Archive for February, 2010

Regular exercise programs are not only good for one’s physical body, but studies have proven time and again, that regular exercise is essential for the mind and the well being. Exercise helps with insomnia, with stress and anxiety, and provides an outlet for the daily grind of life. So it is no surprise that many people in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction, find help and experience the benefits of embarking on a daily exercise routine.

Exercise is one way to achieve overall optimal wellness and health, and for many years those working with people recovering from addiction, have noticed that when someone is involved with a regular program, the incidence of relapse drops exponentially, and is one of the keys for maintaining sobriety in the long term. A study was performed in Canada at a treatment center for addiction, and the doctor in charge and all of those working in the facility noticed that when people are recovering from alcohol addiction, those who were involved with a program as part of their daily treatment and routine were seventy percent more likely to complete the three month program and remain clean and sober throughout. However, those in the program who chose not to participate in daily exercise, were sixty percent more likely to either drop out of the program, or to relapse.

Aside from the health benefits, many have found there to be a void, once they have stop using drugs or alcohol, there is so much more time in the day, as one remains lucid throughout that day. Walking or running or yoga not only serves to ease the mind, but to fill that void…to fill it with something healthy and good for the body, rather than something filled with poison and that which is life threatening. Many of those with long term sobriety find that their devotion to the new exercise and new way of life helps them to embrace their new, healthier life style. The key is moderation, many times recovering addicts may become compulsive about running or cycling, which is much better for the body than the previous compulsions, but moderation is always the key to a long and happy life free from addiction.

Dealing with addiction is very difficult for everyone, from the addict to their entire social circle. Often the ones who are affected the most are the family members. This is because of the proximity to the addict, of course, but also because the emotional stakes are always very high. A history with another human being means that there are many different memories that can all trigger different emotions, and all of these tend to arise when there are difficult circumstances. However, the family can certainly play a role in helping the recovery along, even if that role might sometimes be to step aside for awhile.

One of the most proactive things a family can do is to organize an intervention. This is where they team together, and work out how they are going to confront the family member about their addiction. It’s necessary here to take great care in planning, so that everyone has a kind of script for what they will say or do, anticipating all of the possible responses from the family member who is addicted. Usually, these are intended to get the family member into treatment, so they can begin to accept help and help themselves. There are professionals who do interventions, and this is a very good option for addicts who are cross-addicted, have histories of violence, suicidal tendencies, and other unstable behaviors. Of course, every addict has unstable behaviors, but some are more extreme than others. For this option, look into the advice from places like the Mayo Clinic, and be sure to take time to decide if this is right for you.

Interventions seem to be very effective, when done in the right way, but they are not a cure-all, and they are not always a reasonable option. In many cases, and possibly most, the family can only offer love and support to the addict. At times, this may even take the form of tough love, where the person has to hit a bottom before there can be any change. This is the toughest position to be in, but it is not unusual or uncommon. The best thing family members can do is to find their own support system. There are many groups, such as Al-Anon, designed specifically for family members and loved ones to cope with their own conflicted emotions. It’s a very difficult situation, always, but there is also always the possibility for growth. With the right attitude, and a strong social network, addiction does not have to destroy everyone.

Drug addiction is an enormously complex issue, and it’s important to understand that it’s never something that happens in a vacuum. One does not simply become an addict on their own, and live in their own little world, experiencing a pleasant and individual euphoria. It always affects other people, and usually quite intensely, even those friends who seem to have only a tangential relationship with the addict. There is also a very popular misconception, one that’s shared by users and non-users alike, that the addict is only hurting herself or himself. It’s not only a disease that takes the soul away from the addict, but it also works to destroy the lives of those around at the same time.

One of the more subtle affects, and one that’s easily overlooked, has to do with personal and psychological development. When the addict enters into the addiction, growth stops. This doesn’t mean only the times when the drugs are in the system, but as soon as they enter into that kind of obsessive thinking that begins very quickly. Most addicts will deny this when it starts to happen, because it is an extremely terrifying experience, and it’s one that can go on for years and years. While this is happening, all emotional responses are stunted, and the usual gamut of normal human attachments do not form as they should. More often than not, they are based on fear and various forms of manipulation.

