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Frequently Asked Questions about Adolescent Drug Use, Part 2.

Frequently Asked Questions about Adolescent Drug Use, Part 2 Reprinted from the  National Institute of Drug Abuse  by  Tom Wilson Counseling Center  offering  online substance abuse education for adults and adolescents . 3. How do adolescents become addicted to drugs, and which factors increase risk?  Addiction occurs when repeated use of drugs changes how a person’s brain functions over time. The transition from voluntary to compulsive drug use reflects changes in the brain’s natural inhibition and reward centers that keep a person from exerting control over the impulse to use drugs even when there are negative consequences—the defining characteristic of addiction. Some people are more vulnerable to this process than others, due to a range of possible risk factors. Stressful early life experiences such as being abused or suffering other forms of trauma are one important risk factor. Adolescents with a history of physical and/or sexual abuse are mor...

Computer Assisted Treatment Effective in Reducing Substance Abuse

A new study in the American Journal Of Psychiatry (Volume 171, Issue 6, June 2014) shows that incorporating the web-based educational intervention in the treatment of drug abuse can not only help people stop using drugs, but can also keep them in treatment longer. TES is a web-based version of the Community Reinforcement Approach plus Contingency Management, a packaged approach with demonstrated efficacy.  The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the NIH, funded this study. TES consists of 62 interactive modules that teach patients how to achieve and maintain abstinence from drug use and includes prize-based motivational incentives to encourage adherence to treatment.  Patients given TES were less likely to drop out of treatment than those in the control group.  Also, the web-based intervention helped patients stay abstinent from drug use, even those who were not abstinent at the beginning of the study.  With such findings, web-based interventions ...

Taking an Online Alcohol Class is Part of Completing Pretrial Diversion

Understanding Pretrial Diversion A criminal conviction for an alcohol or drug offense, whether misdemeanor or felony, can create an avalanche of unintended consequences that often ends with individuals becoming further enmeshed in the legal system which can prevent them from being a productive member of the community. Tom Wilson Counseling Center specializes in online alcohol and drug abuse education for participants who have qualified for a pretrial diversion program in any state. Pretrial diversion programs afford individuals an opportunity to address their behavior without resulting in a criminal conviction. These diversion programs may occur as early as street-level law enforcement intervention, or as late as court involvement, but the distinguishing characteristic is that there will not be a conviction recorded in an individual’s record. Many pretrial diversion defendants are referred for alcohol and substance abuse intervention , with low risk offenders sent to less inte...

Frequently Asked Questions about Adolescent Drug Use, Part 1

Frequently Asked Questions About Adolescent Drug Use Reprinted from the National Institute of Drug Abuse by Tom Wilson Counseling Center  offering online substance abuse education for adults and adolescents. 1. Why do adolescents take drugs? Adolescents experiment with drugs or continue taking them for several reasons, including: • To fit in: Many teens use drugs “because others are doing it”—or they think others are doing it—and they fear not being accepted in a social circle that includes drug-using peers. • To feel good: Abused drugs interact with the neurochemistry of the brain to produce feelings of pleasure. The intensity of this euphoria differs by the type of drug and how it is used. • To feel better: Some adolescents suffer from depression, social anxiety, stress-related disorders, and physical pain. Using drugs may be an attempt to lessen these feelings of distress. Stress especially plays a significant role in starting and continuing drug use as well as ret...

Mobile app for attorneys to refer clients to court ordered classes

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Online Substance Classes for Court at Tom Wilson Counseling Center We have developed a simple app for attorneys to quickly refer clients to online classes for court.  Be sure to have court approval for online classes before enrolling.  Each state has different requirements.  You can check state requirements by visiting www.tomwilsoncounseling.com .   Visit http://m.twccsolutions.com.mobapp.at to download the app. Best solution for; Those unable to attend live classes Rural communities Out-of-state offenses Deployed military personnel Employees working abroad Foreign exchange students DUI, DWI, OUI, MIP, MIC, Alcohol, Drug, Substance, Theft, Shoplifting, Anger, Conflict, Thinking Errors, Cognitive Self Change, Relapse

Online Classes for Court Ordered Requirements

Tom Wilson Counseling and TeleHealth Center Online Classes for Court Requirements DUI Classes and other terms for a DUI and Alcohol, Drug, Substance Offenses APC (Actual Physical Control) BUI (Boating Under the Influence) BWI (Boating While Intoxicated) DUI (Driving Under the Influence, Impaired Driver, Intoxicated Driver) DUID (Driving under the Influence of Drugs) DUII (Driving while Under the Influence of Intoxicants) DWAI (Driving While Ability Impaired, Driving While Alcohol Impaired) DWI (Driving While Impaired, Driving While Intoxicated) OUI (Operating Under the Influence, Operating While Under the Influence of alcohol or other drugs) OUIL (Operating Under the Influence of Liquor) OVI (Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs) OVUII (Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence of an Intoxicant) OVWI (Operating a Vessel While Intoxicated) OWI (Operating While Intoxicated, Operating While Impaired, Operating While Under the Influence) MIP (Minor i...

Web-based Interventions Proven Effective in Treating Substance Abuse Problems

A new study in the American Journal Of Psychiatry (Volume 171, Issue 6, June 2014) shows that incorporating a web-based educational intervention in the treatment of drug abuse can not only help people stop using drugs, but can also keep them in treatment longer. TES is a web-based version of the Community Reinforcement Approach plus Contingency Management, a packaged approach with demonstrated efficacy.  The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the NIH, funded this study. TES consists of 62 interactive modules that teach patients how to achieve and maintain abstinence from drug use and includes prize-based motivational incentives to encourage adherence to treatment.  Patients given TES were less likely to drop out of treatment than those in the control group.  Also, the web-based intervention helped patients stay abstinent from drug use, even those who were not abstinent at the beginning of the study.  With such findings, web-based interventions like ...