LJWorld.com / Substance abuse a growing concern

Archive for Monday, July 28, 2008

Lawrence company expanding to meet needs of teens

Professional Treatment Services clinical director Duane Oldering and counselor Kendall Heiman will soon be expanding their facilities to offer an Adolescent Treatment Program. The new service will be for adolescents ages 14 through 17 who are experiencing substance use related problems. The center is located at 3205 Clinton Parkway.

By Karrey Britt

July 28, 2008

Duane Olberding, clinical director of Professional Treatment Services, advises parents to watch their children for these signs of a potential substance-abuse problem:

¢ Changes in behavior

¢ Changes in appetite

¢ Decreased academic performance

¢ Problems with family or peer relationships

¢ Loss of sleep

¢ Changes in physical appearance

"You should look at it as a constellation of symptoms," Olberding said. "One thing may not say a person is using, but if you have a constellation of the symptoms : if you start seeing a number of the signs, then you go, 'OK, something is going on. I need to do something.'"

He advises parents to ask questions and know their children's friends.

For more information on how to get help, call his business at 843-5483, the Lawrence SRS office at 832-3700, DCCCA Inc. at 841-4138 or Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center at 843-9192.

Marijuana and alcohol use among adolescents is a growing concern in Douglas County.

Binge drinking by youths is higher in Douglas County than the statewide average, according to the 2008 Kids Count survey.

About 80 percent of the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services treatment admissions in Douglas County last year were for marijuana use, followed by alcohol.

A 2008 Kansas Communities That Care survey found that 42 percent of high school seniors in Douglas County said they had used marijuana at least once, compared with 35 percent statewide. Sixty-five percent said they used alcohol, compared with 72 percent statewide.

Another emerging problem is the use of pharmaceuticals. The survey found 89 percent had used drugs not prescribed by their doctor, compared with 86 percent statewide.

These are some of the statistics that counselors and social workers point to as worrisome.

"There's a lot of pot and alcohol use here," said Duane Olberding, clinical director of Professional Treatment Services in Lawrence. "When you have a college community, there's just a lot of young people around anyway and there's a lot of influences coming from everywhere."

Olberding, who serves on the Kansas Citizen's Committee of SRS, said Douglas County youths have admitted to smoking pot as young as 11 and 12. According to the CTC survey, 1.5 percent of sixth-graders had used marijuana - that jumped to 9.3 percent by eighth grade and 28 percent by 10th grade.

After serving adults for just over a year in Lawrence, Olberding decided to expand his business beginning Aug. 1 to include those ages 14 to 17. He is hoping to fill a gap in treatment services for adolescents.

Services needed

SRS recently studied substance-abuse treatment needs in Kansas. The study found that Douglas County has significant outpatient service gaps for adolescents.

"There's no question that there's some service gaps that could be met by the addition of outpatient services," said Laura Howard, SRS deputy secretary. "For 2006, there were only 61 youths that accessed outpatient substance abuse services in the county and there were 42 in 2007. Obviously, the need is significantly greater than that."

Aimee Ziegler, a WRAP clinician at Free State High School, is aware of the alcohol and marijuana use that goes on among students. She is a co-founder of the Working to Recognize Alternative Possibilities program that places Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center clinical social workers in schools to help students deal with problems such as substance abuse. Ziegler said the program assisted about 3,000 students last year. Of those, 50 percent had an alcohol or drug issue in the family.

"From my perception, marijuana use is a very, unfortunately, very acceptable recreational drug for teenagers," she said.

An area high school student, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "Weed is by far the most popular drug in our area. It's cheap and easily accessible." The student estimated that three-fourths of her peers had tried it and that at least half smoked marijuana once a month.

Prevention measures are being taken by student groups, school drug and alcohol specialists, and Lawrence police. For example, students now undergo Breathalyzer tests before entering a dance.

"There are some steps that the school and community have been taking to say, 'Hey, we want to create safe places for our teenagers to be without these things,'" Ziegler said.

That's why many say funding for such programs is important.

Nora Murphy, a parent of two Lawrence teenagers, believes WRAP fulfills a need in public schools.

