How to Overcome Drug Addiction

February 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Facing drug addiction takes a lot of strength and courage. At first, curbing drug addiction seems to be an impossible task, but a person must clearly understand that recovery is possible and it can be reached with determination. The support and right treatment always make the change possible. This also actually requires some lifestyle changes to curb the root cause of the addiction. There are many ways to deal with the recovery of the drug addiction and examining the problem with necessary changes always help the drug addicts to curb the illness. Here are few drug addiction recovery methods.

First the drug user must decide to do a change, and this may be the toughest and biggest step towards the recovery. Drug addicts often feel not to give up the drug, and even they know that it causes trouble in their life. Changes include what a person does in their free time, the method to deal with the depression and stress, people close to them, and most importantly how they think about themselves. This requires motivation, time, support, and commitment.

Then a person can possibly think of different treatment options available. Before choosing the treatment, a person should understand certain things such as there is no single treatment available to curb the illness and there is no magic treatment to curb the craving, the chosen treatment should address all the problems of the patient, the main key in the recovery process is the follow up and high commitment, and most importantly a person should understand there are many helps centers such as rehab center, support groups, and information center available to help them.

Next important step is contact the rehab center or support groups for help and can even ask help from family members and friends in the process. Recovery process can be very stressful and one should learn to deal with the stress in a very healthy manner. There are so many ways to cope with the drugs such as meditation, exercises, simple breathing exercises, and having good friends around. Finally, a person should keep a check on cravings and triggers.

Filed Under: Awareness, Drug Addiction Tagged With: , ,

Signs of a Heroin Addiction

January 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Heroin is a very common illegal street drug that those that have drug addictions like to abuse. It was estimated that over 3.8 million people in the United States suffer from some type of heroin addiction. While many drugs and alcohol addictions can be suffered in silence, heroin is one of the few drug addictions that has multiple physical signs that allow those around the addict to notice that the person is suffering from an addiction. Here is a look at some of the physical signs that a person may have a heroin addiction.

 

Needle Marks. Heroin is commonly administered through injections. Since heroin is so highly addictive the addict will be using needles regularly. This means that there will be needle marks or track marks all up and down the addicts arm. Sometimes these needle marks can become infected or inflamed because the addict used unclean needles.

 

Respiratory Problems.  Heroin causes many problems to the muscles and surrounding body of the addict. It is not uncommon for the addict to suffer a period of brief shallow breathing right after administering the drug. Other respiratory problems include constant upper respiratory infections and pneumonia as the addict’s body has a suppressed immune system.

 

Eyes. Heroin causes the addicts eyes to become as tiny as pin points. Heroin addict’s eye movements are also rapid and irregular. The longer a heroin addict uses the longer the dilated eyes last.

 

Hot and Cold. Heroin addicts will experience intense feelings of cold or intense feelings of hot. Many addicts will go through cold and hot spells. This is because the heroin speeds the heart rate up and the body reacts to it either by being hot or cold. Each time the users uses heroin the experience is different so one time they may be cold, another they may be hot.

 

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Addiction and Intervention on TV

January 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

For the last 4 seasons, Dr. Drew Pinsky, an internist who is board certified in addiction medicine, has been helping well known-addicts try to kick their addictions once and for all. While he first gained fame as a night time love doctor on the nationally syndicated Loveline, he has since helped to create VH1’s celebrity rehab. A reality TV show that takes the viewer into rehab with the addictby documenting the tumultuous times that one must go through on the road to recovery.

Originally the doctor approached VH1 to create a show that would counterbalance the media portrayal of celebrity indulgences and especially celebrity addiction. He believed that the show could be a media intervention of sorts with regards to rehab. Celebrity Rehab is a platform allowing him to create more awareness about the realities of drug, alcohol and chemical dependency without glorifying it. Countless celebrities are shown or have been reported to overindulge in substances and alcohol, yet no ramifications seem to ever be reported. Celebrity Rehab is not another reality show. It deals with addiction and rehab honestly and tries to show the positive steps that the addicts need to take to effectively complete treatment. It tries to authenticate addiction and the process by which someone goes about beating or managing one. The doctor and the counselors try to focus the patients on what triggers them to fall into their negative patterns and how they can try to remedy their triggers to see tangible results within their recovery.

While most of us wouldn’t want to take this journey in the spotlight, there are many places in Southern California that can help addicts achieve positive results with more discretion. Places like alcohol rehab orange county offer solutions that can turn a life around one step at a time. With the right attitude, knowledgeable and patient staff members anyone can find recovery if they are willing to take the first step.

