Archive for the ‘Addiction’ Category
Addiction ? How the 12 Step Program Can Help
July 15th, 2011 | 
Author: The concept of rehabilitating a drug addict is to provide long term endurance away from his addiction by molding his physical, emotional, and psychological capacity. Away from the threat of exposing themselves to people who negatively influence them, an addicted user may choose to undergo a special program to renew his condition and start the process of rehabilitation the soonest possible time.
12 Step Program Basics
The program is used as a guiding principle in renewing a drug user’s view in life. This step by step guide is designed and reviewed to properly enhance the transition of a highly devastated patient into someone with renewed experience and view in life. In this program, they have what you call a sponsor. A sponsor is someone who has been in the same situation and is serving to share his life and journeys as a drug dependent until recovery.
The sponsor also initiates spiritual growth among other patients and is subject to discuss and share the importance of being in the program. He doesn’t't serve as a teacher, a mentor or a friend. His role is to clearly and effectively share the downside of being a drug addict and how he has managed to get out of it. Aside from spiritual growth, the program also monitors the person’s health activities, motivation and capability to interact with their fellows.
In order for an individual to fully commit to the program, it is important that the sponsor or spiritual counselor take into consideration the various incidents and situations he had experienced. This will ease off the transition and approach to the addicted person. Patience and commitment come hand in hand with understanding. A person who’s admitted to the program may take a long time to fully cooperate and give in to the requirements. During this time, the sponsor may need more patience and work his way in capturing the patient’s attention and trust.
The 12 step program is normally initiated if an addict commits lapses in family responsibilities as well as endangering his loved ones and putting his career in jeopardy.
An addicted person should realize that rehabilitation is not only a step to stop and confine them but a step towards building them and giving back their normal lives as a productive individual in the society.
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Help For Addiction – How To Stay Clean On The Outside
Help For Addiction – How To Stay Clean On The Outside
A person seeking help for addiction and guidance about how to stay clean from their addictive behaviours will have a wide variety of options to choose from. However, most do not realise that in order to stay clean once out of treatment, a daily programme of recovery is needed such as a Twelve Step Programme to keep them present and aware.
When a person is immersed in obsessive and compulsive behaviours, their life revolves around this behaviour. Whether it is substance abuse, sex addiction, gambling addiction, alcoholism or any other addiction, the addict will usually have been on a path of avoidance regarding their feelings and reality for a long while. Addiction is seen by many today as a disease, incurable, progressive and eventually fatal if it is not arrested.
Addicts in recovery often report having felt ‘different’ and somewhat uncomfortable with life and normality since a young age, despite sometimes appearing normal, healthy and well balanced on the exterior. Most addictive behaviours are not simply about the substance or the behaviour, they are about the individual. Abstinence is the start of the recovery process. Change and healing is the rest of the process, occurring for the rest of a recovering addict’s life.
Going Into Rehab
When a person seeks help for an addiction by going into a rehabilitation centre this provides a safe and constructive environment for their being able to deal with their deeply rooted issues and begin a healing process.
Life in a rehabilitation centre is also a learning experience and preparation for them to begin a new life after rehab. Any addiction requires the using habit to be broken and ceased completely before healing can begin.
Intense therapy will help deal with issues of the past, anger of the present and fear of the future. However, after a period in treatment, an addict will often leave, feeling they have been ‘cured’ and can carry on their lives without attending to themselves any further. This usually leads to relapse, taking the addict to an even darker place than they were before.
Secondary Care and a Programme of Recovery
So how does an addict stay clean after leaving a treatment centre? Therapy and abstaining for a time seems not to be enough, which is why many treatment centres endorse working a Twelve Step programme and continued treatment at a secondary care facility.
A primary care facility is usually a facility where patients stay on the property under supervision the entire time. A secondary care facility is a rehabilitation centre where addicts have more freedom and responsibilities than in a primary care facility and is an incredibly helpful step in assisting newly recovering addicts in re-integrating back into normal life in a safe and assisted manner.
