Addiction

When one hears the term addiction we usually think of a drug or alcohol addiction but addiction comes in many forms including sex and food. NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) classifies alcohol and drug addiction as a disease. This classification has trickled down to other addictions such as food and sex. As stated throughout this website we do not hold the position that anything which requires a human behavior is a disease.

The Bottom Line

Classifying a behavior as a disease simply removes the responsibility of the behavior from the person with the addiction. What is accomplished by classifying a behavior disorder as a disease is the use of medication to try and fix the problem. This is one of the many reasons prescribed medication is now the number one cause for fatal drug overdoses. This does not take into account the suicides from antidepressants.

The Solution

The subconscious can be programed to link pleasure to anything. The question in regard to someone suffering from an addiction is who or what programed you to link pleasure to something that may ultimately kill you? If you indulge in a behavior that may ultimately kill you it is more important for you than anyone else to understand how the subconscious works and how to take control of it. SR® is the only modality that will afford you this.

Statistics

According to NIDA addiction affects 23.2 million Americans — of whom only about 10 percent are receiving the treatment they need.

Youths Aged 12 to 17

  • In 2008, 9.3 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 were current illicit drug users: 6.7 percent used marijuana, 2.9 percent engaged in nonmedical use of prescription-type psychotherapeutics, 1.1 percent used inhalants, 1.0 percent used hallucinogens, and 0.4 percent used cocaine.
     
  • Among youths aged 12 to 17, the types of drugs used in the past month varied by age group. Among 12 or 13 year olds, 1.5 percent used prescription-type drugs nonmedically, 1.2 percent used inhalants, and 1.0 percent used marijuana. Among 14 or 15 year olds, marijuana was the most commonly used drug (5.7 percent), followed by prescription-type drugs used nonmedically (3.0 percent), inhalants (1.3 percent), and hallucinogens (1.0 percent). Marijuana also was the most commonly used drug among 16 or 17 year olds (12.7 percent); it was followed by prescription-type drugs used nonmedically (4.0 percent), hallucinogens (1.6 percent), cocaine (0.7 percent), and inhalants (0.7 percent).
     
  • The overall rate of current illicit drug use remained stable from 2007 to 2008 among youths aged 12 to 17, as did the rates for most specific drugs, except for hallucinogens and the nonmedical use of psychotherapeutics. An increase was seen in the rate of past month hallucinogen use, which went from 0.7 percent in 2007 to 1.0 percent in 2008, driven in part by an increase in Ecstasy use from 0.3 to 0.4 percent. However, the rate of nonmedical use of prescription psychotherapeutic drugs among youths declined from 3.3 percent in 2007 to 2.9 percent in 2008, driven largely by a decrease in the misuse of pain relievers from 2.7 to 2.3 percent (Figure 2.5).
     
  • From 2002 to 2008, rates of current use among youths aged 12 to 17 declined significantly for illicit drugs overall and for several specific drugs, including marijuana (from 8.2 to 6.7 percent), cocaine (from 0.6 to 0.4 percent), prescription-type drugs used nonmedically (from 4.0 to 2.9 percent), pain relievers (from 3.2 to 2.3 percent), stimulants (from 0.8 to 0.5 percent), and methamphetamine (from 0.3 to 0.1 percent) (Figure 2.5). For illicit drug use overall, the rates were 11.6 percent in 2002, 11.2 percent in 2003, 10.6 percent in 2004, 9.9 percent in 2005, 9.8 percent in 2006, 9.5 percent in 2007, and 9.3 percent in 2008.
     
  • The rate of current marijuana use among youths aged 12 to 17 decreased from 8.2 percent in 2002 to 6.7 percent in 2006 and remained at that level in 2007 and 2008. Significant declines also occurred between 2002 and 2008 for past year marijuana use (from 15.8 to 13.0 percent) and lifetime marijuana use (from 20.6 to 16.5 percent).

Young Adults Aged 18 to 25

  • Rates of current use of illicit drugs in 2008 were higher for young adults aged 18 to 25 (19.6 percent) than for youths aged 12 to 17 (9.3 percent) and adults aged 26 or older (5.9 percent). Among young adults, 16.5 percent used marijuana in the past month, 5.9 percent used prescription-type drugs nonmedically, 1.7 percent used hallucinogens, and 1.5 percent used cocaine
  • From 2007 to 2008, rates of current use among young adults aged 18 to 25 remained stable for illicit drugs overall and each specific drug.
  • From 2002 to 2008, there were declines in young adults' past month cocaine use (from 2.0 to 1.5 percent), inhalant use (from 0.5 to 0.3 percent), nonmedical use of stimulants (from 1.3 to 1.1 percent), and methamphetamine use (from 0.6 to 0.2 percent). Over the 7-year period, there were increases in the current use of pain relievers (from 4.1 to 4.6 percent) and LSD (from 0.1 to 0.3 percent).

