Dr. David Sack

In this article on Loans.org, Dr. Sack discusses how financial strain can lead to depression and how debt, depression and addiction work hand-in-hand.  Additionally, money is essential for living and when debt piles up it can affect your overall health.

“Each problem reinforces the other and creates a cycle that can be difficult to break,” he said.

Some consumers are drawn into debt because of addiction, whereas others that are strapped with debt become more depressed as the bills pile up.

“These individuals are visibly weighed down by shame and guilt surrounding their drug use and its consequences, which leads to further drug and alcohol use,” Sack said. “It can become a self-perpetuating cycle.

Read the entire article at Loans.org.

Dr. Sack is featured in the May 2013 issue of Parenting Magazine – School Years in the STICKY SITUATION column. Parents want to know how they should respond if, or when, their child asks if they have ever used drugs. Dr. Sack is quoted saying, “Give an honest answer or don’t answer at all. However, you do not have to share every grim detail. A general response will suffice: You grew up during a time when drugs were more accepted and people didn’t take them as seriously and understand their dangers as well. You can even make this part of the conversation. Have you ever felt pressured to make a bad decision or done something you later regretted? The important point is not whether you used drugs, but that you don’t want your child to use drugs, and the reasons why.”

Last week, 30-year-old rapper Lil Wayne was hospitalized after suffering seizures. While details are still unconfirmed, it is suspected that his condition resulted from an overdose of a drug called “sizzurp.” Dr. David Sack recently appeared on Fox News to discuss sizzurp.  Dr. David Sack recently appeared on Fox News to discuss sizzurp.

Dr. Sack’s article titled, “Protecting Home Turf in the Fight Against Processed Food”, is currently being featured in the Healthy Living section of The Huffington Post (32 Million UVPM). Dr. Sack discusses whether or not junk food is addictive, and offers tips families can follow to prevent themselves from junk food addiction, including to: Leverage Your Buying Power, Take Initiative, Be Health-Inspired, Read Labels and to Decode Marketing Messages.

Dr. Sack’s article titled, “The nicotine patch can greatly increase your chances of quitting cigarettes and chew”, is currently being featured on ExpertBeacon.com (40,000 UVPM). The article starts off by stating that Americans spend $1.5 billion per year on nicotine replacement products, and Dr. Sack offers Do’s and Don’ts when quitting smoking by using the patch. For “Do’s”, he includes: take the proper dose, wear the patch most of the day, change locations, talk to your doctor about duration of use and address the underlying issues. For “Don’ts”, he includes: don’t put off using the patch until you quit, don’t limit yourself to the patch alone, don’t ignore negative side effects, don’t wear the patch to bed if it disrupts sleep and don’t ignore smoking triggers.

Dr. Sack was featured in this past Sunday’s issue of The Independent Tribune (Circ: 26,150 ), in an article titled, “Bullied to death: Teen’s torment ended in I-85 tragedy”. The article, which was also featured on their website Hickory Record (104,000 UVPM), discusses the recent death of bullied teen, Derick John Thomason. The article dives into how bullies target these kids, the repercussions of “toughing it out” and how the stress became too much for Derick to bear. Dr. Sack was quoted in the Warning Signs section of the article, saying that there is a lot of shame involved”. “If a parent suspects that their child is being bullied, they should be alert to the signs of a problem, such as social isolation, aggression, difficult sleeping, fear of going to school and unexplained injuries.” Dr. Sack also added that parents should encourage a conversation about bullying, sharing their own experiences and asking general questions about how other kids treat each other at school.

In his latest HuffPost Parents blog, Dr. Sack writes, “Well-meaning parents sometimes do things that unwittingly encourage their teens to experiment with drugs and alcohol. Is there room for improvement in your parenting practices?”  Read more in “5 Things Parents Do That May Encourage Teen Substance Abuse.”

Dr. Sack is currently being featured on Shape.com (650,862 UVPM) in an article titled, “Oscar Pistorius: A Case for Testosterone and Violence?” The article discusses Oscar Pistorius’ Valentine’s Day tragedy and how police reports state that they found boxes of testosterone and needles in Pistorius’ bedroom, and whether or not the testosterone had anything to do with the murder. Dr. Sack suggests that certain men who are taking high doses of steroids—about five to ten percent—become very irritable and aggressive, developing what’s commonly called ‘roid rage’. He also continues to explain that testosterone increases dopamine activity in the brain as well as receptor responses to dopamine,” Dr. Sack explains. “Dopamine makes you irritable, paranoid, and hostile when it’s too high. “

Dr. Sack is currently being featured on CBSNews.com (7.5 Million UVPM) in an article titled, “With drug overdose deaths on rise, experts push to recognize signs of addiction”.  The article is the leading health story and is feature on CBS’ home site, as well as the featured story in their Health section.

The article discusses drug addiction and encompasses a new report published in Tuesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association which shows that drug overdose deaths were on the rise for the 11th straight year. The article includes various quotes from Dr. Sack including the highlights of Promises’ treatment modalities, the prevalence of opioid drugs especially in younger aged kids and signs of coworkers and/or loved ones who might be an addict.

For co-workers, this could mean noticing they are becoming less reliable, coming later to work, missing deadlines, isolating themselves in their offices and having more unexcused absences or more absences attributed to illness, Dr. David Sack, CEO of Promises Treatment Centers, told CBSNews.com. They may also have more financial problems like borrowing against their 401Ks or taking money out of their savings. Frequent medical visits for panic attacks or chest palpitations can also be a sign.

Dr. Sack is currently being featured in the March 2013 issue of Health Magazine  in his own section of an article titled, “Best Shape: Wine or Your Waistline?” Dr. Sack’s section titled, “What Happened to my Will Power?” on page 50, discusses how your brain and willpower work once you are under the influence. The info-graphic breaks down the brain changes that will most likely make you over eat when you are drinking and includes information on the hypothalamus, the hippocampus, the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. (more…)