An addict has the best chance of maintaining sobriety if working a programme set to help them deal with life constructively and provides a tight net of support and guidance. Life is not easy, whether clean or using. Every person alive has to face pain. Losing a loved one, work problems, break ups and divorces and other problems and disappointments, even simple boredom. Yet addicts deal with these emotions in self-destructive ways.
It is easy for an addict to slip into old ways. An addict needs constructive methods to process heavy emotions, the same thing applies to happy emotions. Some addicts have no idea how to feel happiness and celebrate without using. Extreme emotions are one of the hardest things for an addict to experience after years of numbing themselves with compulsive acts which remove them from their feelings.
Applying the Steps
The only price an addict will pay for working a Twelve Step programme is vigilance.
Knowing is not enough – an addict in recovery needs to work at bettering themselves on a daily basis. A Twelve Step programme will help them to have a better quality of life – as has been mentioned, pain is inevitable. Yet misery is optional. With working a programme, an addict will heal the pain of living and have a method of coping with life on life’s terms, not the addict’s terms.
A Twelve Step fellowship offers a daily programme for maintenance and growth for an addict, mixed with the support of other member’s experience and new comer’s needs. When two addicts help each other in life to find a better way of living, true recovery is seen. The main purpose of addicts working a Twelve Step programme is to help those that still suffer so the suffering may find help and the addict who is helping may find a way to give back what they have been given.
Such a fellowship is not affiliated with treatment centres but treatment centres are allowed to advise clients to follow the programme and work the steps whilst they are there as well as participating in therapy. A Twelve Step programme is what will help an addict to stay clean from compulsive and self-destructive behaviours after leaving treatment.
The programme consists of attending meetings regularly, working the Twelve Steps through written work on the Twelve Steps, giving back to their respective fellowship (such as Narcotics Anonymous), reading literature, working with a sponsor (a more experienced member of the fellowship – it does not relate to finance), giving back through service (such as sponsoring, helping out at meetings or even putting chairs out before a meeting) and allowing a loving higher power and spiritual principles to work in their lives (the Twelve Steps are not religious, they are based on spirituality).
Through working the Twelve Steps, an addict will find their life become more focused on doing good for themselves, becoming responsible for their actions and finding a new way to live that is far from the hell of active using. The steps help an addict stay present and aware of their behaviour and patterns and can be a powerful force in alerting an addict as to a possible imminent relapse or negative behaviour.
At meetings, it is emphasised that “alone we can’t but together we can”. Knowing that they are not alone is incredibly comforting and helpful for any addict in recovery – especially an addict that is struggling or wanting to get abstinence from their compulsive, self-destructive behaviours.
After getting help for addiction and learning how to stay clean, an addict faces quite a big feat in staying abstinent from using. With the help and support of a programme in their lives, they are able to find a reprieve from themselves and live a normal life, without the use of addictive behaviours. Many addicts become extremely successful, marry and become wonderful parents and constructive members of society. But due to the nature of their disease, vigilance and awareness of themselves and their condition as well as working on their patterns is an important tool for their continued survival.
Get Help with Addiction through Alcohol Counseling
Get Help with Addiction through Alcohol Counseling
Alcohol Counseling and Counselors
Alcohol counseling is such a sensitive task that it takes a lot of experience, training, and educational advancement to be truly become an efficient counselor. You won’t be dealing with normal individuals since their minds are already clogged with alcohol and you can’t predict their actions. Patients will be very hard to read and it will take time before they can learn to trust you.
Mind you but patients and their family can be very picky so they won’t be asking the services of just about anybody. This is why many who want to pursue a career as counselor obtain degrees in human behavioral sciences. They have to study research materials and update themselves from time to time with the latest breakthroughs in helping patients get over their addiction.
Individual counseling can be very effective. A patient will feel more comfortable talking about his addiction with a single person first before diving into group discussions. Alcoholics have poor self esteem and they won’t easily open up. It is the responsibility of counselors to help their patients get out of their shell and talk openly about the reasons behind their addiction and what they want to do with their life. Doing so will make it easier for patients to get their desired treatments.