"I think a lot of parents like having a mental health counselor on site, and it helps solve problems before they happen," she said.

'Shame-based disease'

Getting students to admit a potential problem and accept treatment isn't easy.

Ziegler and Kendall Heiman, a counselor at Professional Treatment Services, said there's a stigma about addiction.

"It's a very shame-based disease for the person experiencing it," Heiman said.

She said the best thing parents can do is create a relationship where the teen feels safe enough to talk about what is going on. She suggests seeking professional help at the first sign of trouble.

"The earlier somebody starts experimenting with the substances, that dramatically affects their impulse control. So we are really trying to get people in as soon as possible. As it progresses, it becomes more difficult to treat."

Olberding said treatment is really about education and knowing what needs to be done differently. He said parents typically do one of three things: Go into crisis mode, ignore the problem or try to tackle it themselves.

"If there's an addiction," he said, "no one person is enough to deal with it."

Discussion

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28 July 2008
at 5:24 a.m.

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jhoman (Anonymous) says…

“About 80 percent of the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services treatment admissions in Douglas County last year were for marijuana use, followed by alcohol.”

What percentage of those admissions for cannabis use were court mandated?
28 July 2008
at 10:08 a.m.

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jaycat (Anonymous) says…

Dude…….stop blaming the college crowd. Like what kind of parents are letting there kids out all hours of the night.
28 July 2008
at 10:14 a.m.

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caryaudreyfred (Anonymous) says…

I agree with jaycat. That's like saying living near bars facilitates alcoholism. You can't blame the environment on your children's actions.
28 July 2008
at 10:41 a.m.

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Dwight_Schrute (Anonymous) says…

I love how the article listed just below this one on the LJW website is titled…

“Fraternity brothers lend helping hands in Jamaica”
28 July 2008
at 10:42 a.m.

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fu7il3 (Anonymous) says…

There was a lot of juvenile alcohol use in the area I grew up in and there wasn't a college within 100 miles. It is all about the parents.
28 July 2008
at 10:46 a.m.

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OldEnuf2BYurDad (Anonymous) says…

Yeah, if your 15 year old is doing weed, that has more to do with the home life than anything else. Sure, there are other influences, but one goal of good parenting is to be your child's no. 1 influence, and for that influence to be positive. There have been countless posts on these boards over the years saying “Oh, what's the harm in kids smoking a little weed?” Too many adults have issues that they won't address, and that is a bigger matter than the number of downtown bars.

A friend once told me that their mother told them that they wanted their kid to be able to party as hard as they did in college. When he ended up addicted, do you think his mom was there to help pick up the pieces? No.
28 July 2008
at 10:54 a.m.

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bearded_gnome (Anonymous) says…

kinda looks as if this article *is an ad for Olberding's expansion of the business!*

let's see … we had a mayor in some recent time:
“its just a little pot.”

yes, parents have a vital role. that's why when offered it, I refused it. not my parents, heck, it was my Dad! he was a parole officer, so he had some extra-good stories about drugs.
28 July 2008
at 11:18 a.m.

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klynch (Anonymous) says…

“Substance abuse a growing concern” - The picture is so inappropriate. There is no proven link between substance abuse and suicide by hanging. When I was a kid the only person who I knew who killed themselves was a girl who was lesbian and did not know how to cope. I had a cousin with a nasty addictive illness (anorexia) and she died at the age of 37 from complications of her illness when she was younger. In terms of picturing substance abuse surely parents horrified to find drug paraphernalia in a bedroom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_par… perhaps syringes and a teddy bear is a more appropriate image.
28 July 2008
at 12:08 p.m.

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WHY (Anonymous) says…

Marijuana is not addictive so there would be no need for treatment. Why don't they do a story that shows the destructive nature of smoking a joint. I bet they can't find any subjects. This story should not pass for news.
28 July 2008
at 12:38 p.m.

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Haiku_Cuckoo (Anonymous) says…

“Haven't you morons figured out yet that cannibus cures lung cancer…”

Smoking now cures cancer? Um, okaaaaay.
28 July 2008
at 1:14 p.m.