Adults Aged 26 or Older

  • Among adults aged 26 or older, 5.9 percent were current illicit drug users in 2008. In this age group, 4.2 percent used marijuana, and 1.9 percent used prescription-type drugs nonmedically. Less than 1 percent used cocaine (0.7 percent), hallucinogens (0.1 percent), heroin (0.1 percent), and inhalants (0.1 percent). The only significant change between 2007 and 2008 in the rates of past month use among adults in this age group involved crack, which decreased from 0.3 to 0.2 percent. In addition, the rates of past year nonmedical use declined for psychotherapeutic drugs overall (from 4.9 percent in 2007 to 4.4 percent in 2008), sedatives (from 0.3 to 0.2 percent), and methamphetamine (from 0.4 to 0.3 percent). However, increases occurred in lifetime use of hallucinogens (from 14.2 percent in 2007 to 15.2 percent in 2008) and lifetime nonmedical use of pain relievers (from 11.8 to 12.7 percent).
     
  • Among adults aged 50 to 59, the rate of current illicit drug use increased from 2.7 to 4.6 percent between 2002 and 2008 (Figure 2.7). For those aged 50 to 54, the rate increased from 3.4 percent in 2002 to 6.0 percent in 2006, then dropped to 4.3 percent in 2008, not significantly different from the rate in either 2002 or 2006. Among those aged 55 to 59, current illicit drug use showed an increase from 1.9 percent in 2002 to 5.0 percent in 2008. These patterns and trends may partially reflect the aging into these age groups of members of the baby boom cohort, whose rates of illicit drug use have been higher than those of older cohorts.

Gender

  • In 2008, as in prior years, the rate of current illicit drug use among persons aged 12 or older was higher for males than for females (9.9 vs. 6.3 percent, respectively). Males were more likely than females to be past month users of marijuana (7.9 vs. 4.4 percent). However, males and females had similar rates of past month nonmedical use of psychotherapeutic drugs (2.6 and 2.4 percent, respectively), pain relievers (2.0 and 1.8 percent), tranquilizers (0.7 and 0.8 percent), stimulants (0.4 percent for both), methamphetamine (0.1 percent for both), and sedatives (0.1 percent for both).
     
  • Although males were more likely than females to be current illicit drug users in 2008, the rate of current illicit drug use among females aged 12 or older increased from 5.8 percent in 2007 to 6.3 percent in 2008. However, the rate did not change significantly for males (10.4 and 9.9 percent for 2007 and 2008, respectively). Current marijuana use also increased from 3.8 to 4.4 percent among females, but for males there was no significant change (8.0 and 7.9 percent, respectively).
     
  • For males, current nonmedical use of psychotherapeutics declined from 3.2 percent in 2007 to 2.6 percent in 2008, driven in part by a decline in pain reliever misuse from 2.6 to 2.0 percent. Current use of crack by males also decreased in this time period from 0.4 to 0.2 percent. There were no significant changes in the use of these drugs among females.
     
  • Among youths aged 12 to 17 in 2008, males and females had similar rates of current use of illicit drugs (9.5 percent for males and 9.1 percent for females), cocaine (0.5 and 0.3 percent, respectively), hallucinogens (1.1 and 0.8 percent), and inhalants (1.1 percent for both). However, current marijuana use was more prevalent among male youths (7.3 percent) than female youths (6.0 percent). Nonmedical use of psychotherapeutic drugs among 12 to 17 year olds, on the other hand, was more prevalent among females (3.3 percent) than males (2.5 percent), as was nonmedical use of pain relievers (2.6 and 2.0 percent, respectively).
  • Past month marijuana use among males aged 12 to 17 declined from 9.1 percent in 2002 to 6.8 percent in 2006. In 2008, the rate was 7.3 percent, which was not significantly different from the rate in 2006 and was lower than the rate in 2002. Among female youths, little change in current marijuana use occurred from 2002 to 2004, but rates subsequently declined and the percentage in 2008 (6.0 percent) was lower than that in 2002 (7.2 percent).