You can just imagine how challenging it is for counselors to help their patients go back to their normal lives. If you are not fond of helping others out, this job isn’t for you. Counselors need to have a heart. They must be patient, caring, and understanding of their patients. They should show to their patients that they can be trusted and they empathize with them.
Alcoholics need to be pushed to the right direction. The fact that they can’t decide clearly for themselves is a sign that you must guide them especially in getting the necessary treatments. They need all the help they can get especially from their loved ones. You can do your part by recommending them to the best rehab centers or taking them in for alcohol counseling. You don’t have to be ashamed if you happen to know someone who’s an alcoholic. Instead, be a good friend and seek professional help. If you’re too shy or don’t have enough time to visit a rehab center, you can still inquire through phone or even email.
Widespread Effects of Addiction Demand Effective Rehabilitation
Widespread Effects of Addiction Demand Effective Rehabilitation
If you pay attention to government surveys, you’ll learn that more than 20 million people suffer from addiction to alcohol or street drugs, or they are dependent on prescription drugs that they have been abusing. But a recent survey of American adults shows that the effects of addiction stretch much farther than this.
In 2004, 63 percent of adults surveyed said that addiction had impacted their lives, most of them because of a family member’s battle with drugs or alcohol. That means that more than 135 million people struggle either with their own addiction or that of a family member or someone close to them.
This doesn’t measure the number of children who are without a father or mother because they are in jail, in rehabilitation or simply gone. Or the numbers of children who have parents at home but suffer neglect or abuse because of the drug use. It doesn’t measure the lost productivity or the number of businesses that have had to close because an owner lost everything to substance abuse or an employee embezzled enough to close the doors.
Substance abuse and addiction exacts a terrible toll on America. And successful rehabilitation programs can be few and far between. Many rehabilitation programs state success rates between 5 and 20 percent.
“The Narconon Program is very proud of its 70% success rate,” stated Derry Hallmark, stated Derry Hallmark, Director of Admissions and Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor at Narconon Arrowhead. Narconon Arrowhead is one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma.
“In our forty years of delivering rehabilitation services and in our 120 centers around the world,” Mr. Hallmark added, “we have been able to return many thousands of people to drug-free lifestyles. Our drug-free program addresses the three primary barriers to addiction rehabilitation: cravings, guilt and depression. We employ a thorough detoxification that uses a dry-heat sauna plus exercise, vitamins and minerals to break through the cravings. Educational and counseling phases of this rehabilitation program enable those in our program to leave guilt and depression far behind and develop new life skills for a drug-free life.”
Addiction ? How the 12 Step Program Can Help
Addiction ? How the 12 Step Program Can Help
The concept of rehabilitating a drug addict is to provide long term endurance away from his addiction by molding his physical, emotional, and psychological capacity. Away from the threat of exposing themselves to people who negatively influence them, an addicted user may choose to undergo a special program to renew his condition and start the process of rehabilitation the soonest possible time.
12 Step Program Basics
The program is used as a guiding principle in renewing a drug user’s view in life. This step by step guide is designed and reviewed to properly enhance the transition of a highly devastated patient into someone with renewed experience and view in life. In this program, they have what you call a sponsor. A sponsor is someone who has been in the same situation and is serving to share his life and journeys as a drug dependent until recovery.
The sponsor also initiates spiritual growth among other patients and is subject to discuss and share the importance of being in the program. He doesn’t't serve as a teacher, a mentor or a friend. His role is to clearly and effectively share the downside of being a drug addict and how he has managed to get out of it. Aside from spiritual growth, the program also monitors the person’s health activities, motivation and capability to interact with their fellows.
In order for an individual to fully commit to the program, it is important that the sponsor or spiritual counselor take into consideration the various incidents and situations he had experienced. This will ease off the transition and approach to the addicted person. Patience and commitment come hand in hand with understanding. A person who’s admitted to the program may take a long time to fully cooperate and give in to the requirements. During this time, the sponsor may need more patience and work his way in capturing the patient’s attention and trust.
The 12 step program is normally initiated if an addict commits lapses in family responsibilities as well as endangering his loved ones and putting his career in jeopardy.
An addicted person should realize that rehabilitation is not only a step to stop and confine them but a step towards building them and giving back their normal lives as a productive individual in the society.