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cloggedjhawk (Wendy magillicutty) says…

Yeah, I called it recreational use for 15 years. It's the only recreation I had, too.
Addiction is like any other disease: if you don't have it, you don't understand it.
The most confusing thing about booze and drugs is that some people can have a couple, some can't and the ones that can't take a loooooooong time to figure out they can't.

Some people can drive a car well, some can't. Try and get a bad driver to admit they have a problem with driving. ha ha…
28 July 2008
at 2:32 p.m.

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madmike (Anonymous) says…

Wow! According to our dear demented friend igorant_sick_animal, dope cures cancer, blood sugal level and anxiety. I wonder how long it has been since his/her employer had him drug screened?
28 July 2008
at 2:54 p.m.

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logicsound04 (Anonymous) says…

“The picture is so inappropriate. There is no proven link between substance abuse and suicide by hanging”

–––––-

I agree with the second part of your comments…but I'm curious how the picture has anything to do with a hanging suicide.

The photo merely shows two people taking stock of a room in which the expansion/renovation mentioned in the article is taking place.

There is no proven link between the presence of a stepladder and suicide by hanging :-)
28 July 2008
at 3:07 p.m.

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bd (Anonymous) says…

curfew
28 July 2008
at 4:26 p.m.

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marcdeveraux (Anonymous) says…

Marijuana is not a problem, people who abuse whatever they get their hands on are the problem. Look, millions have smoked everyday of their life with no problem. Booze is a killer we all know. States where it is medically available use legally. It is only in the bible belt where the christian right holds sway is it a problem. It is a business far safer than what our doctors sell.
28 July 2008
at 6:48 p.m.

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bearded_gnome (Anonymous) says…

YISA writes:
Haven't you morons figured out yet that cannibus cures lung cancer, glaucoma, anxiety, blood sugar levels, etc.,etrc.,etc.,etc.

–
okay, but apparently since regular marijuana smoking interferes with learning and memory, your spelling and critical thought are obviously seriously impaired!

really? smoking weed *cures* lung cancer? actually, smoking weed apparently increases risk for it, beyond cigarettes.
28 July 2008
at 6:52 p.m.

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bearded_gnome (Anonymous) says…

madmike:
Wow! According to our dear demented friend igorant_sick_animal, dope cures cancer, blood sugal level and anxiety. I wonder how long it has been since his/her
employer had him drug screened?

–
I just wondered when he had his last hit?

it is worth noting that pothead You-ignorant-sick-animals has a very high proportion of messages redded out.
28 July 2008
at 7:26 p.m.

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Pro_Counsel (Anonymous) says…

you_ignorant_sick_animals (Anonymous) says:

“Haven't you morons figured out yet that cannibus cures lung cancer, glaucoma, anxiety, blood sugar levels, etc.,etrc.,etc.,etc.”

Apparently it doesn't cure ignorance.

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WHY (Anonymous) says:

“Marijuana is not addictive so there would be no need for treatment.”

Just keep telling yourself that.

If you can remember to.

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marcdeveraux (Anonymous) says:

“Marijuana is not a problem, people who abuse whatever they get their hands on are the problem.”

And that's who the treatment center is for. It's not the center for the eradication of cannabis. It's a place where the people you refer to can get help.
28 July 2008
at 7:27 p.m.

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Centurion (Anonymous) says…

They need to bring back D.A.R.E. Not the answer but it might help some.
28 July 2008
at 8:11 p.m.

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RedwoodCoast (Anonymous) says…

“A 2008 Kansas Communities That Care survey found that 42 percent of high school seniors in Douglas County said they had used marijuana at least once, compared with 35 percent statewide. Sixty-five percent said they used alcohol, compared with 72 percent statewide… Another emerging problem is the use of pharmaceuticals. The survey found 89 percent had used drugs not prescribed by their doctor, compared with 86 percent statewide… “There's a lot of pot and alcohol use here,” said Duane Olberding, clinical director of Professional Treatment Services in Lawrence.”

