Archive for the ‘Addiction’ Category

Alcohol dependence, or alcoholism, may be defined by four specific symptoms: a strong need or urge to drink, not being able to stop drinking once you’ve begun, withdrawal symptoms once you do stop drinking (including nausea, sweating, anxiety, shakiness), and the need to drink greater amounts in order to get drunk or high. This disease is often considered chronic, and the craving for alcohol may be as strong as the need for water or food, which means an alcoholic may well sacrifice health and family to obtain what he or she needs. If you’ve been there, you know all this; you also know that after going through detox and recovery, that there is an additional thought that will come to mind — the idea that you can drink again, but this time, in moderation.

However, can you ever drink alcohol after recovery? Certainly, people do drink after recovery, but even with just a single drink, this often leads to another drink, and another, until, once again, you’re in need of detox and rehab, another revolution of a terrible cycle. It’s a sequence that can destroy jobs, marriages, relationships and threaten your life and the lives of others.

The safest course of action for alcoholics is to not drink again. It may sound simple, but anyone who has been there knows, this is easier said than done. Intellectually, it makes sense to stop drinking, but the conditions of the disease make this a complicated proposition. This is one of the reasons why there’s so much help available for people who have this problem, enabling you to seek out support groups and search for treatment programs in your local community.

The thought that tells you it’s okay to drink after recovery is one that will lead to negative consequences over time. Not drinking is a conscious choice practiced every day, at times every hour and minute. Remember, though, that there are people who care about what happens to you, often people who have been there before — even if you haven’t met them yet.

While similar to cocaine, crack cocaine is a drug mixed with baking soda or ammonia and water which then forms into rocks; crack cocaine is often less expensive than cocaine, and is usually smoked in pipes. It is an extremely addictive substance, causing a particular type of euphoria-like high to the user. This high doesn’t last long, and the user craves that experience again, causing the addict to chase after the drug, sometimes leading to criminal behavior as money and lives waste away.

The effects of crack cocaine don’t simply produce a euphoria; addictive use of crack cocaine can lead to paranoia, depression, anxiety, and a variety of mood swings. A regular user of the drug may begin living in a paranoid state; in worst cases, users experience intense cravings for the drug which can’t be satisfied; and once a person has become dependent on the drug, he’s unable to function well without it. These negative effects, though, are simply the first things a person might experience. With long term effects, a person may find him or herself having problems with bodily functions, hallucinations, delirium, and depression. Long term use may also lead to heart attacks and fatal respiratory problems.

Stopping the use of crack cocaine is not easy because of the withdrawal effects. These include intense cravings, anxiety, irritability, hunger, and paranoia. These effects are some of the reasons crack cocaine addicts quit trying to quit and return to the pipe. For this reason, addicts need help in order to stop their drug abuse. The best way in which to do this would be for the addict to receive help from an addiction specialist, the first step of which would be medical detox, freeing them from the physiological addictions. The addiction specialist also helps with the psychological addictions, with the hope of allowing addicts to either stay clean or at least stay in recovery longer.

Recovering from an addiction requires the recovering addict to learn and cope with a healthy awareness of their relationships with others, both significant and casual. Most times, a recovering addict who is either married or has a been in a long time relationship, will become aware that their partner is co-dependent and that they not only need to recover from substance abuse, but also from their co-dependent relationship. If unaddressed, a co-dependent relationship will undermine the recovering addict’s effort to stay sober and the grow emotionally healthy.

A recovering addict’s current relationship is predicated on their illness, for example, the other partner in the relationship is receiving something out of being involved with someone who is an addict. Their motives are numerous and unhealthy, but this points out that this partner will strongly resist the recovering addicts process to staying sober. The very thought of recovery threatens the partner’s role in the recovering addicts life; the partner will feel threatened about the emotional control they have over the addict. They have, throughout the relationship, enabled, controlled and have become very co-dependent upon their addicted partner and will most likely, subconsciously, sabotage their sober partner’s recovery.

Individuals in addiction recovery programs will find that they’re in a co-dependent relationship, and that co-dependent partner is unwilling to accept change. If this is the case, then the recovering addict may need to leave this relationship. Some relationships won’t survive recovery; as a matter of fact, most do not, especially if the partner is a true co-dependent personality. It is essential for a recovering addict to make the choice between happiness and health through recovery, or to continue with a detrimental, co-dependent relationship; most recovering addicts choose health and happiness. Relationships that do survive recovery, are the one’s where the co-dependent partner also begins to recover from their own unhealthy actions and begins a recovery program of their own, which there are plenty designed to help them through a very difficult time of accepting change. As the time with recovery grows, the opportunity for the relationship to start anew will take shape and both partners will have a whole new respect for each other and each others recovery program.

Alcohol and drug abuse will permeate every organ and cell of the body, the physical effects of chronic drug and alcohol abuse are complex and wide-reaching. Big doses of drugs, alcohol, or both invade the body’s fluids and interfere with every cells metabolism. Alcohol damages the liver, the gastrointestinal tract, the central nervous system and the heart. Depending on which drug is abuses, the brain and the central nervous system are greatly effected.

In recovery from drugs and alcohol abuse, before the body can begin to heal, the use of alcohol and drugs needs to be completely stopped. In order to heal the damage done by years of drug or alcohol abuse, an after-care program is a necessity and should not only involve ways to keep sober, but to keep the body functioning at its optimum levels. The recovering addict must focus on nutrition and eating right at all times. There have been recent studies showing that the correct intake of calories, nutrients and vitamins, not only helps with making the body recover and heal, but also helps with staving off craving for the abused substance; with the right diet, cravings will go away.