How to Get Through Someone Close to Us Who is a Sexual Addict
How to Get Through Someone Close to Us Who is a Sexual Addict
After we have learned about sexual addiction, its symptom and effects, we may now face a difficulty wherein the sexual addict is someone close to us. How do the partner, relative or friend deal with the problem? How can we help the addict overcome the addiction? The acceptance of the fact of the addiction could be equally hard to the loved ones, but such recognition is the first step to overcome the obstacle. Friends and relatives could be the first counsellors before the sexual addict even seek professional help. This is because the addict’s greatest fear is rejection. He is in a stage of shame, low self-esteem, intense anxiety and moral conflict and the person next to him whom he thought could help him handle the predicament is probably his partner, family or closest friends.
In many instances, denial is always the first phase. If we knew that a person is sexually addicted and he is aware and willing to stop his acts but refuse to accept the fact of his being a sexual addict, there are ways in which we can help our loved ones overcome or at least manage sexual addiction. Here are the ways: First, Do not shift the burden to you. Everything is still in the hands and control of the addict. The solution to every problem is still at him. Our only role is to gradually let him accept things, understand the situation and give help the best we can. True enough, the loved ones also go through the denial stage, most especially if the addict is a husband or wife, girlfriend or boyfriend, sister or brother or our closest friends. But before the addict can open himself to acceptance, it must start first with those people giving aid.
Second is that the partner should be realistic. When confronted with this kind of situation, understand that’s each person’s coping mechanism may differ. Meaning, the addict may relatively overcome the addiction quickly or it may take some time.
Third is giving the addict credit for his simple success or accomplishments. The moment that the addict recognized his weakness, he succumb himself to low self esteem. He loses his self-confidence and may not know the right thing to do. Giving credit for his simple success could regain his self-confidence little by little.
Fourth is that the partner should not take the blame for his addiction. Normally, when the partner found out that the addict is engaged in multiple relationships or any act which might be associated with sexual addiction, the first reaction is to blame the partner or blame one’s self. Oftentimes a submissive partner would feel that there is discontentment in their sexual activity which caused the other to venture to some other sexual acts. It must be clear that the cause of the addiction is not the partner. There are root causes of the addiction. It is true that the initial response upon knowledge of the addict’s disorder can be anger, but the partner should be the person whom he can turn to especially by the time he accepted his weakness. Blaming, anger and rejection might not help and can even aggravate the situation.
The symptoms of drug addiction and its withdrawal
The symptoms of drug addiction and its withdrawal
Drug addiction is one of the worst curses on mankind; the number of deaths caused by drug addiction so far can outnumber the total count of death in the world wars. Premature death due to drug addiction can be still seen in large numbers nowadays. Every year, thousands of people die due to this nasty addiction to drugs. It is almost impossible to find a person who has not come across any drug addict. Haven’t you ever come across any person who has not been addicted to drugs? The general answer is “NO”. Drug addiction is so discrete most of the time, that you cannot even realize when your closest person has got addicted to some kind of drugs. But, identifying a person’s addiction to drugs at the initial stage is the most important step that others should take to get that addicted person back to the mainstream of life. There are certain symptoms of drug addiction which can be identified if observed carefully.
Some of these noticeable drug addiction symptoms are:
1. Blood red eyes with dilated pupils.
2. Change in appetite.
3. Sleeping for long periods of time.
4. Excessive yawning all day long.
5. Sudden loss or gain of weight.
6. Deterioration of physical appearance and personal habits.
7. Unusual smell from breath and clothes.
8. Drowsiness, slurred speech.
9. Sudden fluctuation of mood, from extreme violence to extreme calmness.
10. Lack of concentration in work and studies.
11. Getting into troubles and fights frequently.
12. Change in friend circle, keeping secret about friends and other things.
13. Losing items, money due to carelessness.
These drug addiction symptoms are enough to understand whether a person has got addicted to drugs or not. If you find these symptoms is any close ones, discuss that matter freely with him or her and get that person admitted in a drug rehab center. The drug abuse treatment center is the only place where the addicted person can get necessary treatment against the addiction to drugs. Every drug addict needs proper drug treatment to leave the dirty addiction habit. Most well known drug addiction treatment centers provide excellent medicinal treatment along with care and comfort; they have succeeded to cure thousands of addicts so far. The drug addiction treatment starts with the opiate detox process; in this process all the toxic drug particles are eliminated from the addict’s body. After this step, the withdrawal symptoms of drug addiction show up. These symptoms are painful but they are the sign of positive treatment.
