Get answers to your questions about topics covered in the latest Treatment 101: The Science and Methodologies of Treating Alcohol and Drug Use Disorders. Simply submit questions using this anonymous form, and watch for the next Road to Recovery Update to learn when the answers are posted on the Web site.

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Answers to Questions

Question: I have a friend, and yes it is a friend, who needs to go to sleep with Tylenol PM or equivalent. Is this a major problem? Should I submit him for help? You see, we are in the military and they look down on substance abuse.

Deni Carise: I would have to know more about your friend's use of the Tylenol (i.e., does he take the prescribed amount or is he/she taking literally 10, 20, or more pills each night)? If not, your friend is probably not in any danger from the use of the Tylenol PM. I do wonder if he/she could be better helped by learning relaxation techniques, implementing behavioral changes, or utilizing biofeedback to assist his/her sleep. Only in very rare cases does the use of over-the-counter medications lead to the problems commonly associated with substance abuse such as inability to meet home, work, or other obligations; continued use despite serious negative consequences; or the need to repeatedly increase the dosage to achieve the desired effect.

Question: Hi. I'm just curious if you have ever heard of Hypoism and its book "Hypoic's handbook?" Mainly, it covers the science of addiction causation and any expert should read it if they haven't done so already. Thanks for all you do.

Deni Carise: Although I've been in the substance abuse field for 20 years doing both clinical work and research in the field, I have not heard of Hypoism or the Hypoic's handbook. I spent a significant amount of time on your Website and as I think is your intention; I was alternately interested in the similarities between your theory and current recovery work and saddened by some of your assumptions. I really can't speak for anyone else, but as an NIH funded researcher and someone who has dedicated my adult life to helping alcoholics and addicts both personally and professionally, I find statements such as "NIH, NIAAA, NIDA.are only interested in controlling addicts, not helping them" and the Addiction Rehabilitation Industry only wants "the government and health insurance companies to fund the goose that laid the golden egg" entirely unsupported and (worse for you) unlikely to engage the reader's interest in your further assertions. You may say that this is because people don't want to hear these things, but for myself, I would be thrilled to be "put out of business" by any discovery, new or old, that ended the problem of addictions. I fully agree with the other NIH-funded researchers that have encouraged you to submit a grant to scientifically study and further your theories. I understand that you have had difficulty finding a treatment program that would participate in your study, but I would encourage you to keep looking or find a way to start a program where this could be studied. Additionally, there are many NIH or DHHS sponsored grant-writing trainings and manuals that could assist you in obtaining funding.

Question: Deni what can I really do to wipe out alcohol from my body since it really works my brain? I will be grateful if my request is put into consideration.

Deni Carise: I'm not sure what you mean by "wipe alcohol out of your body" or that it "really works your brain." However, the best way to get alcohol out of your system is to simply stop drinking! If your level of alcohol use is equivalent to that of a social drinker or moderate drinker, the alcohol will be metabolized in a number of hours. It is estimated that 1 ounce of hard liquor, a 12-oz beer or a 6-oz class of wine will each take approximately 1 hour to metabolize. So if you drank two 12-oz beers in two hours, it would be out of your system in about 1 additional hour. If, however, you are a regular, "heavy" drinker (any more than three drinks per day if you are female or more than four drinks a day if you are a male), you many need assistance with detoxification and should contact a local substance abuse treatment program for assistance. You can find a program in your location by using SAMHSA's Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator Website: http://dasis3.samhsa.gov.

Question: I am looking for basic recovery info. I have a friend that drinks to escape instead of dealing with difficulties. He doesn't know how to deal with stuff so he drinks to calm down and gets into trouble like his first DUI this past weekend. I believe knowledge is power and if we can give people good information, that they can learn they can heal. I do not think this person is an alcoholic....where can I get good info.