Drinking water, keeping the body hydrated, helps maintain a body’s temperature, helps with proper waste elimination and keeps the body emotionally balanced. The healing nature of water is a well-known fact in the medical field. During the drug and alcohol abuse, the body was kept barely hydrated, which creates a hostile environment in the body, making it virtually impossible for the body’s own healing and restorative functions to do their jobs. Once the body is properly hydrated, it can again resume with what it does best, keeping all the organs running smoothly. If damage is already done, for instance, damage to the liver, besides taking medications to stop further damage, water helps the healthy cells of the liver to continue to function properly.

An exercise routine is highly recommended in order to regain a healthy body. Start with simple exercises, like walking around the neighborhood, use stairways instead of elevators, or ride a bike to the store. Once the body’s muscles have come back on-line, it is necessary to begin a regular workout routine, 3-times a week at the minimum. A physically fit body will heal and recover faster than a sedentary body.

With the body beginning to heal, don’t push it into extremes, such as running in a marathon; the body will need time to heal, probably as much time as the abuse of drugs and alcohol lasted. But, it will heal, so be patient.

Addiction is a complex phenomenon, and the signs are rather numerous and extensive. There are some indications that would suggest a problem, and these can vary, but it’s important with something as severe as this to make some generalizations. It’s always safer to risk being wrong and start taking action before it’s too late.

The common wisdom dictates that one of the most telling signs is suspicion of addiction. If someone is trying to diagnose themselves, wondering if addiction is present, worrying about your own drug use, or having trouble stopping are signs that help is probably necessary. There are plenty of other signs as well. If you’re spending money when you don’t have it, find yourself thinking about the substance with increasing frequency, and changing your lifestyle to accommodate drug use, these also indicate the possibility of drug addiction. The most telling sign, however, is that there are problems in trying to slow down or stop. If you are unable to go without the drug without unusual levels of anxiety, it could certainly be a sign. If there are physical problems when you try to cut down, then there may be physical withdrawal symptoms at work, and help is almost always necessary.

In diagnosing someone else, it can be more complex. Generally, the signs involve changes in behavior, avoiding social situations, withdrawal from group activities, and secrecy. However, these are all very normal stages in growing up, and parents should be aware that they may not be in themselves signs that there is addiction looming in a teenager or young adult. Here it’s necessary to rely on good judgment, and to investigate further with caution as well as patience and love. Watch for changes in mood that are related to certain substances, and get to know the effects of certain drugs to try and determine what the problem might be. Finding drug paraphernalia or other physical objects related to drug use are, of course, telling signs that there might be an issue with addiction.

The good news is that there is help available. Drug treatment programs can be very effective, and there are many different options for these. One doesn’t have to face a life-threatening emergency before taking action. It’s important to remember that no one has to go it alone. Aside from rehabilitation therapies, the family and friends of the user can also get help from other family members, outside observers, and professionals in order to get on the road to recovery.

The history of addiction treatment is as long and varied as the history of human beings using substances to induce intoxication. In earlier times, the citizens who were drunk and disorderly, or made crazy by other chemicals, were often treated as outcasts, and punished with prison, physical abuse, or time in the mental ward. The asylum near the Guinness plant in Dublin is often the subject of jokes, as the detoxing drunks were treated to the smell of their favorite stout all day and night. It’s only in the contemporary era, however, that there appears to be a concentrated effort to understand and treat addiction as a disease. This is why this generation has become the inheritors, in a sense, of the disease model, and it informs much of the current understanding of what addiction is.

The idea of alcoholism and drug addiction as a disease, and not simply a maladjustment of the mind, was introduced in George Washington’s army by the Surgeon General George Rush. About a decade earlier, there was an effort on the part of Native American groups to begin mutual aid societies to help its members to refrain from drinking. These two events are intimately connected to how we think of addiction and treatment today.

Mutual aid societies eventually developed all over the nation, as the Washingtonians evolved into the Oxford Group, which eventually influenced the founders of A.A.

For most histories, the disease model wasn’t introduced until the 20th century, when Dr. Silkworth presented his findings in a letter that would be reprinted in every edition of the famous Big Book of A.A., called “Alcoholics Anonymous.” This was in 1939, and this famous organization was already beginning to make some headway into communities in Ohio and New York. This would help move treatment from a concept that formerly focused on the physical withdrawal from the toxins into a more holistic approach that took the whole person into account.

Later findings in the 1960s, along with the admission on the part of the American Medical Association that endorsed the idea that addiction was a chronic illness, would further help the cause to promote ideas of addiction treatment that are common today. There are debates as to whether a 12-step program based on spiritual principles is as effective as a treatment program where physical sobriety is emphasized with behavior modification, but it’s still a result of the same breakthrough, that the addict is someone who is suffering from a disorder, and should be treated as a sick person, not a bad person.

Sometimes the ones you love have hard times and it is time to step in as a caring person and help out. There are many things that can be done to help out a person in your life who is struggling with drugs and or alcohol.

The first step would be to educate yourself on the topic. There are plenty of books to read about the topic, however, it may be best to find some support groups filled with real people in real life. Try going to an alcohol anonymous meeting. There are many kinds of anonymous meetings designed for all kinds of groups like alcoholics, drug addicts, teen troubles and support groups for the ones who are supporting others through the rehabilitation process, like Al-Anon.

Next, take the learning to another level. Get the facts on the disease because an addicts way of thinking is not like normal reasoning. It will be important at times to understand where the addict is coming from so you don’t go insane yourself.

Keep an open and loving space filled with patience available for your troubled loved one. There are ways to love them but not enable them. Getting angry won’t work in this situation. These people do not respond to threats or intimidation and in some cases it can create more problems.

At some point, you will need to figure out where they are in on the scale of getting help. It is always easy if they are willing, but if they are in denial than you may have to find the best way to approach them. If they are in denial then you will have to make sure not to bail them out of what ever trouble they are in. At the same time, you can’t continue to support their illusions of having a fine life.