Filed Under: Drug Addiction, Drugs Tagged With: , ,

A Look at the Prometa Protocol for Addictions

January 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The most common technique used for alcohol or drug addicts is a technique called the Prometa Protocol. The Prometa protocol is a detailed recovery treatment for those that suffer addictions to highly addictive substances. In most cases, these substances are drugs or alcohol that have made their way into the person’s body and the body believes that it needs the substance to survive. Instead of taking the substance away and forcing the body to go through withdrawals the prometa protocol allows patients to receive monitored amounts of the drug and slowly withdraw the drug from the system. Here is a look at the various components of the prometa protocol.

 

Intake Exam. In order to qualify for a program that does the prometa protocol a person will have to undergo an intake exam. This exam will look at the physical and mental aspects of the patient. The patient must be in relatively good health in order to qualify for the prometa protocol. The intake exam usually comprises of a physical, blood work and EKGs. If all checks out the addict can move to the second component.

 

Medical Aspect. The medical aspect of the prometa protocol is a complex balance of drugs and IVs. For the first three days those on the prometa protocol will receive a drip of the drugs every hour on the hour. After three days of this the patient will be cut back to several times a day and so forth for a month. After a month the patient is just given nightly medications to calm them.

 

Nutritional Aspect. The prometa protocol also requires that the patient undergo nutritional help. The patient will learn how to eat healthy and supplement their body with vitamins and supplements.  

 

Psychological Aspect. The prometa protocol also requires that the patient undergo intensive therapy to handle their emotions and reasons for starting the drugs or substance that caused the addiction.

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Curbing the Possibility of Addiction

January 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Education is vitally important in helping to curb the possibility of becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol. If you are a parent and you have an addictive personality, or if your family has had a history of addiction, then it is essential for you to keep an eye on the habits of your children because they may be especially susceptible to having an addiction issue with drugs or alcohol in the future.

College graduates have proven to be far less likely to deal with debilitating addictions in the future. What this means is that by promoting education, you are promoting a drug-free lifestyle in your children. Parents have a variety of different options available to them when it comes to putting their children on the right path toward success in school and beyond. You can help your children enroll in a university to ensure that a proper education keeps them on the right track. If money is an issue, then you should consider an online college, which is typically going to be the more cost-friendly option.

If you need help finding the right online school for your children to attend, consider using a resource like EarnMyDegree.com, which will help you find the perfect school for your children’s needs. The right education is going to help to keep your young children’s minds off of drugs, giving them something valuable and positive to work toward. Putting them on the path to a higher education is capable of putting them on the path to a successful drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle. You have the power to make sure that your children live long, fulfilling and meaningful lives, and it simply begins with making sure that they attend the right school and obtain the right college education in order to keep them on the right track.

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Intervention Programs and Their Benefits

January 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There are many benefits to drug intervention programs. They can offer a person a fresh start, and allow him or her to turn a struggling life around and make it into something great. Getting a person into an intervention program isn’t always easy, but it’s always important. If you or a loved one are facing an addiction and you know that you need help, an intervention that has been staged by people who love you could really change your life and improve what you have and how you feel about yourself. Interventions, when done correctly, are very safe. It’s possible that the person who is the subject of the intervention will become angry, but that’s to be expected.

If you just ignore the problem that your friend or family member has, you’re enabling that person to keep going with his or her drug use and abuse. That’s not the kind of life you want that person to be leading, and you don’t want to encourage that kind of behavior or allow for it. Instead, it’s important that you make the time and the effort to help an addict who’s suffering and may not have the resources or the willpower to help himself or herself. Most addicts don’t want to be the way they are, but they don’t feel like they have the power to change. You can show them a different way.

Even ‘forcing’ them to get help is something that they often want. That way they can blame being in rehab on someone else, but they actually have the opportunity to get better. Putting an addict on track (or back on track) to rehabilitation is one of the best things that you can do for someone you care about. Getting a fresh start in life and another chance at the things they want may only come about if you step in and provide them with a drug intervention.

Filed Under: Alcoholism, Drug Addiction Tagged With: ,

Warning Signs of an Addiction: Prescription Drug Addiction

January 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Prescription drug addiction is on the rise. Due to the common nature of prescription drugs it can be very easy for a friend or family member to become addicted to prescription medications without those that surround them knowing about it. However, there are classic warning signs that someone you know may be addicted to prescription medications. Here is a look at some of the warning signs of prescription drug addiction.

 

Multiple Doctor’s Visits. Many times prescription drug addicts will get their prescriptions from a doctor. To do this they must go to multiple doctors who do not know that others are prescribing the pain medications to the person. If you notice a loved one going to multiple doctors’ visits without a clear reason or over a very short period of time, you may want to suspect that they could have a prescription drug addiction.  

 

Missing Medications. When an addict that is addicted to prescription pain medication gets desperate for the medications they will take it from anywhere they can find it. If you notice that medications are missing from your medicine cabinet or closet, it could be a sign that someone you know is suffering from a prescription drug addiction.