Pregnant Women

  • Among pregnant women aged 15 to 44 years, 5.1 percent used illicit drugs in the past month based on data averaged for 2007 and 2008. This rate was significantly lower than the rate among women in this age group who were not pregnant (9.8 percent). Among pregnant women, the average rate of current illicit drug use in 2007-2008 (5.1 percent) did not change significantly from 2005-2006 (4.0 percent) and was similar to the rate observed in 2003-2004 (4.6 percent).
     
  • The rate of current illicit drug use in the combined 2007-2008 data was lower for pregnant women than for nonpregnant women among those aged 18 to 25 (7.1 vs. 16.2 percent, respectively) and among those aged 26 to 44 (3.0 vs. 6.7 percent). Among women aged 15 to 17, however, those who were pregnant had a higher rate of use than those who were not pregnant (21.6 vs. 12.9 percent).

Race/Ethnicity

  • Current illicit drug use among persons aged 12 or older varied by race/ethnicity in 2008, with the lowest rate among Asians (3.6 percent). Rates were 14.7 percent for persons reporting two or more races, 10.1 percent for blacks, 9.5 percent for American Indians or Alaska Natives, 8.2 percent for whites, 7.3 percent of Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders, and 6.2 percent for Hispanics.
     
  • There were no statistically significant changes between 2007 and 2008 in the rate of current illicit drug use for any racial/ethnic group among persons aged 12 or older.

Education

  • Illicit drug use in 2008 varied by educational status. Among adults aged 18 or older, the rate of current illicit drug use was lower for college graduates (5.7 percent) than for those who did not graduate from high school (8.1 percent), high school graduates (8.6 percent), and those with some college (9.4 percent). However, adults who had graduated from college were more likely to have tried illicit drugs in their lifetime when compared with adults who had not completed high school (51.8 vs. 37.7 percent). The rate of current illicit drug use declined from 9.3 percent in 2007 to 8.1 percent in 2008 among adults who had not completed high school.

College Students

  • Among persons aged 18 to 22 years old, the rate of current use of illicit drugs in 2008 among full-time college students (20.2 percent) was similar to the rate among other persons in that age group (21.9 percent), which includes part-time college students, students in other grades or types of institutions, and nonstudents. The rate of current use of illicit drugs overall among 18 to 22 year olds did not change significantly from 2007 to 2008 among either full-time college students or others in this age group.
     
  • Among full-time college students aged 18 to 22, there were increases from 2007 to 2008 in the current rate of use of hallucinogens (from 1.0 to 2.1 percent). Increases were seen for the specific hallucinogens Ecstasy (from 0.5 to 1.2 percent) and LSD (from 0.3 to 0.6 percent). There were no significant changes in the rates of current use for any drugs among persons aged 18 to 22 who were not full-time college students.

Employment

  • Current illicit drug use differed by employment status in 2008. Among adults aged 18 or older, the rate of illicit drug use was higher for unemployed persons (19.6 percent) than for those who were employed full time (8.0 percent) or part time (10.2 percent) (Figure 2.10). These rates were all similar to the corresponding rates in 2007.
  • Although the rate of past month illicit drug use was higher among unemployed persons compared with those from other employment groups, most drug users in 2008 were employed. Of the estimated 17.8 million current illicit drug users aged 18 or older in 2008, 12.9 million (72.7 percent) were employed either full or part time. The number of unemployed illicit drug users increased from 1.3 million in 2007 to 1.8 million in 2008, primarily because of an overall increase in the number of unemployed persons between 2007 and 2008

Geographic Area

  • Among persons aged 12 or older, the rate of current illicit drug use in 2008 was 9.8 percent in the West, 7.6 percent in the Midwest, 8.2 percent in the Northeast, and 7.1 percent in the South.
     
  • In the South, current illicit drug use declined from 9.3 percent in 2007 to 8.0 percent in 2008 among youths aged 12 to 17, and use of crack decreased from 0.3 to 0.2 percent among persons aged 12 or older. Also in the South, current nonmedical use of prescription psychotherapeutics declined from 3.0 to 2.4 percent among persons aged 12 or older, from 3.8 to 2.8 percent among youths aged 12 to 17, and from 2.3 to 1.7 percent among adults aged 26 or older. These decreases were driven in part by decreases in the rates of nonmedical use of pain relievers for youths aged 12 to 17 and adults aged 26 or older, although the decrease among adults aged 26 or older was not significant. There were no significant changes in the rates of current use in any of the nine illicit drug categories for the Northeast, Midwest, and West between 2007 and 2008.
     