Then there will be a time when you will need to be clear on what your own boundaries are. You will have to decide how far you are willing to go with this process and when will it be to much for you to handle. Don’t take abuse just because you care. It is OK for you to set your boundaries. Which leads to another point. When you do finally communicate what your boundaries are you have to realize that they will be tested. So you need to say what you mean and stick to it if tested. This is a very important step in the process.

They will have to suffer consequences of their actions and you will have to let it happen. It may be hard to see your loved one in pain but sometimes it is necessary. When they hit the breaking point, be ready with all the information and intervention that is available.

The question of amount in terms of overdose is always a very complex one, because there are different levels of different drugs that would constitute an overdose. Generally speaking, taking twice the amount prescribed is enough to be considered an overdose, although in the case of most drugs, this wouldn’t be lethal. For a lethal overdose, there really aren’t any certain tried and true formulas that would make it easy to calculate.

With some over the counter medications, it’s possible to have a lethal overdose situation with even the most seemingly-innocuous of drugs, such as aspirin. A medium-sized person would need to take upwards of 100 tablets without vomiting, and the process is very slow. It’s also possible to overdose on the most controlled substances, of course, and lethal narcotic overdoses are very common. They are rarely quick, where the body is left in a state of near paralysis, with uncontrolled shaking and nausea that can go on for hours. Liver failure for many drug overdoses is possible, and this is another situation which can be extremely slow and drawn out.

For all the drugs in-between, the numbers will certainly vary by drug and by dosages. It also varies by body weight, and a number of other factors. If combining with other drugs or alcohol, then it gets even more complex. Chemicals react to each other, because that’s how they’re designed to work, and there are combination that are extremely volatile. It would take a pharmacologist’s advice to determine how specific chemicals react with each other, but it’s important to understand that no combination is safe unless a doctor prescribes it.

If an overdose situation is suspected, calling poison control or 911 is the first action indicated. With pills, the chemicals enter the bloodstream very quickly, and time is extremely precious. Besides the risks of fatality, there are also other possible long-term effects that should be taken into consideration. Damage to the liver, kidneys, central nervous system, and other vital functions are possibilities. Accidental overdoses need immediate medical treatment. If there is any question of an intentional overdose, getting help from mental health professionals is the next indicated action.

What causes drug addiction? Could it be some sort of genetic gene in the family? Maybe it is just someones  personality. Peer pressure is bound to lead people into using. Well the answer is all of the previously listed reasons. With the family gene possibility it could be that someone has a system imbalance that they are self medicating around. Unfortunately, the use of drugs can actually make the reasons for its use even worse. The addiction comes in when one needs more and more of the drug to get the desired result. One’s brain and nervous system adapts to the dosage and always ends up needing more as time goes on. Sometimes the kind of drug that the addict is taking becomes, in their mind, absolutely necessary in order to function at all.

The family tree does play a factor. Doctors have found after many years of research that if the parents are addicts of substance then the kids have a higher chance of becoming addicts as well. Each generation passes it on, unfortunately. Those who are aware can take steps to not follow suit but it is a decision that is made to just stay away from the stuff. Some people have become such victims of abuse because of the parents addiction to drugs that they stay away from it for fear of recreating that life for their own children.

Personality plays a role in reasons for being a drug addict. Sometimes people are just curious which leads them to try a drug. People who are stressed in their lives may just be looking for something to help them relax. So people who are suffering with anxiety end up being users. Same goes for people who suffer from depression, chronic fatigue, attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity. Low self esteem can lead some people to drugs to make them feel good about themselves and confident around others. Sadly, the drug habit usually leads to a negative life path with even more destructive behaviors and the self esteem becomes worse.

For many young teens, peer pressure seems to be a big one. All it takes is a insecure teen, trying to fit in with the cool crowd, getting pressured into trying drugs. Then the feeling kicks in and the whirlwind begins. Now the kid is high on drugs feeling great and feeling accepted into the group. Building self confidence early in a child’s life is a great way to fend off many of the reasons that lead to becoming addicted to drugs. If one is confident in themselves they have a stronger will to not fall for peer pressure, ask for help with depression and make a stand not to follow the family path down a life of drug induced destruction.

There seems to be endless stories about the bad side effects associated with the use of Ambien, the prescription sleep aid. In some cases, it almost looks like one could easily overdose on the drug because the biggest side effect is memory loss. When talking with people who have taken Ambien the stories are almost funny. Like a drunken college night full of strange activities that the drunk doesn’t remember. It was bad enough when people had memory loss because of alcohol but Ambien is even worse.

One of these stories was about a man who took Ambien and woke up the next day with the kitchen filled with dirty pots and pans and his check book out on the table. It really scared him at first. He was wondering who had made dinner and wrote out checks in his apartment in the middle of the night. Then he realized that the checks were written out for all of his bills. No one is going to break in and pay his bills, so what happened? Apparently, he was sleep walking and decided to make some dinner and pay some bills and then never remembered a thing. What else could have happened and gone wrong? This is a seemingly funny story that turned out to be OK but what if something bad had happened? What if he didn’t turn off his stove or something?

This sort of story is exactly what leads to Ambien overdoses. People just don’t remember taking the drug and they wake up in the morning with half of a brand new bottle gone. They were popping pills in the middle of the night without even realizing it. They complain about the cost at first until they realize that they luckily lived through a possible overdoes. After all, eventually, there is a time that could come where the whole bottle is taken down in one night and the person may never wake up again. It could happen that easily. Maybe its time to end the forgotten journey with Ambien and find some other way to get a good nights sleep.

