Smoking Pot Cool? Outpatient Drug Treatment Orlando Florida

Having more that 20 years of experience in drug and alcohol rehab treatment in Orlando Florida, and offering cutting edge substance abuse treatment services in Orlando Florida, we can conclude that definitely Marijuana is the most dangerous gateway drug. Call it pot, joint, Mary Jane, refer, blunt, dope, weed, herb or blunt; marijuana is an illegal yet commonly abused drug in the United States. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), about 75% of drug users used marijuana in 2008 along with abusing other drugs while 53% only relied on marijuana.

Derived from a dry, shredded mix of flowers, stems, seeds and leaves of the hemp plant, Cannabis Sativa, marijuana can be smoked in hand-rolled cigarettes called joints, in pipes called bongs or as cigars called blunts. Most marijuana users start before the age of 20 with the highest rate of weed use being between 12 and 17 year olds.

Effects Of Marijuana Abuse

When an individual smokes pot, within a minute the heart rate speeds up by 20 to 50 beats per minute, or may even double. The main active ingredient in marijuana is Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, causing blood vessels in eyes to expand, making them look red. As soon as the THC enters the brain, euphoric sensations are felt because it acts on the reward system of the brain. The individual might feel relaxation, laughter, altered perception of time, heightened sensory perception and increased appetite. When euphoria fades away, the person might feel sleepy or depressed.

Symptoms of marijuana abuse include:

• Lack of concentration and coordination
• Increased appetite with craving for sweets
• Rapid, loud talking and bursts of laughter in early stages of intoxication
• Sleepy in the later stages
• Odor smells like burning rope
• Forgetfulness in conversation
• Inflammation in the whites of the eyes
• Imprecise Sense of Time

Withdrawal Symptoms On Quitting Marijuana

When a marijuana addict tries to quite marijuana, he/she experiences the following characteristic withdrawal symptoms within 1 to 3 days after quitting.

• Light sensitivity
• Sleep Problems
• Irritability
• Anger,
• Anxiety, Depression
• Paranoia
• Aggression
• Headaches
• Nervousness

Quit Weed Today in an Outpatient Drug Treatment Program in Orlando Florida!

Although there is no medication available for treatment of marijuana abuse, the dependence can be reduced mostly by outpatient drug treatment. Behavioral therapies and psychotherapy have proved successful in reducing dependence on marijuana. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on controlling the effects of thoughts and environment while motivational interviewing (MI) relies on building the motivation to quit pot.

There is also a certain contingency management (CM) therapy that provides addicts with vouchers as a reward for quitting marijuana. Rewards usually include securing employment or advancing their education or health, and even participation in social activities.

Family-based treatments such as family support network intervention, multidimensional therapy, multi-systemic therapy, and brief strategic therapy have been found to be effective for treating marijuana addiction and its underlying psychological issues. These are based on techniques that aim at discouraging marijuana use.Don’t let your teen fall into the adverse social effects of smoking marijuana such as higher risk of pregnancy, dropping out of school, legal problems and underachievement in life.

If you or a loved one is suffering from addiction and need the help of a professional drug and alcohol rehab center in Orlando Florida, contact us at 1-888-796-8040.