There are other more obvious affects on friends. Strange behavior and deep isolation can take their toll on any relationship. The naked truth of addiction is that it is a ride where no one has control. The addict is most certainly taking their loved ones with them along for the ride. They don’t get to feel the same sense of euphoria, though, but only get to experience the fear, the disappointment, and the loss. There are programs in recovery that are devoted solely to those who are close to an addict, either in active addiction or recovery. Here, there seems to be a very peculiar dynamic that forms between addict and non-addict, and the personality types that come from these relationships can actually learn to have very healthy lives together once recovery enters the picture. Either way, it is an enormous toll on friends and loved ones, but in this there is also a possibility for healing.

Chemical addictions are a growing problem in this country despite continued efforts to reduce and control the problem. Tougher criminal consequences and strong social taboo placement as well as greater educational efforts may be part of the changing face of addiction, though they are not eliminating the problem. Street drugs continue to be used and abused though many people are turning toward prescription medications, which can be equally harmful when taken in an abusive manner though criminal charges are more difficult to file and society tends to be more lenient on prescription drug use versus street drug use. And while these changes may affect the amount of use for drugs like heroin or crystal meth, other drugs like marijuana continue to be extremely popular and part of common usage for many people.

In fact there is a growing interest in legalizing marijuana and it is already legal for medical use in places like California. With the continued popularity of this drug and regular use and exposure to it, problems of abuse and addiction to it are going to continue. With this in mind it is important to consider what addiction to marijuana entails and how you can find treatment for it if you are suffering from addiction to this or other drugs and medications. The addictive potential of marijuana has been debated and the effects of such an addiction are also considered in a different context than with the hard street drugs. However, this can lead to overlooking or denying problems when they exist and that is one of the dangers of marijuana abuse.

As with most drugs there are twelve step programs across the country and many times throughout the world that are available at all times during the day and in many different locations in cities. Marijuana Anonymous meetings are based on the same twelve step structure that Alcoholic Anonymous is based on. It is an extensive process and commitment to the journey and each step along the way is essential to recovery. There is good information on these programs as well as other treatment programs that are community specific available on the Internet as well as at many social service centers and hospitals. Schools will also have treatment referral resources available.

Drug and alcohol addition quite simply put, ruins people’s lives. Many people wake up one day to find that they may no longer have a play to live or a place of employment, or that they have destroyed and lost the relationships that have meant the most to them. On top of that, when left untreated or ignored, serious illness and death is the final result in most cases. So it is no wonder that many people search for the answer, for the ways to guarantee that this will never happen to themselves or to those whom they love and care about. The thing about it all is that is a complex weave of life that creates a drug addict or an alcoholic, and simple campaigns with tee-shirts and bumper stickers reading “Just Say No” are not enough.

It is naive to think that that would have ever been enough. The previously stated campaign, and the current campaign titled “the War on Drugs” are such that they may try to go after the symptoms, but they do not attack the cause right at the root. The Crystal Meth images on billboards today, are indeed, very powerful and tragic images, however this kind of circumstance does not happen over night as the campaigns and the billboards suggest. This is the result of many years, and can not be fixed with one three word slogan. The only way one can prevent this from happening to themselves, is by making decisions that one realizes will affect the rest of their lives.

And the only way to ensure that young people will not become addicts, is by instilling in them this kind of decision making skill, and making certain that they realize that they, and the decisions they consciously make, matter. This is a funny culture we live in, filled with mixed messages…of “glamorous heroin models” on the sides of buses, and meth addicts with no teeth on the billboards. Each person must really take stock, must understand if they may have the tendency to overindulge and to take the active stance on protecting themselves.

Getting off drug is one thing, but staying sober is a totally different thing. Staying sober is the more difficult than being clean of the drugs addictive qualities. Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous know it’s easier to stay clean, but not stay sober. But, by attending meetings regularly, thoroughly working the 12 step program and getting a sponsor make staying sober a whole lot easier.