Experimenting with alcohol has long been considered a normal part of becoming an adult. Binge drinking, by association, is also considered to be a part of the late high school and early college experience. There have been a number of recent studies that seem to suggest, however, that this is the worst possible time to experiment, because of the effects it has on a brain that is still developing. There are consequences to binge drinking for anyone, some are physical and some are more behavioral. In late adolescence and early adulthood, they can be more severe in scope than at other ages.

Binge drinking is defined as having four or more drinks for a woman, or five or more for a man, at one sitting. The numbers can be significantly higher, however, increasing the risks of negative consequences. Its affects on the brain have been studied extensively, and it can cause severe strain on the cognitive functions, as well as memory. It also affects judgment, but that will be discussed below. There are also very harmful effects on all the body’s systems, and alcohol can significantly impair the liver, the kidneys, and the pancreas. A hangover itself can be only a temporary annoyance, but when they become severe, the body is starting to become accustomed to alcohol, and the physical signs of alcoholism start to come into play.

In terms of behavior, it’s been discussed widely how alcohol consumption can impair judement. This can lead to promiscuous behavior, unprotected sex, and even date rape. An embarrassing moment when drinking can be common, and often even amusing, but when the binge drinker is in a blackout, there can be hours of bad behavior, where the others won’t even realize that the drinker is in a state of blackout. Aggressive behavior is quite common, and this can lead to accidents and acts of violence. When youthful energy is also in the picture, this can be compounded, and it may explain some of the more horrific stories of college drinking.

The consequences are there at any age, but they do seem much more severe in younger drinkers. The risks are still very high, and it’s important to remember that both health and personal relationships really are at stake.

There is some debate as to whether prescription drug abuse is on the rise now, or that it’s always been a problem, but one rarely discussed. At the turn of the 20th century, there was certainly a high amount of what we now call opioids used and abused for the same reasons they are today. At the same time, it seems as though education about drug abuse and chemical awareness has made the level of addiction much more visible. Whatever the reasons, and whether or not it’s a trend or a problem that’s always been around, prescription drugs are a source for drug abusers. They might be addicts or they might be experimenting for the first time, but it’s important to know which ones are the most likely candidates for abuse.

Stimulants, such as ritalin and adderall, have the indication for helping those with ADHD or other issues with concentration, or lethargy. They can give energy and help people with conditions to function normally, but normal individuals using these will experience an effect no different than that caused by taking speed. Depressants, such as xanax or valium, can be very useful for treating anxiety, because they have a calming effect. On a normal person, the calming effect is much more pronounced, and also carries an almost-euphoric sensation.

Opioids, by far, are the most abused of all prescription drugs. From the level of intensity, from lesser to greater, they are darvocet, vicodin, percocet, and oxycontin. There are many different variations of these, with different names, and different strengths available. These are the most addictive, because of the way they work with the pleasure centers in the brain. For someone who is in pain, taking these will have the effect of blocking the pain sensations, sometimes with a mild euphoria as a side effect. If the abuser is taking these without any physical pain, they short circuit the pain centers and work on the pleasure centers.

There are also many kinds of over-the-counter drugs that are candidates for abuse, and many prescription drugs that seem innocuous can have very pronounced side effects if taken in large doses, or combinations. Because there is no moderator when abuse is involved, this makes them extremely dangerous. Taking more to get the same high can obviously lead to overdose, but taking a combination as an experiment can have the same consequence, and poison control should be called immediately if this is suspected.

Recovering from alcoholism is a very difficult process, but it’s also extremely simple. Even the longest ex-drinkers claim they can only do it one day at a time, and if today is one of those days, it’s a good day. It doesn’t really matter the reasons why someone decides they need to stop, whether it’s a brush with death, a series of health problems, trouble with the law, or advice from family members and friends. Everyone who goes through it wonders if it can be done without support groups.

There are many ways to maintain a recovery, and since it is a disease that has no cure, daily maintenance is the key to success. It does begin with a decision on waking up, every day, and deciding not to drink that day. Beyond that, it can be something rather mysterious, and the mystery is where the adventure really lies. Although there are few who recommend going it alone, there does seem to be a connection between those who attend meetings regularly, and those who maintain a solid recovery without becoming a member of a support group.

The key seems to be based in enthusiasm, an enthusiasm for something that can keep the alcoholic focused, so that the obsession for drinking will stay away. These sources of inspiration are numerous, it could be an enthusiasm for a spiritual path, for fulfilling a particular life dream, or based in an enthusiasm for breathing. Again, like the reasons for quitting, the reasons for keeping sober don’t matter all that much. The daily practice is the only thing that does matter, and the daily attitude includes an attitude of enthusiasm.

In the support groups based on the 12 steps, the enthusiasm is embedded in the 12th step, carrying the message to the drinker who still suffers. It’s a part of the program that carries people through whenever things get rough, because helping someone else always takes the focus away from one’s own problems. It’s a question, then, why anyone would want to recover without the fellowship and deep friendships support groups can offer, but if the recovery is working, a day at a time, then there’s every reason to continue, but a group can provide all the support in the world when the days seem a little grey again.

Looking for signs of drug abuse can be very difficult, because chances are, you’re looking for signs in a loved one. This certainly makes it more complex, and it’s nearly impossible to be objective, but there are some important things to watch out for, and if there is suspicion, ways of narrowing down the root causes.

Looking at young people in particular can be more difficult than anyone else, because there are many things that go on during the pre-teen and teenage years. For drug use, the most important thing to watch for is a change. This can be a change in attitude, a change in eating and sleeping habits, and a change in the level of participation in life. But these behaviors shouldn’t necessarily be associated with drugs immediately, because they can also point to other causes. It could be depression, or some other kind of life trauma, or they may even be simply one of the phases that all kids go through. However, once the change is noted, and drugs are suspected, there are other things to watch for.