  • In 2008, the rate of current illicit drug use among persons aged 12 or older was higher in metropolitan areas than in nonmetropolitan areas. The rates were 8.5 percent in large metropolitan counties, 8.1 percent in small metropolitan counties, and 6.3 percent in nonmetropolitan counties as a group. Within nonmetropolitan areas, the rate was 7.2 percent in urbanized counties, 5.6 percent in less urbanized counties, and 6.1 percent in completely rural counties.

Criminal Justice Populations

  • In 2008, an estimated 1.6 million adults aged 18 or older were on parole or other supervised release from prison at some time during the past year. Almost one fifth of these (18.3 percent) were current illicit drug users, which was higher than the rate of 7.8 percent among adults not on parole or supervised release.
     
  • Among the 5.2 million adults on probation at some time in the past year, 23.9 percent reported current illicit drug use in 2008. This was higher than the rate of 7.5 percent among adults not on probation in 2008.

Frequency of Use

  • In 2008, an estimated 15.0 percent of past year marijuana users aged 12 or older used marijuana on 300 or more days within the past 12 months. This translates into 3.9 million persons using marijuana on a daily or almost daily basis over a 12-month period. An estimated 35.7 percent (5.4 million) of past month marijuana users aged 12 or older used the drug on 20 or more days in the past month.

Association with Cigarette and Alcohol Use

  • In 2008, the rate of current illicit drug use was more than 9 times higher among youths aged 12 to 17 who smoked cigarettes in the past month (49.0 percent) than it was among youths who did not smoke cigarettes in the past month (5.3 percent).
     
  • Past month illicit drug use also was associated with the level of past month alcohol use. Among youths aged 12 to 17 in 2008 who were heavy drinkers (i.e., consumed five or more drinks on the same occasion on each of 5 or more days in the past 30 days), 68.5 percent also were current illicit drug users, which was higher than the rate among nondrinkers (4.3 percent). The rate of current illicit drug use among youths reporting heavy drinking in the past month increased from 60.1 percent in 2007 to 68.5 percent in 2008, and a similar increase in illicit drug use (from 37.9 to 42.6 percent) was seen among youths who engaged in binge drinking (i.e., consumption of five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least 1 day in the past month).

Driving Under the Influence of Illicit Drugs

  • In 2008, 10.0 million persons aged 12 or older reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs during the past year. This corresponds to 4.0 percent of the population aged 12 or older, the same as the rate in 2007, but lower than the rate in 2002 (4.7 percent). Across age groups, the rate of driving under the influence of illicit drugs in 2008 was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (12.3 percent).

Source of Prescription Drugs

  • Past year nonmedical users of prescription-type psychotherapeutic drugs are asked how they obtained the drugs they recently used nonmedically. Rates averaged for 2007 and 2008 show that over half of the nonmedical users of prescription-type pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives aged 12 or older said they got the drugs they used most recently "from a friend or relative for free." In a follow-up question, the majority of these respondents indicated that their friend or relative had obtained the drugs from one doctor.
     
  • Among persons aged 12 or older in 2007-2008 who used pain relievers nonmedically in the past 12 months, 55.9 percent got the pain relievers they most recently used from a friend or relative for free. Another 8.9 percent bought them from a friend or relative, and 5.4 percent took them from a friend or relative without asking. Nearly one fifth (18.0 percent) indicated that they got the drugs they most recently used through a prescription from one doctor. About 1 in 20 users (4.3 percent) got pain relievers from a drug dealer or other stranger, and 0.4 percent bought them on the Internet. These percentages are similar to those reported in 2006-2007.
     
  • In 81.7 percent of the instances in 2007-2008 where nonmedical users of prescription pain relievers aged 12 or older obtained the drugs from a friend or relative for free, the individuals indicated that their friend or relative had obtained the drugs from just one doctor. Only 1.6 percent reported that the friend or relative had bought the drugs from a drug dealer or other stranger.
     
  • In 2007-2008, 42.8 percent of past year methamphetamine users aged 12 or older reported that they obtained the methamphetamine they used most recently from a friend or relative for free, lower than the 49.7 percent reported in 2006-2007. In contrast, the percentage of past year methamphetamine users who bought it from a friend or relative increased from 25.1 percent in 2006-2007 to 30.1 percent in 2007-2008. About one in five users (21.7 percent) in 2007-2008 bought the methamphetamine they used most recently from a drug dealer or other stranger, which was comparable with the rate for 2006-2007 (20.5 percent).