for decades before addiction came to live in the home.

It’s a brutal reality that it takes some families years to come to grips with. Some families never do come to grips with it. But every day that a family fails to realize that they are being lied to and manipulated, addiction gets to thrive and maintain its of influence.

Why They Do it

Why don’t addicts realize that their families have their best interests at heart and want to help? Why do they lie about their drug or alcohol use and the problems it creates? Why do they make up stories about robberies or lost jobs to get money? Why do they lie about a hundred other things and manipulate families to keep them from stopping drug use or drinking?

Think of it this way: Their need for drugs is making them crazy. When cravings kick in, they are so completely overwhelmed that all other considerations—like love, truth and honor—take a back seat. The need for drugs seems as vital as breathing or having food after starving for a long period. No other thought can even co-exist in their worlds. One woman described her sensation of overwhelming need for drugs as literally making her insane.

But there’s a second reason they lie and it happens as soon as the drugs take effect the very first time. It’s the same reason a person can continue to use drugs after the destruction starts. Drugs immediately begin to shut down the user’s ability to be analytical. As soon as the effects of the drug kick in, the user has a lowered capacity for objective thought and decisions.

So someone smoking marijuana every day can think the mellow feelings that result are desirable while quickly forgetting about educational goals that were so important just a few weeks ago. If those goals do occur to her, it’s easy to make them go away with a little more weed.

A sober alcoholic can be determined to use his money wisely but after a single drink, it looks acceptable to spend all his money on booze. That analytical ability went out like a light with the first drink. In fact, this is also what happens with triggers. The effect of triggers is to lower a person’s ability to be objective and so that devastating decision can be made to have a drink or use drugs again.

Morality and Ethics Soon Depart

Once those analytical, objective capacities are lowered, it’s not a big jump to the loss of morals. When an addicted person is desperate to prevent withdrawal cravings and sickness, criminal acts they never ever would have engaged in begin to look like the only way they can survive. This is how a person who was honest and ethical his whole life can begin assaulting people and robbing them, breaking into houses, stealing valuables from his family or prostituting himself or herself.

Now add guilt to the mix. Guilt acts like concrete laid on top of the analytical shutdown, cravings and crimes. Now the addicted person struggles with a burden that can’t be faced. The person is now locked in that destructive pattern of behavior.

Recovery—a Process of Peeling Off the Layers

For recovery to be lasting, a person must work through all these layers of damage, relieving the guilt and restoring the ability to be objective. This recovery takes time which is why there is no set time limit for the Salamat clinic drug rehab program. Each person works his way through these layers at his own rate.

The first layer of relief on the Narconon program comes from the New Life Detoxification Program—a deep detox utilizing a sauna, moderate exercise and nutritional supplements. This combination enables the body to dislodge drug residues that remain behind even after drug or alcohol use stops. As the residues are flushed out, a person’s outlook brightens and his thinking becomes clearer. Most people say their cravings are greatly reduced. Some even say cravings are gone and that their constant dreams of drug use finally stop. Now a person can begin to think for himself again.

Next, each person must learn how to face the harm that has been done and find relief from the guilt. This major step forward occurs on the Personal Values Course. Here, a person discovers how integrity was lost and learns the procedure for recovering it. Each person has the full support of Narconon staff who understand that this process is difficult to face. Those in recovery may need help working through the harm they have done to those they love. But at the end, many people feel a weight lift as they recover their self-respect and love for others.

One person completing this life skills course commented, “I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest and I no longer have to do those things that badly affect my life. I no longer have to slowly destroy my body and my personal property.”

Call Us for more Information :  92 51 8467081

How Children are Affected by Drug Addicted Parents

Treatment of Drug Addiction
With over 30 million Americans currently struggling with substance abuse or alcoholism, it is shocking to remember the byproduct and repercussions of such a deadly epidemic. Economically, at a state and federal level, the price of addiction manifests through lost productivity and other devastating ways. Fatalities, traffic accidents and injuries related to substance abuse take thousands of lives each year, not to mention the accidental overdoses that occur more frequently amongst prescription drug addicts.

Despite all these tragic losses that result from substance abuse, the most saddening byproduct of substance abuse is the neglect, abuse, and maltreatment of children whose parents are addicted to drugs.

Because addiction and alcoholism alter perception and reality very frequently, children of parents who are chemically dependent are not uncommonly found to be put in harm’s way, neglected or otherwise abused.

Child Abuse Clearly Defined

The terms and circumstances, which define child abuse and neglect, are clearly defined at a federal level. According to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, the mistreatment of children is defined as:

Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caregiver, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.

parents using drugs in front of children

What could this mean in the case of children put in danger by way of drug abuse in the home? While even just exposing children to dangerous and illegal drugs could easily be considered maltreatment, additional abuse or neglect may manifest in any of the following ways:

  • Violence or verbal abuse resulting from being drunk or high
  • Sexual abuse or behavior which makes a child feel uncomfortable
  • Forcing a child to hide an adult’s drug abuse or alcoholism
  • Consistently leaving a child alone at home
  • Consistently ignoring a child or their needs; lack of attention

The Long-term Effects of Childhood Exposure to Drug Use

Studies exist and have been completed which focus on the long-term effects of substance abuse on the youth who are present. A shocking number of currently detained prison inmates and rehab attendees admit they had a tumultuous upbringing, having experienced some sort of neglect, or physical, sexual or verbal abuse. Further, these individuals were aware of criminality or substance abuse in their environment, setting a powerfully negative example for such youth.

It is wholly observable that children who grow up amongst drug abuse, alcoholism and criminality tend to join in these activities.This creates something of a cyclic trend, making those children who are born into underprivileged homes and neighborhoods more likely to remain ‘in the system’ than those children who are born of better circumstances with attentive, drug-free parents.

Breaking the Cycle, What Can I Do

As we look at analyzing how drug-addicted parents affect children, we conclude that the most important focus of this issue is breaking the cycle of substance abuse amongst youth. Many youths have entered into drug and/or alcohol abuse paths of their own, largely due to their exposure to such activities as a young child. However, this cycle can be taken apart and the course of youth lives can be changed.

  • Support local children and family centers; these groups offer a safe environment and supportive care to children when parents are unable to.
  • Demand drug education in all schools in your area; although drug prevention begins in the home, having preventative education at a young age continues to be an effective way to keep kids off drugs.
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