Did I just read those stats wrong, or are pot and alcohol really bigger problems than pharmaceuticals? I'll just scratch my head at Olberding's conclusion. Well, no, actually, I'll just note that many posters on here seem to be focusing on pot, too. Get your heads out.
28 July 2008
at 8:53 p.m.

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beatrice (Anonymous) says…

Meth is true evil and laws need to be tougher on manufacturers and sellers.

Even if pot is addictive — and I don't believe this to be true — so is alcohol. Alcohol is far worse for the body and mind than pot, yet one is legal and heavily taxed, the other isn't. Why, if I were the suspicious type I might think the alcohol lobby had something to do with keeping pot illegal.

Maybe I'm just paranoid.

bearded: thanks for that inspiring story of your being so Nancy Reagan and just saying no. It didn't come across as holier than thou at all.
28 July 2008
at 10:22 p.m.

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Jcjayhawk1 (Anonymous) says…

http://www.drugwarfacts.org/causes.htm

520,000.00 deaths from Alcohol and Tobacco ALONE !

Look people Marijuana has nothing on alcohol and cigaretts. 70 years of Marijuana prohabition and it is still the third most popular recreational drug. The vast majority of Marijuana users are otherwise law-abiding citizens who work hard, raise families, and contribute to their communities.

America tried alcohol prohibition between 1919 and 1931, but discovered that the crime and violence associated with prohibition was more damaging than the evil sought to be prohibited. With tobacco, America has learned over the last decade that education is the most effective way to discourage use. Yet, America fails to apply these lessons to marijuana policy.

By stubbornly defining all marijuana smoking as criminal, including that which involves adults smoking in the privacy of their own homes, we are wasting police and prosecutorial resources, clogging courts, filling costly and scarce jail and prison space, and needlessly wrecking the lives and careers of genuinely good citizens.

Marijuana prohibition costs taxpayers at least $7.5 billion annually. This is an enormous waste of scarce federal dollars that should be used to target violent crime.

The comparison of Marijuana to Alcohol/Cigaretts is a very important one. No where else will you find a more ignorant toleration of deadly substances yet send mild mannered Marijuana users to prison with violent criminals.
28 July 2008
at 10:34 p.m.

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RedwoodCoast (Anonymous) says…

Amen, Jcjayhawk1. Reading the posts on here regarding marijuana reveals that there is a rampant association of pot with lazy liberals and hippies. If only it were that simple… This is clearly a culturally-driven prohibition, rather than a reality-driven prohibition.
28 July 2008
at 11:21 p.m.

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Pro_Counsel (Anonymous) says…

RedwoodCoast (Anonymous) says:

“Amen, Jcjayhawk1. Reading the posts on here regarding marijuana reveals that there is a rampant association of pot with lazy liberals and hippies.”

And on the other side of the coin, there's rampant association with substance abuse/dependence and legality. There's many posters here arguing that marijuana should be legal. Great. What does that have to do with the story? Whether or not a substance is legal has nothing to do with whether or not people can/will/do abuse it or the subsequent harm it can do to their lives. Alcohol is the most obvious example of this, but people can/will/do abuse almost anything, such as OTC medications, glue, paint, freon, etc.

This story is about the fact that various substances are being abused and people are suffering as a result, and this is especially a concern for young people. Do we really want 11-12 year olds experimenting with _any_ mind altering substance? Are they really old enough to do so responsibly and safely?
28 July 2008
at 11:43 p.m.

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Quigly (Anonymous) says…

That's right. those 12 - 18 year olds in the late '60's shouldn't have been poppin the acid. Shame on them. Are they really old enough to understand. Oh wait they are really old and talking crap on kids that do the same thing that they did. But wait? There's more. OOh yeah that's right. The hippies had a cause and a war to protest hippycrites. Thats right no one suffered back then. It is way worse. Is it? Is it really. Don't believe the stats. oooo don”t believe the hype. dorks
29 July 2008
at 12:38 a.m.

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Defender (Anonymous) says…

“Of course the use of wacky weed is going to be high in this town, with all of the dumb, liberal, college drop outs who do nothing and than teach their deviant offspring that it is ok to break the law.”