Most of the signs do seem obvious in retrospect, but there’s no way anyone can anticipate everything that might happen to a loved one. However, every drug has its own particular signs and symptoms. Dilated pupils and contracted pupils can be signs of different chemicals in the body, so the eyes really are the mirror to the soul. Red eyes are very common for marijuana and alcohol abuse. Extreme moodiness, restlessness, and an increase in aggressive words and actions can be caused by any kind of drug, although these may have other root causes. Isolation is common for teens, but when it becomes excessive, and they are taking great pains to avoid eye contact, and avoiding participation in family activities, then drugs could be involved.

If any of these are noted, it’s necessary to start paying attention to details. Watch the trash for any of the obvious objects, like bottles, lighters, broken light bulbs, prescription bottles, and the like. Aside from alcohol and marijuana, most drugs are very difficult to smell, although there is sometimes an alcohol-like odor coming from a prescription addict. It’s important to be firm and understanding at the same time, and to be ready to ask for more help if the situation becomes too much to handle. There are many local resources for drug and alcohol counseling, and this might be a necessary next step. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to let them know that they are loved.

Over the weekend, Robert Munsch admitted to having a cocaine problem. Expecting the world to come out sideways and dislike him for what he’s done and his honesty in admitting it to the world, him and his publishers were prepared for the worst letters. Most of what they got however where people wishing him well on getting better and staying off cocaine. That isn’t to say that there wasn’t the occasional parent who wrote in to say that they would no longer be reading his books to their kids, but rather that the majority of them understand that he is a person like any other with just as many flaws and issues as every other celebrity, themselves and their neighbors, but they still want him to get treated and get help.

Tara Conner was addicted to drugs since she was about 14 and went on through her Miss USA contest. Below is a video of her talking about how bad the addiction was and how it robbed her of every good thing that she had while she was addicted. She also talks about her views on Lindsey Lohan and how she has stayed sober since she managed to get clean.

Drinking alcoholic beverages is a main social staple in most societies. Most people don’t think much about getting off work and heading to a bar for a few drinks with clients or friends to relax from the day. Most of the time it is rather harmless and fun. Sometimes, however, it becomes more than just a drink or two. Sometimes it is not just one day a week after a very hard day. Yes, because some times, it becomes the only way that one can relax so it happens everyday. This can lead to it happening all the time. Suddenly, one is drinking throughout the day by themselves on a Sunday. When a person can’t seem to be happy or calm without a drink, then maybe it is more than just a social activity. Maybe there is a dependence on alcohol to maintain life.

Unfortunately, life doesn’t usually stay maintained when drinking too much alcohol on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Peoples lives and bodies can actually fall apart over time. When someone is drinking alcohol too much they can have some real noticeable physical problems like confusion, violence, nausea, vomiting and morning shakes. If the behavior continues they can develop some not so noticeable body issues like liver failure and other serious diseases like cancers, heart damage, nerve damage and depression that can lead to suicide.

There are a couple of reasons that one may become addicted to alcohol. It is a type of drug that can create a mental and physical addition. There are a couple of stages to alcoholism. There is the dependence on it and then the abuse of it. The physical dependence has the drinker gaining more tolerance to alcohol so they have to drink more to get the desired effect. This rolls into alcohol related illnesses, memory lapses and withdrawals when someone is trying to stop. This physical dependence makes it very hard to stop because it is an unpleasant process.

There are many theories as to why some people become addicted. It could be in the family genes. It could also just become part of their identity over years of peer pressure to drink. Discovering that alcohol helps one to relax and check out from a stressful life can also be to good a thing to let go of. Ultimately, it may be better to find other ways to deal with the stress of life.

Buffy star Nicholas Brendon (Xander) checked himself into rehab after coming to the conclusion that the reason he behaved the way he did, like fighting with the police, was because of alcohol and prescription drugs. He had a problem before, and was treated for it. He has known that he still had a problem but was fooling himself into thinking that he was fine. He now knows that he can’t do that anymore and wishes to get himself some help. He has checked himself into rehab for both the alcohol and the drugs.

Dr. Nathan Kuemmerle was arrested for selling illegally prescriptions of drugs to people who do not need the drugs. He actually only got caught because he decided that he needed to run his mouth off about how many celebrity clients he had, and how he was the doctor to many A-List celebrities. If this is how they caught him, they should probably look into the things other celebrity doctors are doing. Often times when he prescribed the drugs for these stars he didn’t even give them an examination first, but would just write up the prescriptions, showing it wasn’t that he was even interested in their health, just their fame and money. Which celebrities they were is unknown, but the names may be released in further court hearings.

Prescription drugs are a growing problem not just with celebrities, but also with common people. While this video is a little older it has some good information on what prescription drug abuse looks like and what you will need to do if you want to break it.

Celebrity rap star DMX has asked Arizona state to let him leave the state in order to get help for his drug addiction in California on ‘Celebrity Rehab‘. The judge who tried his case said no way. He is supposedly doing well in the program he is currently in.

Of course, addiction to drugs isn’t the only thing that most celebrities are addicted to, it is also the attention. It looks like this time he will get his fix (although it may only be a small one for now) for the attention he has probably been craving, but he won’t be able to get a longer lasting fix on it. DMX is in rehab for cocaine, which is one of the hardest drugs to come off of.

Addiction is not only a devastating problem for the individual, but also for the children of addicts. Those children who live under the same roof as an parent with a substance abuse problem are in danger of developing any number of emotional problems. If a family breaks up over the issue of substance abuse, or if the children are removed from the destructive environment, these problems can follow them. A child’s reaction may be to withdraw or to behave violently; shame and guilt can color their behavior, too, as they attempt to keep the secrets of the family. Issues of self-esteem, attachment and trust become a part of their life when forced to cope with this situation. How do you talk to children about the chaos they’re experiencing? How do you explain to children about addiction?