The noticeable drug withdrawal symptoms are:
1. Anxiety
2. Irritability
3. Restlessness
4. Depression
5. Insomnia
6. Lack of concentration
7. Headaches
8. Excessive sweating
9. Muscle cramp
10. Nausea, vomiting frequently
11. Breathing problems
12. Fast heartbeat
13. Hallucination
14. Heart attack
15. Stroke
The last two withdrawal effects are the worst; they can kill the addicted person anytime. These symptoms show up when the patient is in a serious condition. Proper care and comfort in a Luxury Addiction Treatment center is needed to take control of the addicted patients in such situations.
Substance Abuse and Addiction?
Substance Abuse and Addiction?
The difference between substance abuse and addiction is very slight. Substance abuse means using an illegal substance or using a legal substance in the wrong way. Addiction begins as abuse, or using a substance like marijuana or cocaine. You can abuse a drug without having an addiction. For example, just because Sara smoked weed a few times doesn’t mean that she has an addiction, but it does mean that she’s abusing a drug — and that could lead to an addiction.
People can get addicted to all sorts of substances. When we think of addiction, we usually think of alcohol or illegal drugs. But people become addicted to medications, cigarettes, even glue! And some substances are more addictive than others: Drugs like crack or heroin are so addictive that they might only be used once or twice before the user loses control.
Addiction means a person has no control over whether he or she uses a drug or drinks. Someone who’s addicted to cocaine has grown so used to the drug that he or she has to have it. Addiction can be physical, psychological, or both.
Physical Addiction
Being physically addicted means a person’s body actually becomes dependent on a particular substance (even smoking is physically addictive). It also means building tolerance to that substance, so that a person needs a larger dose than ever before to get the same effects. Someone who is physically addicted and stops using a substance like drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes may experience withdrawal symptoms. Common symptoms of withdrawal are diarrhea, shaking, and generally feeling awful.
Psychological Addiction
Psychological addiction happens when the cravings for a drug are psychological or emotional. People who are psychologically addicted feel overcome by the desire to have a drug. They may lie or steal to get it.
A person crosses the line between abuse and addiction when he or she is no longer trying the drug to have fun or get high, but has come to depend on it. His or her whole life centers around the need for the drug. An addicted person — whether it’s a physical or psychological addiction or both — no longer feels like there is a choice in taking a substance.
Psychological signals:
use of drugs or alcohol as a way to forget problems or to relax withdrawal or keeping secrets from family and friends loss of interest in activities that used to be important
problems with schoolwork, such as slipping grades or absences changes in friendships, such as hanging out only with friends who use drugs spending a lot of time figuring out how to get drugs stealing or selling belongings to be able to afford drugs failed attempts to stop taking drugs or drinking anxiety, anger, or depression mood swings
Physical signals:
changes in sleeping habits feeling shaky or sick when trying to stop needing to take more of the substance to get the same effect changes in eating habits, including weight loss or gain Getting Help
If you think you’re addicted to drugs or alcohol, recognizing that you have a problem is the first step in getting help.
A lot of people think they can kick the problem on their own, but that doesn’t work for most people. Find someone you trust to talk to. It may help to talk to a friend or someone your own age at first, but a supportive and understanding adult is your best option for getting help. If you can’t talk to your parents, you might want to approach a school counselor, relative, doctor, favorite teacher, or religious leader.
Unfortunately, overcoming addiction is not easy. Quitting drugs or drinking is probably going to be one of the hardest things you’ve ever done. It’s not a sign of weakness if you need professional help from a trained drug counselor or therapist. Most people who try to kick a drug or alcohol problem need professional assistance or a treatment program to do so.
