www.dragresti.com ~ (561) 444-7044 Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist — Psychiatrist, shares how to deal with holiday stress. With the holiday season upon us, let Dr. Agresti give you some tips to survive them.
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Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist – Psychiatrist, discusses Four Lokos Drink. This alcoholic beverage has been in the media and now receiving federal regulations attention. Dr. Agresti explains the dangers behind this beverage and why it is not safe.
Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Drug & Alcohol Addiction.
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Four Lokos drink is a malt beverage with 12% alcohol in a 23.5oz can. These types of drinks are called Alco pops. The four in the name comes from the 4 ingredients which are caffeine, taurine, guarana and alcohol.
Problems with this drink are popping up across the country. Emergency room doctors are seeing people come in with alcohol poisoning. The reason for this is simple. Consuming one Four Lokos drink is like drinking the alcohol of 4.7 beers. The street name for this drink is liquid cocaine. People drink 3-4 cans and feel like they are on cocaine.
People are getting in trouble with this drink because the stimulant affects of caffeine, taurine, and guarana disguise the effects of alcohol. This allows an individual to drink too much alcohol too quickly resulting in alcohol poisoning. The lucky ones don’t wind up in an emergency room just in a blackout with vomit all over themselves. The Four Lokos just keeps people awake much longer allowing them to drink much more alcohol than they are used to.
People are coming in my office talking about friends having to drink 4 Four Lokos to get the cocaine high. That’s like drinking 18.8 beers. They drink that in under 4 hours. It’s a dangerous game that ends up in an emergency room.
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- Wanted to get high.
- Just wanted to.
- To get a mini vacation.
- Just wanted to checkout.
- Needed a reward.
- Out of anger.
- Out of frustration.
- Works hard and deserves it.
- Thought I could have just one.
- Everyone else was doing it. (more…)
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While watching news and entertainment programs or scanning the Internet, I’ve noticed an amazing number of famous people getting into trouble with the law because of their addictions and inappropriate behaviors. Even when they’ve been caught, arrested and put on probation, they repeat.
The list goes on and on… Here’s a couple: Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears. These individuals, some people say, have a complete disregard for the law and think they can do whatever they like…
But that’s not what I think. As a psychiatrist, I’m thinking that when people do something where they know they are going to get caught, and they do it anyway, it’s not about a disregard for the law. They suffer from a mental illness.
These famous people might even be more prone to bipolar with manic episodes than others because they can perform at higher levels and do spectacular things. In many cases, mania allows for very unique thinking, which many consider highly advantageous in the entertainment industry. (more…)
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[podcast]http://206.189.200.158/podcasts/dragresti-bullying_11042010.mp3[/podcast]
Dr. Agresti talks about a highly talked about issue in the media right now – bullying. He discusses how parents and teachers can watch for signs of bullying.
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The current economic situation in our country impacts us not only financially, but also psychologically. We all know it because we can feel it, but there are not-so-obvious pitfalls that can be avoided if you know what and where they are.
We can navigate through this period and come out the other side healthy and happy.
Job loss, of course, presents money problems, but here’s another predicament. People who’ve lost their jobs suddenly find themselves with a lot more time on their hands. If they liked to come home from work every day and have a drink, they now may feel that they can take a drink whenever they feel like it. And they do. Too much. Too often.
You can see how they came to think like that, really. They’ve lost the structure that work provided, and without that structure, drugs and alcohol can play a bigger part – they’ve got the time and they don’t have to show up somewhere sober or drug free. So, this is something to be guard against. (more…)
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Not too long ago, four local elementary school children ended up on respirators in the ICU after they each took 20 Coricidin tablets to get high. It was a good 36 hours before they were out of the woods. What started out to be an afternoon of fun, turned out to be a life-and-death struggle for the children and their parents.
So, if you think that people (including kids) do not abuse over-the-counter drugs, think again. In my practice, I’m seeing this kind of abuse more and more. Hey, it’s cheap and it’s accessible (and, therefore a real problem).
The Number One problem is Dextromethorphan. It’s found in cold medications that you can buy right off the pharmacy shelf – Coricidin HBP, Vick’s 44, Children’s Tylenol, Robitussin, Triaminic DM, Nicol, Theraflu, Dimetapp. Right now, this is one of the most abused compounds around, and the level of sophistication with the 8-to-12-year-old children using them is intense. The kids are the ones who’ve given this drug its street names: Triple C, Orange Crush, Dex, Skittles and Robo. They say they are “Robo-tripping.”
This drug can achieve the sedative or hypnotic effects of Oxycontin, Roxycodone, and Xanax, but, it actually produces a delirium – not a high – and a state of confusion. What actually happens is that the drug blocks one of the neurotransmitters, which causes the brain to stop functioning. After taking it, breathing problems may develop and blood pressure can fluctuate. It can cause hallucinations, dizziness, muscle twitches, nausea, vomiting, convulsion and death. (more…)
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Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist – Psychiatrist,
shares his in-office video that educates his patients on the symptoms, troubles and hardships of Bipolar Disorder. Learn about the manic and the depressive sides to bipolar disorder.
Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Bipolar Disorder.
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http://206.189.200.158 ~ (561) 444-7044
Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist – Psychiatrist, shares his in-office video that educates his patients on the symptoms, troubles and hardships of Bipolar Disorder. Learn about the manic and the depressive sides to bipolar disorder.
Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Bipolar Disorder.