There are key messages such children should hear, recommended by the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare. First, children need to know that addiction is a disease, that their parents aren’t “bad,” but have a sickness, and that when they’re high or drunk, their behavior may be mean or won’t make sense. Second, it’s not the fault of the children; they’re not responsible for it; just as they didn’t cause it, they are not the ones who can stop it. Also, the children should know that they aren’t alone in this situation. Sadly, there are millions of children who have alcoholic or addicted parents; it’s likely that there are other children in their own school that may be experiencing something similar.

They should know too that it’s acceptable to discuss the problem; they don’t have to feel embarrassed or ashamed or scared about it. They don’t have to, nor should they, keep this particular family secret. They need to go to talk with someone they trust, whether that be a counselor or teacher, or a peer who has training from support groups like Alateen.

These basic ideas need to be driven home. The National Association for Children of Alcoholics, for instance, recommends that children should learn and follow what they refer to as the 7 C’s of Addiction. In essence, these seven C’s reiterate the idea that the child didn’t cause it, cure it, or control it. Further the seven C’s tell children that they can cope with their situation by caring for themselves through communicating feelings, making choices that are healthy, and by celebrating themselves.

All of this is focused on getting across the message that children aren’t responsible for the addictions of their parents, and that in order to survive this bad situation, children should strive to remember that they have self-worth independent of the family unit.

Even with federal standards in place to make it difficult to attain narcotics, even in prescription form, there is a very high rate of patients becoming addicted. This suggests a number of scenarios. Either doctors are being careless about prescribing to patients with high potential for addiction, or patients are not being honest with their doctors about their own histories and present drug use. It could also be part of an ongoing crisis in health care, where fear of lawsuits leads to overprescribing, or that patients are sharing drugs in ways that are not prescribed, or that people are getting them via illegal methods. It could also be the case that the drugs are simply more addictive than anyone suspected in the first place, and the odds are good that these scenarios are all true. Whatever the reason for the addiction, it’s a very difficult position to be in, but it is certainly possible to quit.

Admitting that there is a problem, and being willing to ask for help, are two major steps in the right direction. For most addicts, this is the hardest part, because it means admitting that life has become impossible. But this can be the beginning of a new life, and if this is truly hitting rock bottom, then there is only up. One of the best things someone can do for a narcotic addiction is to begin by taking medicine prescribed by only one doctor. Some of the most obvious problems come when the pain is so great that it seems necessary to start to horde drugs, and this behavior is very typical of an addict. Trusting one doctor to manage pain is extremely important toward getting on the road to recovery.

If the pain, or the condition which warranted the prescription, is no longer persistent, then it’s time to ask some difficult questions. If the level of narcotic intake is severe enough, it may be necessary to check in to detox. Getting off of a severe addiction, especially to these substances which are more addictive than most anything available in the chemical world, can be impossible, and even dangerous, to do on your own. It’s something that does happen every day, in large numbers, so you’re not alone, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of. It is something that could happen to anyone, and there are many trained professionals who know exactly how to manage someone who is coming back to their senses. Treatment centers are also excellent options for getting away from the drugs for a few weeks, and learning some essential skills for staying drug free. There are also other support groups, and twelve-step programs can be enormously successful. Giving in and giving up, in order to ask for help, to any of these options, is ironically the very thing that can lead to successful and effective living. It’s a new life, just around the corner.

Addiction is unquestionably a debilitating force. No matter whether the addiction is to alcohol, narcotics, or sex, it can break down an individual’s sense of self worth and may break apart the families of those caught in its grip. This can be true of private addictions that don’t necessarily afflict the body (in the way that drugs and alcohol do), but that do afflict the mind (in the way that gambling and pornography do). What harm is the addict doing to his family, especially considering that the addiction is generally carried out in private? The truth is that any addiction may affect or damage the family, despite its origins or how well hidden.

While some people argue that pornography in moderation is acceptable, it depends on whether or not the images are deemed acceptable by the significant other in the relationship. Repeated exposure to pornography may cause the viewer to objectify the people in it, to view people as merely sex objects, and to bring that point of view into the relationship itself. If the partner in the relationship disapproves of pornography, then this causes the addict to become secretive about it, leading to shame and that partner’s loss of trust when the deception is uncovered.

Even without knowing the nature of the addiction, children will respond to the changed atmosphere within the household — to the deception, to the shame, to anger caused by the trust issues. Any addiction, including pornography, also takes time away from the family, making the addict either unavailable or preoccupied and/or too tired to really engage with the spouse or kids.

While pornography addiction may bring it’s own problems to the table, the truth is that all addictions can be harmful to family life, simply because it places obsession and compulsion at the center of the family, as opposed to the emotional support and love that a spouse and children need.

The chances of the family unit breaking apart arises, as well as the chance of the children developing their own addictions, creating a vicious cycle. In order to determine whether or not you’re addicted and may need help, track how much time is spent seeking out and viewing pornography (ranging from none to every possible moment), whether or not this habit interferes with your relationships (is it the source of frequent arguments; is it causing a lack of trust?), and whether or not the type of pornography you’re seeking is becoming increasingly fetishistic (indicating that a new type of stimulus is needed in order to feed the addiction).

Addiction is one of the most difficult things to live through, but the good news is that taking the time to look at ways of changing behavioral patterns is a sign that things could be taking a turn for the better, and the worst is in the past. There are many different ways of dealing with an addiction, ways of coping and ways of living with it, but in the first days, most addicts are simply looking for help in getting it to stop.

In a true addiction, there’s no real way to make it stop with absolute certainty that it will never return. It’s one of the things about addiction: it’s not a phase or a momentary difficult time, but a chronic illness. Things go much more easily when it’s seen as such, because then there are ways of realistically responding to the situation.