Staying sober takes work and it’s hard, and there are no guarantees that all the hard work will keep an addict sober. Staying at a residential rehab for a month or longer, will give an addict the tools needed to stay sober once they are released from the rehabilitation facility. But, the amount of people, once they leave a rehab, who go right back into their addiction is staggering. Only about 20 percent manage to keep their sobriety and it’s because they diligently use all the tools available to them and take full advantage of all the free programs available.

Most Rehabilitation facilities offer an ‘Aftercare’ service to all recovering addicts. Aftercare is one of the best programs available in order to ensure their sobriety is maintained. Usually, Aftercare offers a 12 step group meeting and follows up with group support sessions. Aftercare is run by a therapist who specializes in drug or alcohol addictions. These Aftercare therapy sessions can last as long as you need them to.

Recovering addicts will find they have too much free time on their hands and their only experience to deal will free time is to drug or drink, so it is absolutely essential to fill up the free time by becoming busy. Signing up for an athletics club, volunteering, or even going back to school will improve chances of staying sober. Do whatever it takes to keep busy, and find an activity that is enjoyable will be a great tool to aid with staying sober.

Hunger, loneliness and being tired are all danger signs that will lead to falling back into old using habits. So, being healthy is a key factor and will reduce the amount of craving for drugs or alcohol; eat right, have a good amount of sober friends to be with and get enough sleep.

Another tool recovering addicts are given during their rehabilitation is to attend a 12 step program on a daily basis. It is recommended to attend 90 meetings in 90 days, then continue throughout the year. Sticking to this regiment prevents relapse and will also fill in free time, will help with finding those all important sober friends, friends who are going through the same thing and most important, attending the meetings, is the best way for staying sober.

Relapse can happen, but don’t become depressed or despondent, get immediate support from your sober friends, go back to aftercare, and keep attending the 12 step programs. A slip just may strenghten the resolve to stay sober this time around.

There are many theories as to why some people become addicts, and other people do not. Some experts say that it is lack of self esteem, stress or anxiety, while others state that it is a gene that one is born with. And just as there are many theoretical and/or scientific reasons or causes, there are just as many cures. Meaning that for each person, what is necessary may not be what is necessary for another person. Many people find help by checking into rehab programs, where they are able to address issues with the support and the guidance of mental health care providers, for one aspect is generally considered by all to be true, and that is that there is a root cause and that the addiction, be it to drugs or alcohol, is the result.

Some schools of thought will state that treating drug addiction with other forms of medication, or drugs, is the answer. Such is the case with methadone being used to help those with a heroin addiction. Another aspect of the healing and recovery process that is generally agreed upon, is that until the addict is ready and willing to seek treatment, then the treatment will most likely not be successful. Two programs have high rates of success and those are AA and NA. This is when an addict willingly participates in meetings and gains the support of those who have been there before.

Another approach is what is called “classical conditioning”, which is a way of rethinking oneself and one’s actions. For example, when someone takes uppers, they feel good. It is associated with a good thing. But, according to some therapists, if that person were to consciously think while taking those pills, this is bad for me, they will willfully change their perception. Many believe that this is the only way to cure addiction, for while support groups are necessary, the key to a permanent cure, they state, is this change in perception, about the way that the addict thinks about the drugs and the action of taking the drugs, and about the way in which they think and they value their own lives.

Of course exercise is good for your heart, your waistline and your bones, but can exercise also help prevent addiction to alcohol or drugs? There are some interesting points of views that say physical activity might spur changes in the brain chemistry that might aid in stopping addictions. The U.S. government is just now beginning to do hard research to prove these theories.

The studies will go beyond the phenomenon of what is called the ‘runners high’, but instead, will look into how regular physical activities, like bicycling, dancing, swimming, and martial art, could affect mood, performance in school and at work, and even the brains ‘reward’ system, when substance abuse hijacks the normal functions of the brain.

Dr. Nora Volkow, who is the chief of The National Institute on Drug Abuse institution, attention was caught when a study found teens and youngsters, who reported daily exercise, were half as likely to smoke as their sedentary counterparts, and almost 40% less likely to use marijuana. Volkow, who has her own 6 mile a day run and from her own scientific experiments, knows that the brain prefers physical activities. Neurochemicals are stimulated by exercise and a sense of pleasure is felt throughout the body.