It's nice of you to finally admit the truth about yourself. Now you might be able to be helped. Admitting your problem, b3, was half the battle. Good luck, b3.
29 July 2008
at 5:45 a.m.

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Das_Ubermime (Anonymous) says…

It always amuses me how similar the arguments defending marijuana are to those of an alcoholic defending his/her drug use.
29 July 2008
at 12:27 p.m.

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marcdeveraux (Anonymous) says…

Anybody that thinks marijuana in addictive is a moron. The facts are there ,90% of folks can smoke or not just as many can have a beer or not. Medical research has proven the good weeds positive benefits. It is the emotionally retarded who depend on the republican platform of scare tactics. If marijuana was addictive the world would be full of addicts begging for treatment. There are very few people who think it is addictive. The booze and tobacco industry send loads of money to d.c. to bribe politicians to keep it a crime. Helps keep them feeling good about themselves.
29 July 2008
at 2:35 p.m.

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Jcjayhawk1 (Anonymous) says…

“It always amuses me how similar the arguments defending marijuana are to those of an alcoholic defending his/her drug use.”-Das

Marijuana users argue the legality of their use. Alcoholics don't have to they already enjoy the substance that kills over 400K people a year.
29 July 2008
at 2:53 p.m.

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jonas (Anonymous) says…

WHY (Anonymous) says:

“Marijuana is not addictive so there would be no need for treatment. Why don't they do a story that shows the destructive nature of smoking a joint. I bet they can't find any subjects.”

I can think of a few subjects, but their life stories are pathetic, not tragic, so they wouldn't make good TV.
29 July 2008
at 4:46 p.m.

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bearded_gnome (Anonymous) says…

Bea,
put down your personal jihad!

if you reread, you'll see I was responding to Oldy's ref about good parenting! my father taught me, it worked.

as to alcohol, I agree, and I wish it were banned. I am alcohol-free too.

however, there are substances I do abuse: green tea; coffee; diet coke. lol.

***
www.ondcp.gov

you can find good info on addiction to marijuana. and, the psychological and physiological effects of smoking/ingesting pot are from research.

however, as procouncel posts, this article was not at all referencing legalization etc. it simply addressed kids getting and using various drugs/substances.

again, I wish to note this article reads like its actually an ad for Olberding's expanded practice.

***
finally, what effect will it have on kids using drugs if we elect the first candidate to openly admit that he used an illegal drug? (Obama admitted to cocaine use). he wants illegal aliens to get drivers licenses. the illegal alien invasion is a major source of illegal drugs in this country.
29 July 2008
at 5:28 p.m.

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Das_Ubermime (Anonymous) says…

“Anybody that thinks marijuana in addictive is a moron.”
Alcoholics will often attack those who think they might have a problem.
“The facts are there ,90% of folks can smoke or not just as many can have a beer or not.”
Alcoholics will often claim that they can stop at anytime, though many can't and the rest won't.
“The booze and tobacco industry send loads of money to d.c. to bribe politicians to keep it a crime.”
Alcoholics will often develop bizarre conspiracies of people out to get them (especially when treatment for alcoholism is mentioned).

Jcjayhawk1
“Marijuana users argue the legality of their use.”
Actually, you make a good case in point. The post before yours clearly demonstrates many of the tactics alcoholics use to excuse their addiction. By denying the obvious and trying to misdirect blame ('sure, my behavior may not be great, but they are worse!'), you certainly aren't helping the case.
29 July 2008
at 7:04 p.m.

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jonas (Anonymous) says…

Been feeling a tad contrary these last few weeks, Ubermime?
29 July 2008
at 7:47 p.m.

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Das_Ubermime (Anonymous) says…

No.
29 July 2008
at 8:13 p.m.

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tangential_reasoners_anonymous (Anonymous) says…

“If there's an addiction,” he said, “no one person is enough to deal with it.”

Hmm… maybe that's why there are so many dealers out there.
31 July 2008
at 11:28 a.m.

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marcdeveraux (Anonymous) says…

How many of these who seek help are sent to the treatment groups by the court system? Sounds like a business to me. Arrest for small time crimes, get kid to admit they smoke a little weed, send them for treatment, treatment business makes money.