 

Sudden Outbursts. Emotions are running high in someone who suffers from a prescription drug addiction. If you notice extreme mood swings or huge sudden outbursts over small, normal situations this could be a sign of a prescription drug addiction. Many addicts who have not had their fix yet will show signs of extreme irritability or emotional outbursts.

 

Odd Sleep Cycles. Many prescription drugs are either designed to keep a person awake and alert or to put them to sleep. If you notice someone having an extreme change in their sleeping patterns such as staying awake at all hours or sleeping way to long it could be a sign that they are suffering from a prescription drug addiction.  

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Helping Parents Cope With a Teen’s Meth Addiction

January 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Being a parent of a teenager is extremely difficult. Teenagers tend to be defiant, emotionally closed off and difficult to understand. Being a parent of a teenager is made even more difficult when that teenager is suffering from a crystal meth addiction. Recent studies have shown that more and more teenagers are being introduced to crystal meth while at school. This means that crystal meth addicts are becoming younger and younger.

 

If you are a parent who believes that their child has a crystal meth addiction it can be hard to cope with such a situation. However, there are a few things that you can do to help yourself and those around you cope with your teenager’s crystal meth addiction.

 

The first step to helping yourself cope with a teenager’s crystal meth addiction is to remember not to blame yourself. Many parents will blame themselves for their child’s addictions and problems. You need to remind yourself that you are not responsible and that you will support your child during this time. The ability to take on this frame of thought will help you deal with the other situations you will face while your child has an addiction.

 

The second step is to get the help of a trained professional. This could be a health care provider or a counselor. These people will help get your child the help that they need. They can help you find a drug treatment center that will help your child deal with the addiction.

 

The third and last step to help you cope as a parent is to remember to be supportive and helpful. While you cannot undergo treatment with your child you can support them by helping them avoid triggers when they get out of treatment or even visiting them while they undergo treatment. Support is a vital key to your child’s success and it is a great way for you to cope with the addiction and help your child.

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Drug Addiction’s Side Effects on Friends and Family Members

January 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Drug addictions are defined by the overwhelming need and desire to use illegal street drugs or prescription drugs. In most cases the addict will feel as if they need the drugs in order to maintain a healthy, normal lifestyle. Many people believe that the only people that are harmed when a person suffers from a drug addiction is the addict, but that is not true. Anyone that is around the addict may suffer from the side effects of the addiction. These people include friends, family members, neighbors and co-workers. Here is a look at some of the effects that people who are around drug addicts suffer from.

 

Trust Issues. Addicts have the unique ability to lie their way out of situations. While the lies can range from lying to friends and family members about where they were to lying to them about seeking help, the fact of the matter is the friends or family members are being lied to. Every time that happens a little bit of trust goes with it until the addict has lost all the trust they had from friends and family members.

 

Financial Problems. Drug addictions are costly and many times the addict does not have the ability to pay for the addiction. This means that they will rely upon friends and family members to supply them with money to fund their addiction. If a friend or family member refuses to hand over any of the money, the addict will often steal money or physical possessions in order to pay for the drugs that they need.

 

 Emotional Issues. It is hard to sit back and watch someone that you know and care for go through an addiction. In many ways the friends and family members are watching their loved one slowly kill themselves. This can result in a lot of emotional pain and turmoil for those that surround the addict.

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Starting the Conversation about Drug Addiction With Loved Ones

January 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

One of the hardest parts about suffering from a drug addiction is having to admit to your friends and family members that you have a problem. While you may wish to keep your addiction a secret or hide it from certain people doing so could only lead to relapsing. Here are some ways that will help you talk to your friends and family members about your drug addiction. Using these steps might open the door for you and loved ones to talk about the addiction.

 

Talk to Close Friends and Family. Just because you need to admit that you have an addiction does not mean that the neighbor ten doors down needs to know. If the need to talk about your addiction comes up to people, talk about it. However, you may only need to bring it up with close friends and family members.

 

Seeking Help. When you start your conversation with friends or family members start by explaining the drug addiction. It is a good idea to talk about the treatment that you plan on receiving or have already received. This will allow your friends and family members to feel better as they know that you are getting the care that you need.

 

Talk About Emotions. It might be hard to admit to your friends and family members but most likely you were turning to drugs as a way to suppress emotions. Talk to your loved ones about the types of emotions you were trying to hide and what you were feeling when you would turn to drugs. Let them know that you are working on these issues and that you are learning to handle your emotions better.

 

Support. One of the most important things that comes from talking about your addiction is the ability to know that your friends and family members support you. Make sure you ask for their support while you are on the road to recovery.

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