There are many different views on what constitutes an addiction, and arguments for its cause. There are those who say it develops over time, with constant, frequent use of a chemical that alters the body in some significant way. There are plenty of substances, like coffee, or even sugar, that absolutely affect the chemistry, but they’re not treated as an addiction, or at least not as severe as cocaine, for example, because the sugar addict is usually not a threat to themselves or others, and cocaine addicts are. There are others who will argue that its genetic, that there are simply those who are born constitutionally wired for addiction.

Whatever the origin, in dealing with it, there are options. If it’s severe enough, and the addict is in danger of serious health problems that might come from withdrawal, or if there is an accidental overdose, or any other urgent situation, then the first and best option is detox, where the withdrawal will happen in a safe environment with trained professions. The next step here would be treatment, and this is also a very good option for an addict who is wanting to quit but finding that they cannot.

In either event, getting for help is the first step toward stopping, and the way to get help is to ask for it. Contacting the local substance abuse offices in the area, C.A., N.A., or A.A. hotlines, are all fine places to begin. There are some who do manage to detox and quit all on their own, but there are so few advantages to this, and a very unstable success that follows, that working with others is the way to get through the door.

There are various approaches to treating chemical addictions and depending on the circumstances and degree of abuse or addiction problem different programs can be recommended. One of the standard beliefs regarding decisions that need to be made when seeking treatment options is choosing between a group or an individually based program. Actually, a combination of the two treatment structures is typical to many residential programs and while there is a standard association to group counseling, individual chemical addiction therapy is also extremely important and beneficial. And in situations where the individual may be seeking out patient treatment options, individual therapy can give a much more focused and comprehensive structure as well as a stronger personal attention perspective to the addict.

It is extremely common for a person who is suffering from a chemical addiction to have co-occurring issues. This means that they likely have another mental health or behaviorally based issue or disorder affecting their quality of life and ability to function. Individually based therapy offers complete attention to the single addict’s issues and any other issue that may be going on. This can be extremely beneficial in detecting other disorders because the entire session is focused on the individual. In addition, the addict has the entire hour to talk and process their feelings and receives the therapist’s complete and undivided attention. There are great benefits that can be gained from group therapy as well, and a combination of the two are generally recommended.

Chemical addictions are an extremely destructive and serious life circumstance that affects not only the individual who is abusing the substance and suffers from the addiction, but also their family and friends and sometimes even co-workers. This is a far-reaching problem that extends much further than the immediate circumstances of the addict. And while there continues to be a standard judgment toward addiction, it is extremely important to remember and or realize that if you don’t directly know a substance abuser and potential addict you certainly know someone who does. Seeking treatment requires courage and should be supported and encouraged rather than have a social taboo attached to it.

Every potentially addictive substance has its own particular stages of addiction that are peculiar to that substance. With alcohol, there are several stages that begin with increased tolerance and increasing capacity for consumption, and end with chronic symptoms, such as the shakes, delirium, suicidal thoughts, and eventually death. Heroin can lead the addict through similar stages, with different physical effects, but the same ending result. The difficulty with marijuana, however, is due to its own particular kind of addictive properties.

There is very little evidence to support an argument for a physical addiction to this drug. That’s not to say it is not addictive at all, because the numbers show that it absolutely is, but in a different way than many other drugs, because of the lack of physically addictive properties. With marijuana, the addiction is more on the lines of a mental and emotional plane than a physical one. This makes it much harder to gauge in terms of stages, because everybody is different, mentally and emotionally, and not everyone responds to its effects in quite the same way.

Generally speaking, it hits the pleasure centers in the brain, so it does alter the physical chemistry in a rather significant way. The response on the part of the user is usually one of euphoria, the high, and this can last for a few hours. Those who have been using the drug for a long period of time do demonstrate an increase in amount and frequency of use, but beyond that, it’s difficult to determine any precise stages where the line is being crossed from casual user to addict.

In this regard, then, the most reasonable way to approach it is to look at it as one would any other addiction. The stages here would be, again, on an emotional and mental plane. The beginning stages would be experimentation, where the user is trying it out to see what the effects are like. This can move into more frequent casual use, where the user begins to think about it obsessively, when they are smoking it or not. That is one of the red flags that indicate an addiction is starting, and it’s hard to measure because those who are addicted will usually deny it, even to themselves. The next phase, then, would be constant, chronic use, at which point a physical dependency, rather than an addiction, begins, and the well-being depends upon use of the drug.

These are, of course, very difficult to measure, and can only be honestly assessed by the smoker on their own. However, if the lives of those around them are being affected, then there is simply an addictive behavior happening, and if it’s putting anyone in danger, it’s certainly time to take action and get help.

Addiction is a terrible thing to live with. On the one hand, those who don’t believe they are addicts and continue to use cocaine over and over in an obviously addictive way are in denial. Denial is extremely insidious, because it is a behavior that lies about itself, making it impossible to spot in yourself. That, in turn, can lead to a whole complex of thoughts and emotions that eventually stunt your growth in every conceivable direction. On the other hand, knowing you’re addicted, and being unable to stop using, can also be extremely humiliating. Either one can make a life that feels like it is spiraling out of control, and in fact, it is. But there is certainly good news, and there’s lots of it. Dealing with cocaine addiction is something that thousands of people have done successfully, and most people beginning the road to recovery wonder if they can do it on their own.

It is certainly possible to stop using cocaine without any outside help. There are people who have done it, and some of these have been rather successful, being drug-free for years. However, it is extremely difficult to do, and much more difficult to do than with help from others, and the obvious question here would be: why would you want to do it alone? Programs and treatments have had a great deal of success for many addicts, and they offer a new way of life that doesn’t mean compromising who you are essentially. In any kind of recovery, you become who you are, who you were meant to be, and any good program will help lead you in this direction.