She noted that children already have an innate sense to move, but that children are becoming a more sedentary group, as obesity in children is on the rise. So, as youngsters approach their adolescence, running and jumping around in the yard or at the park has turned into a chore, which as we know, most adolescence and teens hate to do. The sedentary teens then turn into sedentary adults who seek getting pleasure from other substances rather than from regular physical activities.

Overcoming an addiction by the act of physical activities is still a relatively new concept, but the NIDA has increased their attention to continuing their research and are beginning to advocate regular physical activity can preclude the onset of not only physical diseases and conditions, but mental ones as well. As Dr. Daniel M. Landers, head of the Department of Kinesiology at Arizona State University, found evidence to support the claim that exercise is related to a positive mental health, such as the relief in symptoms of anxiety and depression.

In times where you might need a helping hand, it’s important to know that if you do reach out, someone will be there. There’s never an easy time to come to terms with your own inability to stop, and there are behavioral patterns involved that develop over years. There are some who will say this is based on a reflex, and that the negative moves that we make in the world are simply results of various kinds of conditioning. It’s difficult to deny that there are always enormous pressures everywhere that can lead us to believe that checking out for periods of time is not a bad solution.

In Long Beach, like most places, there’s help. There are many organizations here that can help. The Substance Abuse Foundation is one that offers counseling, treatment, and housing. Flossie Lewis is a leading center for beginning the process for recovery from alcoholism. Tarzana is another treatment center in the Long Beach area. One of the best resources in any town is Alcoholics Anonymous, where people who want help can speak to others in recovery, and get recommendations based on first-hand experience.

Film and television are the measure of who we are, in many respects, and it’s possible now to see both positive and negative models of behavior. Often these traits are found in the same character. This is something that many would consider to be a positive step forward, because it does suggest to the culture that the addict and alcohoic’s mind are never all bad, nor is anyone all good. The common wisdom in this, of course, is that we are simply sick people getting better. Through the various treatment programs available, people can find their way toward making themselves more useful to society. It’s a simple reward, but it’s certainly not always easy.

When the surrounding culture is able to support healthy choices and positive behaviors, it’s a step forward for the entire recovery community. Not only are we able to move forward together, but there is a knowledge and an understanding of ourselves, and each other. Addiction is something that affects everyone, and when it’s time to become part of the solution, the problem is perhaps a bit smaller. If we can combine this with an understanding that positive role models, as well as more positive imaged in the media, can open up new possibilities of being, then these effects also will be felt through the entire community, and not only those who are in recovery. There is always a bright future right up ahead.

Sad testimonal to the devastation that meth addiction causes.

Drug addiction continues to be a major problem in the United States. In fact the variety of drugs to which an individual can become addicted continues to increase regularly. There is a growing shift from addiction to illegal street drugs to addictions to prescribed medicinal and psychotropic drugs. However it happens, acquiring the problem is the easy part, dealing with it is much more difficult. Determining the causes and the biological consequences and effects of addiction is a science. It is studied by mental health professionals as well as neurology specialists who seek to understand the effects of substances and chronic use on the brain.

One of the accepted mental health perspectives on the mind and addiction is the theory that a drug addict’s mind is no longer their own but is under the unfortunate control of the addictive substance. The addict surrenders their free will and ever thought and behavioral motive is based on how to get the next high or to sustain the current one. It is common for the addict to completely ignore personal and professional obligations, to ruin relationships and sabotage careers. They lose the capacity to care for themselves and others and become willing to do anything to obtain their drug. This frequently leads to stilling from loved ones and even selling one’s body either for cash or trade in drug.

The exact effects on the brain caused by substance abuse and drug addiction depend on the type of drug being used and also the length of time in which the abuse has occurred. There can be other factors that weigh in as well. Heroin is one of the drugs that is well known for destroying the lives and the health of those that abuse it. It is impossible to use regularly and not become addicted, which is a rude awakening for many people. Unfortunately, by that point it is too late to care. Heroin addiction causes the brain to become dependent on the drug to function properly. There is an early rush of euphoric pleasure that accompanies heroin though it quickly fades into fog and the user immediately attempts to regain the high.