Deni Carise: First, I applaud your concern and desire to help your friend and I agree with you - knowledge can be power. Anyone wondering about an alcohol or drug problem (their own or someone else's) should gather as much information as possible and I'll list a number of resources at the end of this response. Meantime, I'd also like to tell you a bit about driving while intoxicated and how I view it as an indication of a significant problem. It is likely that your friend has driven while intoxicated many times prior to getting pulled over for a "drunk driving" charge. Realistically, there are simply not enough law enforcement personnel to catch all the drunk drivers on the road at any given time. Secondly, if someone is above the legal drinking limit and is still able to function well enough to drive a car (get the key in the lock, back out of a parking spot) then their body is no stranger to excessive amounts of alcohol. For example, if an inexperienced drinker ingests enough alcohol to be over the legal limit, since their body is not accustomed to that amount of alcohol, they probably will not be able to maneuver a car well enough to drive at all. So, I consider the facts that your friend was able to drive the car and that he/she has been caught driving under the influence as important indicators of both the amount and frequency of his/her drinking. That said, some of these Websites, in addition to providing information, will also provide resources for obtaining treatment services for alcohol problems:

Deni Carise: SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
www.samhsa.gov

Deni Carise: The National Institute on Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA)
www.niaaa.nih.gov

Deni Carise: Join Together
www.jointogether.org

Question: How long does alcohol stay in my body, now that I have stopped drinking?

Deni Carise: That depends on your history and recent volume of drinking. As I mentioned above, if your level of alcohol use is equivalent to that of a social drinker or moderate drinker, the alcohol will be metabolized in a number of hours. If, however, you are a regular, "heavy" drinker (any more than three drinks per day if you are female or more than four drinks a day if you are a male), you many need assistance with detoxification and should contact a local substance abuse treatment program for assistance. You can find a program in your location by using SAMHSA's Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator Website: http://dasis3.samhsa.gov.

Question: I am one of the staff working NNCB of the Republic of Maldives. I am a person looking for more information about drug-related problems and preventive effective plan. How can we make it if the situation is worse? In the country, more percentages are showing abuse of substances. Also, I am working in drug testing laboratory where we analyze urine for five drugs-screening to bring up the lab Qc standards. What are the main important things we should do? Like maintaining records testing methods issuing reports and testing procedures. According to my responsibility, I will have to check the prescription. Also if the client consults the doctor for medical many times a found Ponston is prescribed (eg) and the urine result is positive. The other thing I want is what are the methods your country uses to give the client urine tests?

Deni Carise: You seem to want information on drug-related problems, effective prevention plans, how to implement a quality control process for improving drug testing laboratory's standards, how to maintain records in a drug testing laboratory, how to work with prescribing doctors, clients who overuse medical doctors, what to do when a urine test is positive and suggestions on types of urine tests to use.

Question: I am in the process of a workshop on dual diagnosis and nutrition. Do you have any information on that Dr.?

Deni Carise: I don't have any specific information on dual diagnosis and nutrition. However, I can tell you that nutrition services are being provided in treatment more and more each day (both for substance abusers and those with dual diagnoses). I would check SAMHSA's Website as they address dual diagnosis in both their Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and in the Mental Health Services Administration (www.samhsa.gov).

Question: Is drug or alcohol dependence genetic even if there is no family history of abuse?

Deni Carise: Just as someone may develop diabetes without having a known relative with diabetes, so too can someone develop alcoholism or drug dependence without having a family history of substance abuse. It could be that the gene is carried although no family members have exhibited the trait (i.e., two people with brown eyes could have a baby with blue eyes). It could also be the case that you will never be able to know for sure if there were genetic factors at play in any one specific case. Male twin studies have shown that heritability estimates for drug dependence are about .35 to .50. In comparison, heritability estimates for males with Type II diabetes are approximately .30 to .50 and estimates for males with Hypertension range from .25 to .50. It's important to be aware that whether or not heritability is a factor, the responsibility for addressing any of these disorders (through formal treatment, weight management, exercise, attendance at support groups, etc.) belongs to the person affected by the illness. The hope is that with a combination of formal treatment, altered behavior, family, social and other supports, those who are affected and their families will find a lasting way of arresting or coping with these chronic illnesses.