Learn More
www.dragresti.com ~ (561) 444-7044 Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist — Psychiatrist, shares his in-office video that educates his patients on the symptoms, troubles and hardships of Bipolar Disorder. Learn about the manic and the depressive sides to bipolar disorder. Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Bipolar Disorder.
Learn More
http://206.189.200.158 ~ (561) 444-7044
Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist – Psychiatrist, shares his in-office video that educates his patients on the symptoms, troubles and hardships of Bipolar Disorder. Learn about the manic and the depressive sides to bipolar disorder.
Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Bipolar Disorder.
Learn More
http://206.189.200.158 ~ (561) 444-7044
Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist – Psychiatrist, shares his in-office video that educates his patients on the symptoms, troubles and hardships of Bipolar Disorder. Learn about the manic and the depressive sides to bipolar disorder.
Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Bipolar Disorder.
Learn More
I want to share two stories to help those with drug problems — or those with loved ones who have drug problems — see how addiction works and how it can be overcome.
My clients, Belle and Bob, were both addicts. Belle managed to dig herself out. Bob did not. At the most basic level, these two people had bad relationships with themselves. It really all comes down to that. Improve your relationship with yourself and you can get better. Continue to hate yourself, and the ending can be very bad.
Belle’s Story
Belle, a 23-year-old woman working as an actress in Manhattan, was using Oxycontin and Adderall. She had gotten to the point where she was staying up all night, going to bed at 6 a.m. and waking up at noon. She had been very attractive, but her drug use had given her acne, a sickly skin tone and damaged her hair.
She looked like a drug addict and her life had become totally disorganized. Thankfully, her family recognized that Belle was in trouble. They brought her to a treatment center in Florida where I work and had an intervention with her.
Belle’s Family Intervenes
Belle did not come into treatment because she wanted to. Her family, who had been supporting her, had threatened her that they would cut her off if she didn’t.
Belle would tell you that she had a successful acting career, but she was actually making no money. Her mother was sending her a check for $6,000 every month. (more…)
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It’s the Holy Grail in the world of addiction to find drugs that will block the craving for alcohol. There are three medications on the market that have been studied and show some benefits.
Pros and Cons of Drug Used for Alcohol Dependency or to Block Craving
Campral, also known as Acamprosate, is used to block craving. Studies have found a reduced incidence of relapse with veterans in Philadelphia who took this drug.
The daily dosage is two 333mg tablets, three times a day, and in my practice dealing with addiction and alcoholism, that has a limited benefit.
Topamax, or Toprimamate, an anti-seizure drug used to prevent migraines, is sometimes used to treat alcohol dependency and prevent alcohol cravings, but I’ve have had minimal success with it, and have found it to produce complications. It may cause mental slowing, cognitive slowing, and may effect the kidneys. (more…)
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Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist – Psychiatrist, explains what are Subutex and Suboxone. He explains the other common names for Subutex and Suboxone. Learn how Subutex and Suboxone are used to help aid in drug detox.
Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Drug & Alcohol Addiction.
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http://206.189.200.158 ~ (561) 444-7044
Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist – Psychiatrist, explains what are Subutex and Suboxone. He explains the other common names for Subutex and Suboxone. Learn how Subutex and Suboxone are used to help aid in drug detox.
Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Drug & Alcohol Addiction.
Learn More
Depression usually starts out simple. For my patient, Cindy, for example, it began with down days during her first semester in college, when she wouldn’t get out of bed. She did not leave her apartment, wore sweat pants all the time, stopped doing her hair and makeup, gave up her spin class, and neglected her bathing and hygiene.
As time went on, she became more and more isolated from her friends. Her eating habits deteriorated — Skittles and Chinese food became her staple, and in order to sleep, she took Benadryl with a giant glass of wine.
Symptoms and Treatment of Depression
It was the same thing, day in, day out, and as bad as it sounds, her condition was treatable. It’s important for those battling depression to remember this, which is why I am sharing Cindy’s story. (more…)
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Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Mental Health Specialist — Psychiatrist, explains what is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He explains the symptoms of OCD. Learn the behaviors and some of the medications used to treat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ( OCD ).
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Initially the attraction is euphoria taking a mini vacation. Someone once told me getting high is like God putting a warm blanket around you and rubbing your temples telling you everything will be alright. This is a powerful draw. The mini vacation to escape life’s hardships becomes more frequent and all encompassing. Physically the body comes addicted. Psychologically the individual needs the drug to maintain emotional stability and to cope with life’s stress. Individuals with addicted family members are at an unfair disadvantage. Once they get a taste of euphoria from a drug, their bodies crave more drugs. Something is different with this group, they are genetically built to use excessively. Their bodies experience powerful cravings to use addicting drugs and keep using them. Their favorite word is more. Genetic predisposition is one unlucky factor. Another unlucky factor in making someone drug dependent, is being raised and living around drug dependent people. So, there are two forces at work, one is a genetic predisposition to use, another is a learned behavior.
That’s just the start. Once the psyche experiences the high, the escape, and a free ride from life’s problems; new forces take over. The individual goes undercover and must now conceal their activities. They have to make some time to get drugs and to do the drugs. They have to start explaining to others lost blocks of time, money, energy, and different thoughts and behaviors surface. By thoughts I mean all the using and getting drugs takes a lot of planning, manipulating and lying. They need to form a group of people who each contribute something to getting drugs, a place to use them and help with the cover story to disguise what’s really going on. (more…)
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