Health Issues Common In Women

What Treatment Options Are Available For Addiction To Synthetic Marijuana?

21 October 2014 by admin

If you're suffering from an addiction to "spice"—synthetic marijuana—and are wondering how to kick the habit, your research may have you hitting a number of dead ends. Because this drug is fairly new, there are few treatment options that have been studied for long-term effectiveness. In fact, in several states, spice is still legal and available over-the-counter—at gas stations, convenience stores, and other locations. However, there are still several treatment avenues you can pursue. Read on to learn more about why spice is so dangerous, and how you can overcome your addiction.

What is spice?

Spice—often sold under the brand name K2—is a blend of ingredients that contains synthetic THC (the same drug that provides the "high" from marijuana). However, unlike THC, the active ingredients in spice are not able to be detected in most commercial drug tests. This has led to dependency and abuse by a number of individuals who wish to obtain a "legal" high while remaining able to pass employment drug screenings.  

When abused, spice can result in paranoia, hallucinations, and unpleasant physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, excess sweating, and even psychosis. Because spice was only recently introduced to the market, there are no studies on its effects—however, it seems clear that long-term use of this drug can cause severe harm.

What resources should you seek out to overcome your spice addiction?

Despite the newness of this drug, there are a few treatment options that have been shown to be successful in helping spice users overcome addiction. 

Marijuana Anonymous

Although spice is only a synthetic form of marijuana, the emotional component of spice addiction can greatly benefit from weekly meetings with others who are going through a similar experience. Marijuana Anonymous (or MA) meetings are similar to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings—group sessions at which users will share their challenges and ways that they've found to cope.

Substance abuse hotline

For referrals to local resources, including MA meetings, you can contact the recovery helpline operated by Recovery.org at 1-888-249-7292. This nonprofit organization has partnerships in all 50 states and can help you locate help in your area.

Inpatient rehabilitation and detoxification

For severe or chronic spice abuse, detox can produce some very unpleasant effects. This process is best performed under the supervision of a medical professional, who can help lessen the severity of the physical withdrawal symptoms and provide observation in case any complications arise.

Visit a site like http://www.olalla.org for more information.

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