Tips for Recovery
Once you start a treatment program, try these tips to make the road to recovery less bumpy:
Tell your friends about your decision to stop using drugs.Your true friends will respect your decision. This might mean that you need to find a new group of friends who will be 100% supportive. Unless everyone decides to kick their drug habit at once, you probably won’t be able to hang out with the friends you did drugs with before. Ask your friends or family to be available when you need them. You may need to call someone in the middle of the night just to talk. If you’re going through a tough time, don’t try to handle things on your own — accept the help your family and friends offer. Accept invitations only to events that you know won’t involve drugs or alcohol. Going to the movies is probably safe, but you may want to skip a Friday night party until you’re feeling more secure. Plan activities that don’t involve drugs. Go to the movies, try bowling, or take an art class with a friend.
Have a plan about what you’ll do if you find yourself in a place with drugs or alcohol.The temptation will be there sometimes, but if you know how you’re going to handle it, you’ll be OK. Establish a plan with your parents or siblings so that if you call home using a code, they’ll know that your call is a signal you need a ride out of there. Remind yourself that having an addiction doesn’t make you bad or weak. If you fall back into old patterns (backslide) a bit, talk to an adult as soon as possible. There’s nothing to be ashamed about, but it’s important to get help soon so that all of the hard work you put into your recovery is not lost.
If you’re worried about a friend who has an addiction, use these tips to help him or her, too. For example, let your friend know that you are available to talk or offer your support. If you notice a friend backsliding, talk about it openly and ask what you can do to help. If your friend is going back to drugs or drinking and won’t accept your help, don’t be afraid to talk to a nonthreatening, understanding adult, like your parent or school counselor. It may seem like you’re ratting your friend out, but it’s the best support you can offer.
Pain Killer Addiction
Pain Killer Addiction
One small incident can change your life. Like any other day, you were in rush to be ready for your office on time and suddenly trip off by a toy or slipper that came your way. You sprained your ankle and doctor puts you on some pain killers of high doses. You continue to take them for months after the injury. This is when your body gets addicted to the composition of the pain killer you have been taking and you are said to be suffering from pain killer addiction. This has become a very pertinent problem across the world. In US alone, there are about 5 millions of people who suffer from pain killer addiction. It can be the total population of any city. This calls for the immediate attention to the whole issue. Sedative abuse has become as common and deadly as any illegal drug abuse and it poses serious threat to the society. Pain killer addiction sets in when our body develops a dependence on the effects given by the pain relief pills. More people are addicted to the pain relief pills of opioid composition and the addicted count in some case has crossed the count of marijuana addicted as well. The rehabilitation centers all around the world treat sedative addiction as same as any other kind of drug addiction. Pain killer addiction treatment is designed to break away from the chemical dependencies. This is the first step of the treatment program. It addresses both the physical and emotional aspects of the addiction. Thus, it confronts
the psychological trauma during the withdrawal syndromes directly. Not all rehabilitation programs can treat pain killer addiction. You need to go to the one that has specialization on pharmaceutical addiction treatment. In the second step, the addicted person is given a detox program. In this phase, doctors put the addicted person on some medication and care. They monitor the changes and tailor the next phase accordingly. In certain cases, the patient is taken back to the first step and procedure is repeated. Even if the detox program is a success, pain killer addiction treatment does not end here. An addiction is both a physiological and psychological disorder. So, a good pain killer addiction treatment program should cater both of these aspects. It should not only break the dependence, it should also inject the spirit to live life that was lost to the addiction and rebuild the lost self esteem. But instead of getting pain killer addiction and then treating it, won’t it be a better idea to avoid this addiction? If certain conditions are followed, the addiction can be kept at a safe distance. For example, follow the prescription properly. Don’t alter the doses and prolong the intake of medicines on your own. Never crush or break the pill before taking. There are drugs that are designed to be released slowly. Crushing the tablet may result in contrast causing toxic effect. Tell your doctor if you have a prior history of any kind of substance abuse so that it is not triggered again. If you keep these in mind, you can avoid pain killer addiction a long way.