One of the biggest problems with trying to do it alone stems from the nature of the disease. Addicts have a personality type that makes it very difficult for them to ask for help from anyone. There’s a sense of pride about being in control of your life, and that’s perfectly normal. At the same time, when your life is out of control, asking for help is a significant step, if not the most significant, toward dealing with an addiction. Being able to ask for help is also the first sure sign that you’re ready to take yourself seriously, and begin honestly entering into that realm where freedom from cocaine is possible.

Addiction therapy is a complex practice, and one that’s still always in process. There are new findings about addiction everyday, and because it’s always dealing with volatile individuals, there are wide ranges of practices and therapies available, and new ones all the time. Generally, a combination of individual and group therapy seems to be the most effective treatment for addicts, with the lowest occurrence of relapse. Because it is a turning point in someone’s life when they have made the decision to get on the road to recovery, it’s good to know ahead of time what to expect. What, then, is individual addiction therapy about?

Most treatment centers will offer a combination of both individual and group therapy. Group therapy is extremely effective, because it gives recovering addicts the chance to talk with others who are in, or have been in, the same situation. The depths of addiction can be a living nightmare, and anyone who’s been there understands that it feels like no one else has ever felt such pain. Group therapy, then, is a way of coming to terms with the fact that no addict is really unique.

Individual therapy in these situations can help the professionals to make determinations about the addict specifically. While the stigma of uniqueness is one that eventually has to go away for any chance of recovery, people need to be acknowledged for their own personal experiences and life journey. Individual therapy will take all of these things into consideration, looking deeply into the addict’s life history, looking at family, environment, relationships, and into their own patterns of drug use. This is helpful for identifying the specific problems, triggers, and behaviors.

It’s also the perfect opportunity for the recovering addict to talk about the things that are really troubling them. It’s often the case that family history and personal triggers won’t matter eventually, that addiction is addiction, and can be controlled, but it’s also necessary to have a space to air out the personal demons. In any kind of effective therapy, the personal demons can become the most helpful guides toward a successful recovery, and individual therapy can help identify the places where real healing can begin.

MySpace seems harmless, it’s only a social network, what could possibly go wrong with staying in touch with your friends, distant friends and relatives? Becoming addicted to MySpace is what can go wrong. At first, you’ll spend time creating your profile, which is where you’ll write about all the things you want all your friends to know about you, like what kinds of music you listen to, what movies you watch or what books your read. But, then there’s uploading all your photographs (known as pics) and uploading videos you want to share with friends. Then, you’ll notice how plain you MySpace front page looks, so you’ll spend some time searching for the right background graphics, because you want your front page to really reflect your personality. You’ll want to find the right MP3 player and the perfect photo of yourself, which will not only appear on the front page, but shows up when ever to comment, send a message, or an instant message. Before you know it, you’ve just spent the entire night on MySpace with only a few hours left to get some sleep before work.

This is how easy MySpace can become addicting. But, that’s just the beginning; once your MySpace is set-up exactly how you want it, then it’s time to find if any of your friends are on MySpace, and once you find them, you look at all their friends and notice that they know some pretty interesting people, and that they listed some pretty interesting music you’ve never heard before, so you have to check out the new music your friend have listed and then upload the music to your site. Or, you see an interesting site such as reading someone’s blogs, this is the point when you realize there’s a whole world of like-minded people on MySpace and see that their friends have the same interests as you, and once again, the next thing you know, is it’s very late, you’ve spent 5 hours online without even blinking an eye.

As you can see, losing track of time, while on MySpace is easily done, mainly because MySpace is a social network, a music outlet for many musicians and people from all over the world have an account, making this social network even more fascinating and exciting. Where the harm comes in, is spending way too much time on MySpace, hours upon hours, sometimes an entire day, causing your relationships with loved ones to suffer. Husbands, wives, children, boyfriends, girlfriends will notice how little time you have for them and how you would rather spend time on MySpace.

You’ll know if your addicted if: you spend several hours a day on MySpace; stay up all night on MySpace; loved ones stop associating with you; and you no longer have a real social life. Don’t take the addiction to MySpace lightly, it is a serious issue, especially when it interferes with your daily life.

Any addiction may act as a powerful drain in a person’s life and relationships, whether that addiction arises from substance abuse or compulsive behaviors, such as an addiction to pornography. Porn addiction is especially damaging when the couple disagrees about the use of pornography and what place it might have inside a relationship, or if it should be a part of it at all. How does one know a problem exists? And, if a problem does exist, how does one work on letting go of the compulsion?

Porn addiction, and specifically Internet porn addiction, may be thought of as two different compulsions at once: a) a sex addiction, and b) a compulsive addiction that’s similar to gambling or gaming. Addiction may gain a foothold in a person’s life through exposure at a young age. As the compulsion grows, it’s possible to devote hours in a day to the habit, even engaging in reckless behavior, such as viewing the pornography on work computers, sacrificing sleep to spend hours through the night viewing porn, or becoming distant and secretive when attempting to hide the addiction from a spouse.

As addictions grow worse, it’s possible they may escalate as the material that was originally a stimulus no longer work, creating the need for more exotic and graphic material. Desensitization may follow, which in extreme cases may lead to acting out sexually. Before it gets to this point, the addicted person in the relationship may try different ways to curb the appetite or channel it into a more appropriate direction. The addicted partner may ask his or her spouse to take provocative or even pornographic pictures of his or herself to help reduce the online addiction by providing a substitute.

If a person has a true addiction — if the partner is not just calling the spouse’s desire to occasionally look at pornography an addiction — then taking photos of the partner as a substitute for pornography is unlikely to work. Pornography generally objectifies the person in the photo, having a dehumanizing effect. It may not make the addiction worse; however, it’s doubtful that it will help remove the addiction. These kinds of problems are too complicated for that kind of solution. The best place to determine an appropriate treatment is through counseling or therapy.